GamingPerspectives

Episode 296: Generational RPGs, Gaming Perspectives with Saul and Jolene

     Saul and Jolene were talking about long campaigns.  The discussion lead to games were character played gernerations of a character.   I was thinking how many generations one could play and what RPGs make it part of their system or setting.     The first game that came to mind was Pendragon.  A friend of mine ran the Great Pendragon Campaign for some fellow gamers.  That GM runs games where "Death is On the Table" according to him.  Which to me means he is a no holds barred GM and if the dice goes against the players he does not pull any punches.  He even posted the games online.  I also talked to a player in that game that was on his 5th character due to his very heroic play style.         Jolene asked if D&D could be a generational game and I thought well I am sure it could be.  Other games had rules to play generations of a character.  Some games neither Saul or Jolene had ever heard of them but sounded interesting.  Thus this episode was born.            Thank you all for Listening     Web Art by Jim Foster     Episode Art by Michael Shean-Jones
    Music Burn Down the Charade, song Lost Generation, off the album              Revelations  and Revolutions    Available from Tribeofnoise.com    Used Under the Creative Commons License 3.0    https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Interview of Dave and Matt of the Effekt Podcast, Gaming Perspectives with Saul and Jolene

     Bonus Episode, an interview of Dave and Matthew from the Effekt of podcast.  Saul and Jolene interview the very likeable chaps from the UK.  Not only do they have a very successful podcast called the Effekt podcast which mainly deals with Swedish RPGs but they discuss all kinds of RPG topics.   They also have been working on a gritty, Western RPG called Tales of the Old West using a version of Free League's Year Zero system.  Their Kickstarter will launch in early September.
    They have a very well done quickstart guide they call their Quick Draw guide.  You can find it here:
    https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/480951/tales-of-the-old-west-quickdraw
    Please check out their KS pre-launch page to sign up to get notified as soon as the Kickstarter launches in early September.
    Here is the Kickstarter link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/effekt/tales-of-the-old-west
     If you want to check out the Actual Play of Tales of the Old West:
https://www.effektap.org/
      For the regular Effekt podcast here is the link:
https://www.effektpodcast.org/
 
   As Always Thanks for Listening
    Thank you all for Listening     Web Art by Jim Foster     Episode Art by Michael Shean-Jones
 

Episode 295: Sanity in RPGs, Gaming Perspectives with Saul and Jolene

         Saul and Jolene were discussing the Sanity stat in CoC and if any other RPGs used some sort of Sanity stat in games.      That lead to Saul and Jolene to think of other games where the mental conditon of the character was kept track.    What seemed like would be a short list of games became longer and longer.  It seemed that quite a few games    included a way of determining the mental state of the character.         This surprised both Saul and Jolene.  They game used many different ways of decribing and dealing with the    mental state of the character but depending on the genre and emphasis of game.  Saul and Jolene decided to    devote an episode to the subject.      Thank you all for Listening     Web Art by Jim Foster     Episode Art by Michael Shean-Jones
    Music by Nick Andrew, song Sanity    Available from Tribeofnoise.com Used Under the Creative Commons License 3.0  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Episode 294: Mechanics Vs Setting, Gaming Perspectives with Saul and Jolene

     This episode came about when Saul was reading Reddit Posts and came across the question of what was more important in a RPG, Mechanics or Setting.  Saul noticed many posts that sided with the idea that it was "mechanics" that was more important one of the two.  A few chose setting but they were largely outnumbered by those that thought mechanics were  more important in RPGs.     Saul brought this up with Jolene and after a lengthy discussion they decided to do an episode on this subject.          Thank you all for Listening     
     Web Art by Jim Foster     Episode Art by Michael Shean-Jones
   
      Music by Reno Project,  song System.      Available from Tribeofnoise.com
      Used Under the Creative Commons License 3.0      https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Episode 293: Non Violent Encounters, Gaming Perspectives with Saul and Jolene

Jolene read a post from a father of three young daughters who he wanted to run a roleplaying game for but one daughter was very adverse to combat and violence.  Jolene talked to Saul about the post and they discussed the various games they had run for very young and new RPGers.   When their son was young, Saul regularly ran games at local con for kids.  From D&D to Gamma World,  Saul ran "kids" games at con for several years.  Jolene has run games for her son and his friends at home.  She also has run games at local Northern California game cons.         Though Saul ran more traditional RPGs for Kids at local Cons he has toned down the violence and used alternatives to combat in many of his kids and adult games.  From their discussion of how they ran games for kids and the Reddit Posting dad's predicament they decided to do an episode on the subject.
    Thank you all for Listening     Web Art by Jim Foster     Episode Art by Michael Shean-Jones
    Music by Roland Zimmerman, song  Peacable Milieu    Available from Tribeofnoise.com    Used Under the Creative Commons License 3.0    https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Episode 292: Planning in RPGs, Gaming Perspectives with Saul and Jolene

