So I've not been having many ideas about mechanics or settings lately, as has been mentioned in some of my other posts. But I have been having little snippets of inspiration about games in general. Nothing I say should been taken as a serious proposal, but as the idle musing of someone who doesn't have much else to talk about.

PnP RPGs are made for small groups. I have never played in a group of more than 8 and I have always found playing in a group of more than 5 to be a bit awkward. I've played singleplayer computer RPGs and always find the worlds to be a bit hollow, because the revolve around me. However I have played in MMORPGs and LARP games in which there are hundreds of other people swarming about me doing there own thing whilst I'm doing mine, and that feels right. They make the world seem alive, and when I do interact with them I feel like I'm still telling my own story, just roping in what is effectively an NPC, and I imagine they get a somewhat similair feeling.

So I've fiddled around with three of the however many possible origin stories there are (I think some are practically the same, whilst others differ wildly)I've got a good grasp of what Dragon Age: Origins is like. A little dissapointing.

It might of been all the hype, good reviews and I expected a little more from the 'Spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate' but the game is filled with lots of little things that seriously bug me.

1) Camera: You can move around using Right click on location or WASD (+ Q and E) the right click method is far too slow for exploring (perfect for tactical desicions, but running around not so good) but the WASD set up is horribly twitchy, you can't turn the camera just 10 degrees, no you have choices of around 45, 90 or 180. Also without any quest compass (there are markers, but you have to find them before they show up) it makes getting to where you need to go quite difficult.

Another game idea (only setting at the moment)that I may or may not pick up. Lacking inspiration and drive at the moment, but at least I'm having a couple of ideas even if I don't know what to do with them.

Post apocalyptic settings are seeing a great surge in the last year or so, across all mediums. I can see why, it's a great way to study humanity with out its boundaries. I've enjoyed watching and playing through the various films, tv shows and games. So it's not a bad thing and so far everyone is taking a different way of approaching it. I'm particularily enjoying the reading of the Nevercast development, it's a shame that my own lack of inspiration is hindering me from making much useful comment, however it seems to be going along really well, so no worries there.

Or can I still jump on it. There have been alot of new systems and alot of discussion on new systems recently (if I've not commneted it's because SheikhJahbooty gets there first with basically every point under the sun* so I would feel me sitting there going, "I agree with that man" isn't particularily worth it.) and I've had alot of fun reading it. It's an interesting trend, the removal or lessening of dice in games in some systems it's great (new Shadowrun vs older shadowrun editions streamline things alot helping the fast paced feel of the game) and in others it speeds things up but makes you feel like you've lost something because of it (nWoD I feel committed the most heinous of crimes by removing the damage roll. I'm sorry a meat cleaver is unwieldy and should be difficult to hit with but damn it should hurt when it hits, now you just sort of get a muddled "this is sort of how effective this weapon is" I agree that perhaps there shouldn't be soak rolls, just armour taking away some of the blow, because even the toughest guy on earth shouldn't be able to take 3 or 4 more knifings to the gut than the rest of us.) SO I really feel a balance needs to be struck here. I'm not against diceless systems in anyway shape of form, so long as the mechanics support a interesting and varied amount of actions.

Here's what has been said so far. I've emphasized the title of every post for ease of reading.

That cracks me up
Submitted by SheikhJahbooty on Thu, 2009-10-01 10:02.
I don't know why, but I find that comment hilarious.

Maybe I read it with a lot of attitude, like, "How will you do that? Bring it cheese boy. Show us what you got."

Go ahead and challenge him to Game Chef too. Of course you would want to lose a challenge like that, like you would hope he comes up with a game about heroism, decency, and hope in the face of inescapable tragedy, and the PCs are French privateers who know such powerful secrets of the sea and Haitian voodoo that they make Elric look wimpy, and he posts the rules for his game in youtube, dressed as a pirate with a French accent, and the game mechanics involve posting French limericks on each others' Facebook walls.

This is a copy of a post i've just put up on 1km1kt

Okay so.

I've just moved into London, far away from my old gaming group, who were based in the Channel Islands. So I'm basically looking for a new group. My tastes lean to story over rules and like a more laxed game. I'm not saying that serious games are ones I don't enjoy, but rather I like to be able to joke and have OOC fun as well.

The second thing I'm looking for is a group more poised towards development, perhaps the same group on different days, were we can playtest new ideas and mechanics, whether it's one person bringing a game to be put through the works or the creation of a group game. So basically if you know anyone who would be interested or if you are interested in either having another member in your group, or looking to create a new group within London would you get in touch.

Well they power cord for my laptop went up in a puff of smoke, caused by the small explosion of wires frazzling. Hurrah, I have no laptop. Want this means is that until I get a new power cable (sometime next week) I can't get to my geek files and I can't develop any more of my games.

On the plus side this gives me time to decide where I want my games to go, sometimes it's good to stand back and get a little percpective.

Well come the 30th of December, my three year old girlfriend left me (we had been together three years, she wasn't three years of age.) Funnily enough I found out after half a bottle of Ammerreto that I'd actually stopped loving her around September. So it's been suprisingly easy. Got a date for Saturday with a friend I've had for years, she isn't a geek, but at least she likes card games, so she's half way there.

The big plus is that I now have masses of time for geekery. I'm going to be running two World of Darkness games (one old Vampire/Demon/Hunter/Mage combo and one new Changeling) something I never had time for before. Secondly I've found a well spring of ideas flowing forth. I'm developing the Skill list for my new Advent game, got cards to make for Apocalypta and had an idea for a robot based game were the character has Hardware (think attributes) and Software (think skills) but rather than Hardware aiding Software, it limits it. Your sensory hardware not of good enough quality to run the level 4 targetting program? It crashes, sorry.

Well it's less than two weeks until Christmas. So I think it's about time for a christmasy rpg competition! For those of us who haven't done anything in a while it'll get our creative juices flowing and for those with on going projects, this'll provide a nice short break.

So I propose the following.

1) People begin writing at the start of next week (Monday the 17th)

2) Sumbissions should be in by the 24th, we don't want to work on christmas.

3) The game must be christmas theme'd or at least revolve around some sort of celebatory tone (perhaps in your world christmas doesn't exist, but the opposite occurs in which people spend the day robbing and looting?)

Well I've been out of the loom for a couple of months, my mind for games just went kapoot. Perhaps it was the summer heator something else that sapped my inspiration, but it's back now (I hope) and ready to start working again.

Most of my presummer ideas are too vague in my head now and I think I'll return to those projects after I've done something to sharpen up my mind.

So later today I'm going to be putting up my next game idea for a game I'm thinking of calling Dreamers. Not sure yet, but I'll let you decide what you think once I've put the rough rules/settings page up.