Not so very long ago... okay, maybe a year or so ago... I posted a review of Tenra Basho Zero on this very forum. I noted, among many other things, that the american translators were not shy about admitting their Swine credentials and how they not merely translated the game, but in fact added their own interpretations to the translation, and how that made it difficult to judge just how Storygame it was originally.
We are going to revisit that in a moment.
A few months ago I picked up a game called FEAR, which I intend to review some day as well. It too is a Japanese RPG translated into English. This time by the Indie PRess Revolution. While there are no comments about translator liberties, the game is shockingly similar to Tenra Basho Zero in several key ways.
While TBZ uses the Kabuki Play for its format, FEAR appears to use episodic manga/anime, and many of the mechanics are quite meta, relying on at-table action to inform the characters.
LIke TBZ you permanently lose your character for being too awesome during the adventure. WHile TBZ focused on xp, and karma/action points as the mechanism, FEAR has a mechanism of syncing with the source of your powers. Every scene you are in, and every use of powers, drives this score up. THat's right: Simply playing the game puts you closer to the edge, man. Better to sit there and just watch, and avoid participating entirely.
Like TBZ the primary way to avoid this fate is to burn/replace your relationships frequently.
There are enough mechanical similarities that I actually thought they might have been designed by the same person.
But no: All I can see is both are from Japan, and both were translated by storygamers. Damn swine, bringing me my fix of new and strange games from exotic foreign lands, the bastards.
Now, aside from the fact that apparently the ONLY people translating games from exotic foreign lands are storygamers (why?! Is it a swine thing?), I'm rather curious as to how much influence the swine have on the game's original design, or if they are cherry picking swine like games (literal story games, designed to recreate teh story experience from other media). Are there cooler versions of Japanese RPGs that they aren't bringing us because they are swine?
Damn it all, I demand answers!
No idea, but damn that sucks.
I think you are referring to Double Cross and its translated by Ver Blue Amusement and sold via IPR only. VBA has no connection to the translators of TBZ or the indie/forge/swine scene.
Their website is here: http://www.ver-blue-amusement.com.
Its translation of Double Cross is, by all accounts I have seen, accurate to the Japanese original text. It's also the best selling RPG in Japan, which is probably why it was chosen for translation.
I am not surprised that there are similarities to TBZ given it was a landmark RPG in Japan sometime earlier, and published by the same company (FEAR). It's a bit like identifying similarities between AD&D2e and Alternity.
If you want a Japanese RPG that is less story gamey then your best bet at the moment is Ryuutama, which has an old school D&D vibe mixed with heartwarming Miyazaki themes. It is translated by at least one person behind TBZ though, so that may not meet your criteria.
I'm guessing the reason is that there's a tiny group, with connections, and the pre-requisite language skills. In other words, only Storygamers are doing the translating because no one else has both an interest and the skills to do so.
Interestingly Ryuutama doesnt feel storygamish.
The gameplay is about the travels and the story that develops from those travels. Rather than telling a story about your travels.
Least that is how the early proto translation samples I got read. Wether or not that changed later? Dont know yet.
Really liked the idea od the DM having a character that basically followed the party around recording what they did and occasionally secretly helping from the bushes, levelling up based on the partys progress and eventually able to potentially join.
Quote from: Spike;902262Now, aside from the fact that apparently the ONLY people translating games from exotic foreign lands are storygamers (why?! Is it a swine thing?)
It's probably because new wave of gamers constantly seeks new ways and possibilities, rather than settle for
MY GAME:the satisfaction. ;)
Actually, I concurr with Skywalker here. To the best of my knowledge, F.E.A.R is the name of one of the authors of Double Cross, which is a RPG in the traditionnal term (I might have miss something in my reading of the corebook, but I think that a TPK is possible). Unless you are speaking of the F.E.A.R video game ! The Lois game mechanic fits neatly in the anime convention.
