#RPGaDAY2024 - DAY SEVENTEEN: Engaging with the Community

Day Seventeen of RPGaDAY2024 is all about an Engaging RPG Community, and I can't think of a better one than the RPGaDAY community. Thank you all for taking part again this year!!

#RPGaDAY2024 - DAY FIFTEEN and SIXTEEN: Catching up and Catching Ghosts

 

Starting to slip behind on #RPGaDAY2024 here, but hopefully I can catch up now. Okay, so Day Fifteen asked about Great Character Gear and Day Sixteen asked about games that are Quick to Learn... and my answer for both of them is Ghostbusters. 

There, that was easy. I mean, West End Games' Ghostbusters RPG is still a work of genius. The way equipment worked was by having the equipment on cards, and you could carry as many cards as your Muscles Stat (if I remember correctly, it's been a while) which was kinda realistic, because by the time you'd strapped that Proton Pack on, you really couldn't carry much else besides a PKE Meter or similar. It meant that each member of the team, much like in the movie, carried something different, whether it was a trap, Ectogoggles, or even the legendary Beach Gear with its oversized boombox. 

It's something I tried to replicate in Doctor Who, and the first edition of the game even had equipment cards (mainly for those cool gadgets like your psychic paper or sonic screwdriver.

When it comes to the rules, there are so few rules in Ghostbusters you can pick up just about everything you need to know in a few minutes. Heck, in the first edition boxed set there was even a rules summary sheet for quick reference, though I don't think anyone needed to look at it after the first session. Super-simple and easy. And just great fun...

I still love that game... one day, when I get that lottery win, I'll bring it back in all its glory, first edition rules, new adventures, updated to the new movies... 

#RPGaDAY2024 - DAY FOURTEEN: Compelling Characters

 

Day Fourteen of #RPGaDAY2024 and we're looking at compelling characters. I have to admit, the ones that really stayed in my head long after playing were my Zabrak Dark Side Force user who had tried to redeem himself and turn to the Light Side. His story was kinda epic, starting with a group at the Jedi academy, Order 66 happening, going into hiding, then striking back against the Empire. 

The other character who leaps to mind is my Tales from the Loop character - the daughter of a couple who ran the seaside amusement arcade who ended up battling her own mutated mother and time travelling back to the 80s to prevent the apocalypse. Epic stuff!!

#RPGaDAY2024 - DAY THIRTEEN: Evocative Environments

 It's Day Thirteen of #RPGaDAY2024, and today is Evocative Environments. I have a real problem with environments and settings that I haven't created. I don't know if I'm a particularly visual kinda person when it comes to my imagination, but it really helps if I can see what the characters see. 

For me, it's easier when I'm playing a licensed game, so I can mentally visualise where things are. If you tell me I'm in a sleazy cantina on Coruscant I know exactly what you're saying. Possibly why I'm not great at fantasy settings, especially ones that aren't based upon works I'm familiar with. 

So for me, the most evocative environment is something I'm able to mentally picture, whether that's the middle of London, the deserts of Tatooine, the domed city on Gallifrey, Brakebills University, or the bridge of the Enterprise. If it's not somewhere I'm familiar with, give me pictures. Lots of pictures. Evocative pictures like Broken Weave or Tales from the Loop. 

#RPGaDAY2024 - DAY TWELVE: Well Supported with Campaigns

 

As a companion piece to yesterday's one about One-Shots, today is all about Campaigns (I really should have moved these to be the weekend prompts, shouldn't I?). 

I guess everyone is going to immediately go for WFRP's The Enemy Within, but I've never played it (I'm not really that into fantasy as a tabletop setting, sorry). 

I'd like to mention that Tales from the Loop have a number of excellent campaign books - Our Friends the Machines, Out of Time, and They Grow Up So Fast. I love to see this sort of content, as I'm not great at coming up with adventures or long form content like this. I mean, when I have an idea, it escalates and gets huge, but if I don't have that idea to begin with, I'm stuck.

Doctor Who had a great multipart campaign recently called A Stitch in Time, which is 10 episodes that connect like a great RTD season with an epic season finale where it all comes together. 

But, the obvious choice to massive, well supported, campaigns is Call of Cthulhu. One day, I'll get to play or run Masks of Nyarlathotep, or Horror on the Orient Express - both of which can take years to complete. Sounds amazing. 

#RPGaDAY2024 - DAY TEN and ELEVEN: Well Support One-Shot on TV

 

It's the weekend again, and I didn't have the opportunity to type up yesterday's response. So here goes!

Day Ten asked about an RPG you'd like to see on TV. I must admit, I wasn't sure if it was going to be a setting or something from an RPG turned into a TV series, or what game you'd like to see being played on TV? I think the former is probably more interesting, so let's go with Conspiracy X. You know I'm a massive fan of The X-Files, and the setting for Conspiracy X, with it multiple alien species, supernatural weirdness, multiple government conspiracies, psychic powers, and nanotech. It'd be great.