     Saul and Jolene have run and been in various RPGs where planning took place from the simple to the complex.   Saul and Jolene were talking about why certain RPG games, adventures and players tend make plans to deal with situations in RPGs.
     From games like Shandowrun and Cyberpunk to good ole D&D gamers make plans.  Some games players are just inclined to make complex plans such as Shadowrun, Twilight 2000 and others.  These games where players plan also tend to be very lethal.  After their discussion Saul and Jolene decided to do this episode.         Thank you all for Listening     Web Art by Jim Foster     Episode Art by Michael Shean-Jones
 
    Music by Max Miecchi, song Plan B, off the album Album d Max    Available from Tribeofnoise.com    Used Under the Creative Commons License 4.0    https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Episode 291: The Best Sci-Fi RPG, Gaming Perspectives with Saul and Jolene

          Saul and Jolene were talking about the various Science Fiction RPGs that they had played and GMed.  Saul was talking about his favorite ones and asked Jolene about her favorite Sci-Fi Rpg.  They discussed how the different rules worked for and against liking the various Science Fiction themed RPGs.      After a while Saul decided to take notes and suggested doing an episode on the Best Sci-Fi RPG.  Though they can only mention and discuss a few of the Science Fiction themed RPGs published they try to cover a vast array of Sci-Fi RPGs.  You may or may not be surprised by what Saul and Jolene say is the best Sci-Fi RPG game.    Thank you all for Listening     Web Art by Jim Foster     Episode Art by Michael Shean-Jones
    Music by Joseph Kimbrell, song Jupiter    Available from Tribeofnoise.com  Used Under the Creative Commons License 4.0  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Episode 290: Interesting Mechanics in RPGs, Gaming Perspectives with Saul and Jolene

          Some RPGs try to mimic things in the real world, things from movies books,  and even things that the author remembers.  These things are then added to their RPG as an in game mechanic that really sets that RPG apart from other games.  Saul and Jolene discuss their favorite game mechanics that really make the RPG stand out.           Saul and Jolene discuss Traveller, The One Ring, Tales From the Loop and others in this discussion that was started due to a Reddit post.  Saul really likes the ones listed where Jolene is a little more discerning in the mechanics and how much they contribute to the RPG experience.     EDIT note.  While discussing The One Ring,  Saul refers to Shadow and Heart mechanic, but the two stats are Shadow and Hope.   Which makes even more sense in terms.      Thank you all for Listening     Web Art by Jim Foster     Episode Art by Michael Shean-Jones
    Music by Kid Attractions, song Mechanical Bull Sale    Available from Tribeofnoise.com Used Under the Creative Commons License 4.0  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Episode 289: Emotive Playing, Gaming Perspectives with Saul and Jolene

          Jolene came across a post on Reddit of a new GM asked a question about how emotionally invested other GMs are in their creations for their games.  From NPCs, to actual towns and villages do GMs care about Towns and it's inhabitants.        Saul and Jolene discuss how those people who are younger and newer to RPGs can have a different view of how to play an RPG than older gamers.  Viewing actual plays of RPGs have had large impact in new people coming to the RPG hobby.  Not only that they have come into the hobby with a different perspectives than old gamers that came from the War Game or Miniatures Hobby.        Saul and Jolene discuss how it is important that players have investment in the game and in their characters to give a better RPG experience at the table.  Those games are more fun, have a deeper impact on the players, create lasting memories and overall increase the enjoyment of the RPG session or campaign.      Thank you all for Listening     Web Art by Jim Foster     Episode Art by Michael Shean-Jones
    Music by Backyard Dreaming,  song Emotional Connection    Available from Tribeofnoise.com  Used Under the Creative Commons License 4.0  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Episode 288: Where to Start Your Adventure, Gaming Perspectives with Saul and Jolene

A popular way to start out an adventure or campaign is "in media res".   Though most RPG games start off with a common scene of the Tavern or Pub.   This in the beginning type of start is what most gamers know.  Another way is to put the characters in a stressfull situcation from the beginning.  One common way of doing this is the "your all in prison" beginning.        Now this beginning can be very displeasing to most players.  Especially if the players do not know that this is the way the game is going to start.  This may turn off players getting into the game.   Saul has been in a number of games where the GM starts the game with character in prison or in bondage.  Saul uses a couple of examples of this happening and how the games went.      Jolene is much more suspicious of GMs starting their games in this manner.  Saul agrees that this requires a lot of trust in the players of their GMs.  
    Thank you all for Listening     Web Art by Jim Foster     Episode Art by Michael Shean-Jones
    Music by Keith Hiemericks, song Folsom Prison Blues.    Available from Tribeofnoise.com    Used Under the Creative Commons License 3.0       https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/