Ryuutama, a game which I have played, is also a traditionnal RPG (and it is also translated in French hence my knowledge of it) and Andy K of Storygames and Maid fame is involved in its english translation.
Quote from: JesterRaiin;902292It's probably because new wave of gamers constantly seeks new ways and possibilities, rather than settle for MY GAME:the satisfaction. ;)
FWIW Double Cross is 15 years old. Tenra Bansho Zero is almost 20 years old. The English translations are more recent but the original games were a thing even before the concept of Story Games was even a thing in the US.
Quote from: Skywalker;902323FWIW Double Cross is 15 years old. Tenra Bansho Zero is almost 20 years old. The English translations are more recent but the original games were a thing even before the concept of Story Games was even a thing in the US.
Words I get, the message not so much. Help me out here, buddy - I can't decide which among many conclusions I might draw from your words is the correct one. :)
Quote from: JesterRaiin;902326Words I get, the message not so much. Help me out here, buddy - I can't decide which among many conclusions I might draw from your words is the correct one. :)
I wasn't disagreeing with you. I just find it odd to call games that are 15-20 years old as "new wave", though you would certainly be correct to call them so when they came out :)
Quote from: Skywalker;902328I wasn't disagreeing with you. I just find it odd to call games that are 15-20 years old as "new wave", though you would certainly be correct to call them so when they came out :)
Aaaah, I understand now, thanks. :)
For the record, I wasn't addressing games themselves, I said
gameRs - while that comment was, of course, merely a joke, I'd risk the statement that modern generation of players really is kind of, hmmm, "restless"? It's far from uncommon to hear that "youngsters" constantly leap from one game to another, try their strengths at new systems and settings.
Quote from: JesterRaiin;902329Aaaah, I understand now, thanks. :)
For the record, I wasn't addressing games themselves, I said gameRs - while that comment was, of course, merely a joke, I'd risk the statement that modern generation of players really is kind of, hmmm, "restless"? It's far from uncommon to hear that "youngsters" constantly leap from one game to another, try their strengths at new systems and settings.
I'm not sure if that's because the modern generation are restless, or because the modern generation has a wider array of RPGs to try out than we did back in our college days. It used to be, to try out some new game that's just come out ("What the heck is this 'Earthdawn' thing?"), I'd have to lay out $40 at the FLGS to find out what's going on. These days it seems like you just need to slip down $10 for a pdf that you can download from where-ever you are, read up on the bus, and have a new game to play by Friday. There's more games, they're cheaper (at least in pdf) and more portable than before.
Quote from: jcfiala;902363I'm not sure if that's because the modern generation are restless, or because the modern generation has a wider array of RPGs to try out than we did back in our college days. It used to be, to try out some new game that's just come out ("What the heck is this 'Earthdawn' thing?"), I'd have to lay out $40 at the FLGS to find out what's going on. These days it seems like you just need to slip down $10 for a pdf that you can download from where-ever you are, read up on the bus, and have a new game to play by Friday. There's more games, they're cheaper (at least in pdf) and more portable than before.
That's an interesting way to put things. I can't say for sure how things are, but there might be some truth to that. After all, other forms of entertainment aren't free of same thing - people listen to more, read more, watch more, and the byproduct is a certain level of shallowness - things considered "big" at some point, rarely survive a decade or two.
Hmmmm...
Quote from: Skywalker;902323FWIW Double Cross is 15 years old. Tenra Bansho Zero is almost 20 years old. The English translations are more recent but the original games were a thing even before the concept of Story Games was even a thing in the US.
Well, the first version of Sorcerer is from 1996, but I think we can safely exclude the idea they've somehow influenced each other:D.
Quote from: Skywalker;902328I wasn't disagreeing with you. I just find it odd to call games that are 15-20 years old as "new wave", though you would certainly be correct to call them so when they came out :)
It is odd, isn't it:)?