Also, I had a weird dream of WILD being turned into a TV series. Parallel plot lines of Carter creating the technology, and Clarity trapped in the dreamscape trying to escape... but most series I've watched about dreamscapes and dream sharing haven't lasted long (Sleepwalkers, Falling Water, Reverie, etc.). Heck, I even had a cast sorted out in my head, with Peter Outerbridge as Carter... 

Day Eleven asks us to think about an RPG that has well supported one-shots. I must admit, I'm not much of a one-shot person, though I've had a couple of really cool games of Fiasco, and there have been a couple of great one-shots of All Flesh Must Be Eaten. I mean, Cinematic Alien is almost designed for one-shots (or rather three-shots) I think the ruler of one-shotdom, would either be Fiasco, or Grant Howitt's ever growing range of one-page games (Jason Statham's Big Vacation stands out for me). 

#RPGaDAY2024 - DAY NINE: An Accessory you'd like to see

 

Day Nine of #RPGaDAY2024, and it's particularly tricky as I'd mentioned yesterday that I don't really use cool accessories when gaming, so there's not really one I'd like to see. I had this weird idea of setting up a tripod and my phone over the dice tray so that when I'm playing over Skype like I usually do, the GM can see our dice rolls. But that may be taking it a bit far... 

What would you like to see?

#RPGaDAY2024 - DAY EIGHT: Accessorise this!

 

Day Eight of #RPGaDAY2024, and the topic is an Accessory you appreciate. I know I've seen a few moans about the questions - notice the questions don't say "Best" as a definitive, they say "Great" so it's your opinion. We're not handing out awards here, just want to hear what you think. So when it says An Accessory You Appreciate, it doesn't necessarily mean an award winning or amazing one, and in my case, it's not really amazing. 

After all, I don't really use accessories. The most used accessories I have when gaming are a simple dice tray, and maybe a paperclip to record hit points/stress/etc. For our FFG Star Wars game, Debs created some laminated trackers that could record our Stress/Health and you popped a paperclip on either side to slide up and down so you don't constantly have to erase pencil markings and wear a hole in your character sheet. If I can find one, I'll take a photo and add it to this post...

Anyway, have fun with #RPGaDAY2024. If you don't like a question, do something else that gets people talking in a positive way. Just get people involved.

Stay safe and stay multi classy.

#RPGaDAY2024: DAY SEVEN: An RPG with 'Good Form'

 

Today's #RPGaDAY2024 is going to be a headscratcher for most people. An RPG with "Good Form".

So what does that mean, exactly?

The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as - 

"Behaviour that complies with current social conventions."

If someone is in 'good form' it implies that they are healthy. It can also mean 'performing well'.

So I guess you could interpret it any way you like. 

If it's about social conventions and being respectful to everyone, I guess I'd say anything by Evil Hat - they seem to be not only the most inclusive in their publishing, but also in their production - making sure that their books are clear, and accessible. The only problem I have with Evil Hat is that I have to wait for them to go into distribution over here due to shipping. 

If you are referring to 'performing well', I guess there is only one winner here, and that's the Kickstarter for Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere setting. As I type this, the Kickstarter still has 22 days to go, and will be hitting $5million by the end of day (probably by lunch). I'm just stunned, but it's great to see an RPG do so well!! 

Well, I guess that'll do. Until tomorrow!!

#RPGaDAY2024 - DAY SIX: RPG that is EASY to use

Day Six of #RPGaDAY2024, and this one will be a really short one. Today asks about an RPG that's easy to use, and I'm going to interpret that as not only easy to pick up and play, but also easy to use at the table due to the simplicity of the mechanics.

There are a few, Tales from the Loop springs to mind again, but I think the winner would have to be Ghostbusters again. I mean, it's 4 stats, 4 'skills', loads of dice, and it's so simple you wouldn't believe. 

If you can't get hold of Ghostbusters, maybe check out its offspring, the Awfully Cheerful Engine, or ACE Adventures as it is sometimes called. Same system, a whole heap of settings, and loads of fun.

 

#RPGaDAY2024 - DAY FIVE: An RPG with Great WRITING

 

Day Five of #RPGaDAY2024 and this one is a sort of companion piece to yesterday's prompt about 'great art', today asking about an RPG with great writing. I'm an old gamer, so my first RPGs definitely read like stereo instructions. Going back to some of those rulebooks, I wonder how I ever worked out how to play them.

One that really stood out for me writing-wise was Ghostbusters, the classic West End Games RPG. It was the first one I really had fun reading. It was funny, easy to read, and was the game that inspired me to get into writing tabletop games. I remember that 'if it's that much fun to read, someone must have had a blast writing it' and I knew I wanted to do that. 

