Story games as board games

[droog]

Don't be a doofus, Stuart. That isn't the question. The question is about how various story games play as quick pick-ups. Your preferences, while fascinating, aren't the issue.

[Blackleaf]

Droog, the question you asked was:

Which of the Forgista games do you find most suitable for casual pick-up play? Which could you whip out for a general game-friendly audience?

I don't think you could pull out ANY storygame for a "general game-friendly audience" who is pitching things like Ticket to Ride or Axis & Allies.

If the group was really into RPGs in a certain style, then sure.  If they're casual gamers who're into boardgames?  No.

That's not about my preferences.  You could pitch InSpectres to me and I'd definitely try it out.  I think it might be fun. My friends who're more into boardgames than RPGs?  There's just no way they'd be into it.

[droog]

Aaaanyway, my thoughts are that you're looking for games that can be literally picked up and played. Hence InSpectres or My Life with Master, for which the GM has no prep work. I'm also looking at In a Wicked Age and It Was a Mutual Decision.

All of these games share a kind of group brainstorm to kick things off and play is based entirely on the PCs' actions and motivations. It's also possible to do a full game of any of them in an evening.

I'd like to hear from people who've suggested more traditional RPG options. How would you capture these same qualities?

[David R]

Well I mentioned Broadsword earlier : http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/13/13301.phtml it's supposed to be "Barbarian Fantasy" but you could probably run it in a variety of ways. I've played it a couple of times and always, it started of as a group discussion spur of the moment thing. However we are talking about gamers here....I doubt I'd introduce a nongamer to rpgs this way unless they seemed really interested.

Regards,
David R

[Imperator]

Aaaanyway, my thoughts are that you're looking for games that can be literally picked up and played. Hence InSpectres or My Life with Master, for which the GM has no prep work. I'm also looking at In a Wicked Age and It Was a Mutual Decision.

All of these games share a kind of group brainstorm to kick things off and play is based entirely on the PCs' actions and motivations. It's also possible to do a full game of any of them in an evening.

I'd like to hear from people who've suggested more traditional RPG options. How would you capture these same qualities?

Prince Valiant, for example. It has some rules for shared narration that are very brainstormy, chargen is a breeze, and the book has like 20 pregen adventures 1 - 2 pages long, that you can have previously photocopied and assigned at random. Also, is from Greg Stafford, which makes it cooler

[Spinachcat]

Which could you whip out for a general game-friendly audience?

None.  You have two major disads.

1) Time - Even forgie RPGs rarely can be completed from chargen to end scene in 60-90 minutes - especially if you need to explain the rules.   Ticket to Ride, Dominion, Pandemic, Settlers and dozens more boardgames can finish in that time frame.   Non-RPG gamers generally think of games as short activities.

2) Narrative Storytelling is Alien - reactive roleplay in a traditional RPG is too much for most people, asking more than that limits your audience even further.   Many popular boardgames have surprisingly little interaction with other players - for instance, Ticket to Ride and Dominion could be played without the players ever speaking to each other.  

If I had a 90 minute window with RPG gamers, I would probably use RISUS because chargen and rules explanation is 5 minutes or less.   But I doubt that would not work with non-RPG gamers.

[droog]

Can you guys stop questioning the premise of the question? I assure you that I have done this very thing using Nicotine Girls.

[Ian Absentia]

I'm sorry, droog.  That claim defies common sense. Our speculation prohibits any concession on this matter.

!i!

[droog]

Speculate away, then, you cursed Swine.

For more anecdotal evidence you can ignore, I'll also mention that I got a game of InSpectres done in about 90-120 minutes with RPGers (I didn't look closely at the time).

[Blackleaf]

If you have a "general game-friendly audience" that isn't into Storytelling games and RPGs (or at least hasn't let you know they're interested in them)  and they're pitching games like Ticket to Ride and Axis & Allies... good luck to you if you suggest Nicotine Girls.

nicotine girls is a roleplaying game of teenage, lower-income girls looking for happiness.

I'd go with The Shab-al-Hiri Roach or InSpectres instead.

Edit: If someone pitches Bella Sara then you could confidently pitch Nicotine Girls as an alternative. ;-)

[Ian Absentia]

For more anecdotal evidence you can ignore, I'll also mention that I got a game of InSpectres done in about 90-120 minutes with RPGers...

That is flatly preposterous.  Get thee behind me, Satan.

!i!

[arminius]

Shab-al-Hiri Roach.

This is the only one I'd suggest. MLwM comes to mind but it's too long. Many of the others that come to mind are too angsty. The short form is better served by humor and even gonzo. There's a reason there's such a thing as a comedy variety show (well, nowadays it's mainly SNL but it proves the point in itself), while short-form drama's always been a hard-sell.

[kogi.kaishakunin]

IMO Ghostbusters was the bestest pick up and run game to have ever existed. I have played that game with groups of peeps as small as two and as big as 10. its absolutely great and everyone knows the movies so they can jump right into the game.

[droog]

Interesting you should mention that. InSpectres is Jared Sorensen's version of Ghostbusters. It has several features that I feel make it easier for stone-cold pick-up play (and therefore more like a simple board game):

1. No GM prep.
2. Distributed narrative authority.
3. Explicit meta-game mechanics.

[Blackleaf]

I have to admit I'm warming up to the idea of giving InSpectres a try.