Quote from: JesterRaiin;902329Aaaah, I understand now, thanks. :)
For the record, I wasn't addressing games themselves, I said gameRs - while that comment was, of course, merely a joke, I'd risk the statement that modern generation of players really is kind of, hmmm, "restless"? It's far from uncommon to hear that "youngsters" constantly leap from one game to another, try their strengths at new systems and settings.
Of course we are...
Quote from: jcfiala;902363I'm not sure if that's because the modern generation are restless, or because the modern generation has a wider array of RPGs to try out than we did back in our college days. It used to be, to try out some new game that's just come out ("What the heck is this 'Earthdawn' thing?"), I'd have to lay out $40 at the FLGS to find out what's going on. These days it seems like you just need to slip down $10 for a pdf that you can download from where-ever you are, read up on the bus, and have a new game to play by Friday. There's more games, they're cheaper (at least in pdf) and more portable than before.
...and here's why. It's a strength;).
Also, with the number of campaigns I'm running and playing in at the same time, I have space for both a long-running game or two, and a more episodic one.
I've seen several other Japanese tabletop RPGs being translated into English by the fan community.
For example, Meikyuu Kingdom, and also Nechronica (https://ontlogy.wordpress.com/2013/09/21/fantranslated-japanese-tabletop-rpgs-meikyuu-kingdom-and-nechronica/). The designer for the former game also made the Kantai Collection ("KanColle") tabletop game (https://ontlogy.wordpress.com/2014/04/03/fantranslated-japanese-tabletop-rpgs-kantai-collection-trpg/). The creator of Lodoss created the RPG Grancrest (https://ontlogy.wordpress.com/2014/12/16/fantranslated-japanese-tabletop-rpgs-grancrest/). There's also Monotone Museum (https://ontlogy.wordpress.com/2015/11/04/fantranslated-japanese-tabletop-rpgs-monotone-museum/), built using the SRS system, which is apparently an RPG engine similar to OpenD6 or the d20 System. There's also a partial (lacking the setting information) translation of Night Wizard Third Edition (https://ontlogy.wordpress.com/2015/12/27/fantranslated-japanese-tabletop-rpgs-night-wizard-3e/).
Quote from: AsenRG;902369Of course we are...
But Uncle Asen, you're older than a coal! :p
Quote...and here's why. It's a strength;).
Also, with the number of campaigns I'm running and playing in at the same time, I have space for both a long-running game or two, and a more episodic one.
It's a plus, yeah.
Then again, it's like with people. If you go to bed with different person each night, you aren't that good at forming bonds and you miss helluva things life has to offer.
Seriously, I've seen more than a single "30 days, 30 RPGs challenge" thread. How is it even possible?
Thanks for sharing, Alzrius !
yah theres also a translation of the log horizon trpg it lack the setting information as they assumed you where familiar with the setting
http://log-horizon.wikia.com/wiki/Log_Horizon_TRPG
its all so worth noting that jrpgs in general have been made by looking through a completely different looking glass
and even why back have not necessarily conformed to the western conventions
Quote from: Omega;902290Really liked the idea od the DM having a character that basically followed the party around recording what they did and occasionally secretly helping from the bushes, levelling up based on the partys progress and eventually able to potentially join.
Have you tried running it? It would be interesting to hear from someone who has stuck with the rules and the funky mechanics.
Quote from: Omega;902290Really liked the idea od the DM having a character that basically followed the party around recording what they did and occasionally secretly helping from the bushes, levelling up based on the partys progress and eventually able to potentially join.
Interestingly, the DM plays a type of Dragon, which type influencing what things the DM can do to help out.
Quote from: Lynn;902479Have you tried running it? It would be interesting to hear from someone who has stuck with the rules and the funky mechanics.
I ran Ryuutama a while back. Its a very cool game. The DM NPC is effectively just an avatar for the DM to interact with the PCs in character, as they have no usual "stats" per se.
It seems a lot like Fizban in Dragonlance in play.
