| From: | Dennis Steinmeijer dv8@********.nl |
|---|---|
| Subject: | RPGs with atmosphere is like reading a good book |
| Date: | Sat, 21 Aug 1999 12:32:29 +0200 |
you can create your own story and you can make the character do what you
want. You don't have to sit around thinking: "Don't go into the basement!
The slasher is in the basement, don't go in!" You'll have full control over
the character's actions and responses. This is what I often think when I
read a book, that I wish I could have lived it. That I wish I could have
jumped into the skin of a character and play out a part.
If you want to play out a part to the fullest, then you start acting.
Therefor roleplaying is like watching a good movie for exactly the same
reasons as it's like reading a good book. Now, what is it that everyone
always grasps in a movie or a book? First I think it's the story concept,
and I don't think there's anyone on this mailing list who doesn't like the
story concept for SR. Second it's atmosphere. It's the mood the book/movie
sets. At least for me it is.
Some people find that SR lacks mood because it lacks detail (although I
can't imagine why). That's why people like to see a lot of sourcebooks like
the Cannon Companion (I don't see why we would need even more guns). Some
people have trouble establishing the mood for Shadowrun because it's 60
years into the future. I myself have that problem a little, that's why I
play a mongrol game where the year might be 2057 but the "feel" lies for
more closely to 1999, although you do have the goodies. That's why people
like to see a sourcebook like Shadowbeat. I think I would be one who would
love it.
I like my roleplaying games to be detailed in concept and story. That's what
initially attracted me to Shadowrun,...the story was so rich, detailed and
well thought out. I like reading about things in a gaming universe, I just
finished reading the "on the outside looking in" chapter in RA:S, and I
loved it because you get to meet the players. The way the director of IIN
reached for the phone as soon as she heard about the shutdown and the way
King burned her down was brilliant.
I like to sink away in a story. I like to sink away in a movie. When I put
down the book, or walk out of a theater I want to be able to discuss it with
my girlfriend and friends, like I do every sunday night before going to
sleep right after finishing a gaming session. Roleplaying is one of my
hobbies. It's something I want to devote time to. And that includes reading
an atmosphere book just because I enjoy reading a little more about the
gaming universe other than statistics and target numbers.
Some people say, and I often catch myself saying that a GM has to make up
most of the material himself. Now that might be true in some cases, but when
a GM has a game going and he lacks the grasp on atmosphere and mood he has
to be helped along. Some people just don't have the time to reinvent the
Tridscreen (I still don't know what that's supposed to look like), or flesh
out the whole corporate world.
Atmosphere and mood books are a good supplement to the current FASA:SR
collection, as far as I'm concerned.
Dennis
"Abashed the Devil stood,...and felt how awful Goodness is..."
