Story games as board games

[Ian Absentia]

All of the descriptions I've read of Mountain Witch make it sound like a board game. I'd play it if this were true.

But you wouldn't if it bills itself as a roleplaying game?

!i!

[The Shaman]

But you wouldn't if it bills itself as a roleplaying game?

It sounds more like an adventure than a complete roleplaying game.

I don't mind replaying board games, but replaying the same roleplaying adventure over and over again doesn't appeal to me.

[Ian Absentia]

Fair enough.  It actually tends to be billed as something like "an adventure complete with rules", which is, in fact, what it is.  

!i!

[Blackleaf]

A lot of the shared narrative stuff makes me think of Jenga.

[droog]

I don't mind replaying board games, but replaying the same roleplaying adventure over and over again doesn't appeal to me.

I wonder how many times I've run Keep on the Borderlands... just a thought.

[Blackleaf]

I wonder how many times I've run Keep on the Borderlands... just a thought.

I've run my favourite module a few times - but never more than once for the same group of players.

[droog]

I've run my favourite module a few times - but never more than once for the same group of players.

Exactly! Your keen mind deduces the possibilities, here, Watson.

Mind you, there are people who play through the same module more than once. And MW depends quite highly on the actions of the PCs, so it's unlikely to be the same twice.

[The Shaman]

Fair enough.  It actually tends to be billed as something like "an adventure complete with rules", which is, in fact, what it is.

Hence the boardgame connection for me.

I wonder how many times I've run Keep on the Borderlands... just a thought.

I think of KotB as a mini-setting, rather than an adventure per se.

Along similar lines, I could probably get more or less unlimited roleplaying enjoyment out of Vault of the Drow.

[Blackleaf]

The repetitive structure in a lot of storygames doesn't bother me that much.  A dungeoncrawl is a pretty repetitive structure on its surface, just like Mormon cowboys with moral dilemmas.

I'd still pick Ticket to Ride over Dogs in the Vineyard.

[droog]

Thanks for repeating that point, Stuart. I'm sure there are people that missed it the first time.

[RPGPundit]

I think you're right, I think it predates it, I don't honestly think Jared is a Forgey designer.

Pundy may not know the history, but it could be a factor in why he's more sympathetic to Jared's work, it's not from the same intellectual wellspring as the stuff that irritates him.

That seems plausible, yes.

RPGPundit

[The Yann Waters]

I've always thought My Life With Master could work well in this way as it has a very defined end game. Most RPGs end by consent - My Life With Master has a real end, just a like a boardgame. It also has a rigorous turn sequence that can be more or less strictly applied, plus a very easy background.

It wouldn't be difficult at all to put in an actual suitably gothic board, too, perhaps with the Demesne at one end and the Town at the other... And you could include a set of eight ready-made Masters to cover all the Aspect and Type combinations, a range of Minions to choose from, and a small deck of "More Than Human" and "Less Than Human" cards. And of course, lots and lots of tokens for Weariness, Self-Loathing and Love.

[Craig_in_ACT]

Sorry for not being quite on topic. Years ago, I wrote a board game for FFE based on a group of annoying old lady detectives trying to outdo each other, framing each other and trying to bump each other off. Kind of a psychotic version of Cleudo with a twist of bastardry (in the true sense of that term) for good measure. I still chuckle at the thought of Angela Landsbury, Miss Marple and an old bag in a wheelchair getting into a knife fight. Cue the ST:TOS-style mood music.

My understanding of story games is limited, but it would probably make a workable story game if I put my mind to it.

Not going to happen though. Got other stuff to do first

Craig J. Brain

[Ned the Lonely Donkey]

It wouldn't be difficult at all to put in an actual suitably gothic board, too, perhaps with the Demesne at one end and the Town at the other... And you could include a set of eight ready-made Masters to cover all the Aspect and Type combinations, a range of Minions to choose from, and a small deck of "More Than Human" and "Less Than Human" cards. And of course, lots and lots of tokens for Weariness, Self-Loathing and Love.

Oh, nice!

Ned

[Blackleaf]

Thanks for repeating that point, Stuart. I'm sure there are people that missed it the first time.

It gets back to your original point:

So there's a few of you sitting around, you've had some good food and somebody says: "What about a quick game of Ticket to Ride?"

People say yes, sure, somebody tries to stick out for Axis and Allies but gets overruled, and you start playing. Too easy!

But what about if somebody said: "What about a quick game of InSpectres?"

If people are pitching Ticket to Ride and Axis and Allies, I don't think they're likely to go YEAH! STORYGAMES!

Maybe if people were thinking of something like How to Host a Murder Mystery or some sort of Acting / Parlour game then a Storygame would be a good alternative.  I don't think people looking for an actual boardgame would be happy with most Storygames.