Quote from: Snowman0147;902268No idea, but damn that sucks.
Or, you could maybe try:
"Fantastic, someone is bringing us new[ish] games to explore! More please! And maybe give us "Director's Cut" versions of the first ones so we can see the original intent!"
Thanks for the correction on the name. I had the book handy when I started the thread, but its actually a thousand miles away. Apparently I dropped it off and picked up the character book for TBZ last time I was home. My motivations are opaque to me.
Of course, the Maid connection was on my mind, but as I didn't buy a copy of Maid, I had very little to say about it, so I left it out.
Quote from: Lynn;902479Have you tried running it? It would be interesting to hear from someone who has stuck with the rules and the funky mechanics.
I ran it too. The best time I think was when there were three youngsters (Hunter, Healer and Artisan) and two adults (Merchant and Huntress). I didn't have any good story to tell, so I threw a lightning storm on them, made their pack mule run away with the majority of their inventory, and part of the road collapse cutting them out of the rest of the world, but also opening the way to unknown territory, so rather than follow a specific scenario, they had plenty of "what to do now" discussions and their focus was mostly on the next step only. Initially old and young had some differences in opinions with (surprisingly) older being more bold and risky, but they managed to ahem, ahem, "see past their differences" and form a successful cooperation.
As for me - I dicked around in form of a mountain cat. I thought it was a good idea, since the terrain was mostly rocky, but it kind of backfired, since players assumed the cat was dangerous and they suspected he will show up in absolutely worst moment to act like an alien from "Predator" movie. I left it at that - it added 1% of tension to the game, I guess.
It was nice, non-lethal (although there were combat encounters) adventure, I think, but I have trouble believing that it would be suitable for veteran players and longer, campaign-like style of play. Still, definitely good thing to know and play every now and then.
Oh, the game suggests that players should consider some additional out-of-game activities, like writing a diary, illustrating characters or important moments in the game and such. Nobody I've been playing with was very interested in that, but I see plenty of educational value here.
Quote from: JesterRaiin;902386But Uncle Asen, you're older than a coal! :p
Only if that's a typo and you mean "older than a koala":D!
QuoteIt's a plus, yeah.
Then again, it's like with people. If you go to bed with different person each night, you aren't that good at forming bonds and you miss helluva things life has to offer.
Maybe. But then, with my habit of having both a "fast trek" group and at least one "continuous play" group, I'm not missing much:p!
QuoteSeriously, I've seen more than a single "30 days, 30 RPGs challenge" thread. How is it even possible?
Pick simpler games or games you already know. And get some friends on board to meet every day.
It wouldn't be a challenge if it was easy, right;)?
Quote from: AsenRG;902531Only if that's a typo and you mean "older than a koala":D!
Two koalas...! Oh, screw it. Damn you and your smooth words. I kurse yeeeeeeee with koala kurse! ;)
QuoteMaybe. But then, with my habit of having both a "fast trek" group and at least one "continuous play" group, I'm not missing much:p!
We're still discussing RPGs, right? ;)
QuotePick simpler games or games you already know. And get some friends on board to meet every day.
It wouldn't be a challenge if it was easy, right;)?
Doable? Yes.
Worth it? Come on, even simple RPGs along the lines of
Everyone is John,
Lasers & Feelings or
Risus require a bit of time to develop an opinion regarding what they are, what are their strengths and weaknesses. I honestly can't comprehend the idea of playing a series of one-shots 1/day, one after another. The result, while perhaps fun (especially if good crew & an alcohol is involved) would be one big chaos and plenty of wrong assumptions...
Quote from: JesterRaiin;902519[...] but I have trouble believing that it would be suitable for veteran players and longer, campaign-like style of play.
This. I really wanted to like Ryutaama, but after reading it through repeatedly I keep coming back to "there's no
game here." Maybe it just needed more comprehensive examples of play or something.
