| From: | Geoff Skellams <geoff.skellams@*********.COM.AU> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Virtual Seattle and the RPGA (was re: Virtual Seattle) |
| Date: | Fri, 7 Aug 1998 14:59:45 +1000 |
> At 09:30 AM 8/7/98 +1000, you wrote:
> >I thought you would have known what this is. Actually, I thought
> >everyone knew what Virtual Seattle was. Oh Well.
>
> Well, I had been looking in the wrong places. And when the trails led
to
> TSR, I ran like hell the other way.
In some respects, I can understand that. I joined basically
because I was going to Gencon in 94. I liked it, so I stayed with it,
even it I do get too much AD&D stuff. But that's OK, I'm thinking about
doing something about that :)
> Okay, I've read all the info on the web site.
> My next question is, why?
>
Basically, I suspect that people like the concept of owning a
character that they created and being able to play at conventions. I
suspect that it has something to do with the powergaming aspect. If you
think VS is bad, you should try the AD&D Living City. People get rabid
about that, and it is IMPOSSIBLE to tailor a character to be incompetant
and stay that way. I tried and failed. I really like my senile gnome
cleric the way he was - he was supposed to be perpetually first level.
> It seems that I would get better turnout and flexibility (as a GM) to
run
> games NOT affiliated with Virtual Seattle. Considering all the
> restrictions...some of which I think are utterly lame and even
outright
> stupid (all IMHO of course).
>
Well, it's obvious that VS is not for you then :) That's OK,
there's nothing stopping you from writing standard SR type games where
you as the GM supply the characters as well as the game. Some people
like it though. If it keeps them happy and relatively quiet, then good
luck to them I say.
> So why join? Why have anything to do with the RPGA or Virtual
Seattle? I
> just don't see any benefit to the SR player or GM, but maybe I'm
missing
> something.
As I mentioned before, I joined the RPGA because I was going to Gencon
94. From experience, running an RPGA sanctioned tournament at Gencon is
a hell of a lot easier than running one by yourself. For starters, the
RPGA organises everything for you. You just show up, collect the
character and scoring packet and go run your session. They organise
prizes and everything else for you. It also means that your games don't
have to have more than about 6 players (I played a single NON-RPGA GURPS
game and it had *13* players. It was total crap). I hope to someday go
to Gencon again. I'll be sticking with RPGA sanctioned games then as
well.
The RPGA are also keep their modules in an archive, so if you are
running a convention you can write to them and "buy" modules from them
in just about whatever system you like. It could be a good way to get
some games for a con without having to have people with the time and the
talent to write one. As long as you can find the GMs for the various
sessions, you can get a con going. This could be a really big thing for
some small cons.
Being a member of the RPGA means you get a copy of the Polyhedron mag.
I'm the first to admit that most of it is related to AD&D and is pretty
much worthless, but things are slowly starting to change and it is
getting better. They've gotten rid of a lot of the Living City crap that
used to come with it and are starting to put more interesting articles
in it. The issue I got last week (I think it was 130) was all about
pirates (although there was no stuff about Cyberpirates). However, some
of it could be useful if you wanted to run a pirate campaign in SR.
There was also a really great article about knot tying, which it
mentions can be used to add extra flavour to your pirate campaign. Issue
128 was about jungles, and it did have a jungle related SR article. It
also had an adventure by Steve Kenson (which was AD&D from memory).
I guess what you get out of an RPGA membership depends on what you want
it for. For some reason I haven't quite figured out yet, I really enjoy
being a member, even though I DON'T play AD&D (I don't even own any AD&D
stuff).
It goes without saying, of course, that YMMV.
cheers
G
--
Geoff Skellams R&D - Tower Software
Email Address: geoff.skellams@*********.com.au
Homepage: http://www.towersoft.com.au/staff/geoff/
ICQ Number: 2815165
"That rates about a 9.5 on my weird-shit-o-meter"
- Will Smith in "Men in Black"
