I don't hate storygames.

I can play them, and might like them for what they are.

What does not sit well with me at all is when (1) I expect to play a role playing game and I end up playing a story/narrative game, and (2) when story/narrative mechanics are injected in traditional role playing games I like (such as D&D, Warhammer Fantasy Role play and others), which changes them into something else I do not recognize as an RPG.

Aside of that, I just surprised the shit out of a few regulars of the RPG Site on Facebook because I just picked up Margareit Weis Productions Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Basic Game. Oh yeah. Narrative mechanics, Plot Points and everything. Heck, I surprised myself picking it up today. And I can appreciate it for what it is... whatever that is, whether storytelling game or storygame, I am not sure.

Anyway, yeah. I could play Fiasco and enjoy it. But don't push a game of Fiasco on me when you tell me we're going to play an RPG tonight.

I...feel somehow responsible for this post.

Quote from: Tommy Brownell;568910I...feel somehow responsible for this post.

You very much are! It's good though. Makes for a good conversation, potentially.

At first I was like, "whaaa..."

and then I was like, "ah ha!"

but seriously, can a moderator be banned?

Anyway, I've never really understood the whole, "story game" thing. Maybe because I've never played a Forge game. However, I found the Forge long before I found the RPG site, or even RPG.net, and I found some of the games on there intriguing, if not impossible to actually play.

For example, there was a free game about teenage girls who smoke a lot or something, (I never understood what the point of the game was, other than for fat fucking fucks to pretend they were hot lesbian high school girls) but it had ONE really cool mechanic that I liked; the smoke break. Players could exit play and take a smoke break to discuss their next move. I thought that was pretty neat.

Otherwise, to me, a story game and a campaign are essentially the same; both end up telling a story, that is at least in some part directed by the GM. and if it's not directed by the GM, then why have a fucking GM in the first place?

Quote from: everloss;568927For example, there was a free game about teenage girls who smoke a lot or something

That would be Nicotine Girls, by the author of My Life with Master.

Quote from: everloss;568927(I never understood what the point of the game was, other than for fat fucking fucks to pretend they were hot lesbian high school girls)

You say that like it's a bad thing.

So, I don't really get it, because I don't really understand why you think D&D is an RPG but Fiasco isn't. Sure, they use radically different mechanics - to my mind (and I haven't played D&D for two editions, so I may be out of date here) D&D is essentially a wargame, or computer RPG without the computer. Meanwhile Fiasco is essentially an improv game. The focus of the system is on generating crazy antics. But both are equally susceptible to roleplaying, i.e. taking the role of a fictional character.

Am I missing something here? I agree that it's a good idea to let people know what kind of game you're going to run in advance so they don't turn up all stoked for some D&D action and end up playing Fiasco (or vice versa) but I'm not clear why you're defining one as roleplaying and the other not.

Is it violating the membership rules if I laugh salaciously that my title is "junior member"?

Quote from: noisms;568951You say that like it's a bad thing.

Hmm... Before the "Perfect" edition of Panty Explosion was released, early versions of its example-of-play comics started showing up in previews: one, two, three. Lately I've been thinking about purchasing that since it seems conveniently available in deadtree.

Nice OP, Ben.

I can certainly see how expectations play a huge role in the fun you can get of a gaming session. And I agree on one key thing: everyone needs to know in advance (and be cool with) what it's going to happen in the session.

If I am expecting to run an RQ game and my crew asks me to do Universalis instead, I may feel a bit disappointed.

Generally I kind of like to know what I'm getting into on game night. That's not a storygame thing. Fiasco, cool. CoC, cool. What I don't want is to think I'm playing pulp and find it's gritty horror, or think I'm playing a game about exploring the wilderness and discover I'm co-creating the wilderness.

The whole storygame/rpg thing is just one detail among a great many.

Quote from: everloss;568927I never understood what the point of the game was, other than for fat fucking fucks to pretend they were hot lesbian high school girls

You do know that game isn't remotely about that? It's free online, it's not like it would be hard to check or anything.

There's plenty of reasons to have a GM other than to direct the story. To referee the interactions of PCs and world for example.

Also, if you haven't seen fat fucking fucks pretending they're hot lesbian high school girls I wouldn't knock it. It's like watching whales mate. It's a beautiful thing.

Quote from: D-503;568988Also, if you haven't seen fat fucking fucks pretending they're hot lesbian high school girls I wouldn't knock it. It's like watching whales mate. It's a beautiful thing.

:rotfl:

THREADWINNER!!!!

Quote from: rabalias;568964Am I missing something here?

Just dozens of discussion threads we've had about this over the years.

Here, I'll give you a primer: RPGs do not tell stories.

Quote from: Imperator;568977Nice OP, Ben.

I can certainly see how expectations play a huge role in the fun you can get of a gaming session. And I agree on one key thing: everyone needs to know in advance (and be cool with) what it's going to happen in the session.

If I am expecting to run an RQ game and my crew asks me to do Universalis instead, I may feel a bit disappointed.

Yes, I think that's a key point that matters no matter what particular POVs or opinions are on the topic. That's why I bring up "Session Zero" whenever I can, i.e. just meeting in some social setting and talking about the games, the characters people want to play, agreeing on a setting and feel for the game before it gets launched. Ensures everyone is playing the same game, you know.