Later, one of the games that really stood out as having great writing was Eden Studios' Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG, written mostly by CJ Carella. CJ had taken the same sort of approach as the Ghostbusters game, kept it pretty simple, but made it fun (and funny) to read. An easily accessible style that made rules fun, and got you excited to play in the Buffyverse. 

Again, it really got me keen to write to RPGs, and I was lucky enough to be involved in playtesting, and contributed (both in writing and editing) the supplements, The Slayer's Handbook and Monster Smackdown. 

I miss Buffy...

It's been a while since I read an RPG and really had that 'I wish I had written something like this' moment. Tales From The Loop stands out recently, mostly because the game system is so simple and compact that I was blown away that it could accomplish so much with so little, basically. 

However, most recently, it was Kieron Gillen's DIE RPG, published by Rowan, Rook and Deckard, that had me squirming in that 'Damn this is so well written, I wish I could write like that' way... 

There's just something about the conversational tone of voice, and the masses upon masses of GM advice that really provides players with tonnes of options and opportunities for some seriously cool games. 

Of course, it doesn't hurt that the book is flippin' gorgeous, with some stunning layout and amazing production values as well. 

#RPGaDAY2024 - DAY FOUR: RPG with great ART

Day Four of #RPGaDAY2024, and today we're looking at RPGs with great ART. I have to say that most RPGs these days have the most amazing art that my 80s RPG playing self would never believe. 

Star Trek Adventures is one that really stands out for me as it's a licensed game that doesn't use photos from the movies and TV series, and the art really captures the feel of the universe. 

I always love a game where a particular artist is key to the game, where the publishers just use one or two artists to ensure the game maintains its theme and feel all the way through the books.

A great example of this is Raven, featuring the amazing art of Abigail Larson -

However, when it comes to art in games, and games based on art, there are two examples that really stand out, and both of them are by Free League. 

The first is Vaesen, the Nordic horror RPG based upon the art and work of Johan Egerkrans, whose stylish and evocative illustrations really bring the setting to life. And the whole book, and the production values, are flipping gorgeous. 

The other has to be one of my favourite games of the last ten years, and that's Tales from the Loop. Simon Stålenhag's artwork is amazing, and I've always loved it. It just perfectly captures that weird alternate 1980s where robots and anti-grav vehicles are fairly commonplace, and the game that was inspired by the art does just the same. It has led to some of the most memorable games I've played, and it easily one of my favourites. 

#RPGaDAY2024 - DAY THREE: Most OFTEN played RPG

As Daniel Craig said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, the weekend" (to paraphrase). It's the weekend, and the strange colour scheme for the day on the #RPGaDAY chart not only indicates that it's the weekend, but also the rather bad anniversary that occurs today – and one of the reasons I started #RPGaDAY to begin with (a bit of positivity to distract me). 

Onto Day Three of #RPGaDAY2024 asks about the RPG you've played the most often. Tricky... I guess it would depend upon timescales? If we're talking recently, with my current group, then it'd probably be a close run thing between Aegean (see yesterday's post) or FFG's Star Wars RPG (Force and Destiny, more than the others, but a bit of everything). 

Setting the way-back machine a bit further to the previous era of gaming, it'd probably be a close-run thing between Vampire: The Masquerade and Mage: The Ascension. (Oh, man... I loved Mage.)

However, if you take into account all of the games I've played over the many years, it'd probably be a close run thing between AD&D and Star Frontiers. We played so much of both of those (along with Runequest, Traveller, and Call of Cthulhu, and a host of others) - and I know it sounds weird but Star Frontiers may actually top the list by a fraction. It'd be close...  

I'd still love to see a proper new (non-racist) edition of this, I just remember having way too much fun with Star Frontiers, and I was always more of a Sci-Fi person than a swords and fantasy type in my youth. 

#RPGaDAY2024 - DAY TWO: Most RECENTly Played

 

Day Two of #RPGaDAY2024, and I have to say I've been blown away by how many people are taking part this year. Thank you all so much!! 

Day Two's question asks about the MOST RECENTLY PLAYED RPG. That one is especially easy as we were gaming last night. Stoo Goff has been working on Aegean for many years, and a while ago he launched a very successful Kickstarter for the core rulebook and two epic supplements. We've been playing Aegean off and on for a while, play testing, then actually gaming. It's an epic game of Greek Myth, where players are mortals or descendants of the gods, undertaking the epic quests of Greek mythology. There is a great system in there for building your town/city, and working to expand it and defend it against attack.

Most recently we've been playing Aegean but taken out of the mythical Greek setting, and placing it in the time of mythical Viking sagas. We've been exploring the seas, dethroning Yarls, shapeshifting, battling elf tyrants, fighting off hordes of the undead, come under the spell of strange cattle, tried to restore our village to a semblance of peace. It has been EPIC to say the least, with plot lines drawn straight from Norse mythology and the sagas. Great stuff. 

If you want to check out the Aegean game, you can find out more here - https://www.aegeanrpg.com/