Quote from: daniel_ream;902564This. I really wanted to like Ryutaama, but after reading it through repeatedly I keep coming back to "there's no game here." Maybe it just needed more comprehensive examples of play or something.
Ryuutama is a bit difficult case. Being a heartwarming, rather peaceful (not non-violent, mind you, merely not "deadly") it seems to be the game made for and meant to be played by children. As such, it's one of those things you keep on your shelf and take out only on special occasions (like when your younger nephew drops by). There's simply little to do here to form the solid foundation for a prolonged gameplay.
"Special purpose game" - that's what it is and I don't think it's a mistake to think it's that way.
Thanks for the replies all, on running Ryuutama. I haven't run it yet, but Ive been kicking around some ideas.
I think there's a lot you could do with the curious wandering band that isn't so locked into the life journey / dragon evolution, either without those or by transforming them into something else. Japanese anime (and for that matter, Japanese TV programming) uses the curious wandering band as a motif quite a bit.
Quote from: JesterRaiin;902570There's simply little to do here to form the solid foundation for a prolonged gameplay.
"Special purpose game" - that's what it is and I don't think it's a mistake to think it's that way.
It wasn't so much that as that once you strip out the lists of equipment and spells and other fripperies, you're left with "make a roll to travel to the next town, then buy stuff in the town". I mean, there's more content in your lightning storm-pack mule-road collapse line than in the entire book on how to make this interesting. For a full colour book with that many pages, I expect more.
Quote from: JesterRaiin;902533Two koalas...! Oh, screw it. Damn you and your smooth words. I kurse yeeeeeeee with koala kurse! ;)
But...but...I'm not older than two koalas! They can live up to 18 years each:)!
QuoteWe're still discussing RPGs, right? ;)
We are, of course. Why, what were you thinking about:p?
QuoteDoable? Yes.
Well, your question was "how is it even
possible", so there's your answer;).
QuoteWorth it? Come on, even simple RPGs along the lines of Everyone is John, Lasers & Feelings or Risus require a bit of time to develop an opinion regarding what they are, what are their strengths and weaknesses. I honestly can't comprehend the idea of playing a series of one-shots 1/day, one after another. The result, while perhaps fun (especially if good crew & an alcohol is involved) would be one big chaos and plenty of wrong assumptions...
Chaos can be fun, too:). And if it's fun, what's the worse thing that could happen? Apart from hangover, STDs or overdoses, I mean, those are extreme cases:D.
But getting wrong assumptions about some simple games isn't worth the worry, especially if after that, you continue your normal campaign;).
Quote from: daniel_ream;902589It wasn't so much that as that once you strip out the lists of equipment and spells and other fripperies, you're left with "make a roll to travel to the next town, then buy stuff in the town". I mean, there's more content in your lightning storm-pack mule-road collapse line than in the entire book on how to make this interesting. For a full colour book with that many pages, I expect more.
Quote from: Lynn;902583I think there's a lot you could do with the curious wandering band that isn't so locked into the life journey / dragon evolution, either without those or by transforming them into something else. Japanese anime (and for that matter, Japanese TV programming) uses the curious wandering band as a motif quite a bit.
Yes, it's true. It's a common element found in pretty much every cJRPG - heroes wander around, gain experience, then arrive at [CITY] and spend considerable time pursuing next part of the story arc, until they move to another [CITY]. From what I hear, Westerners (I count myself among them) like that part the least, often roll eyes and say "oh great, here we go again".
Here's where
Ryuutama steps in - it's is exactly that "wandering" part. Who knows, perhaps it's not that we're missing some point, see it in wrong light, or something, but we simply didn't develop certain tastes in such a way that our fellow gamers from the Nippon did.
The lack of inspirational content is a good observation, though. Technically we have truckloads of "funny things that might happen on the way..." random tables and plot seed generators, but it would be nice to have such a thing written specifically with
Ryuutama in mind.
Quote from: AsenRG;902616But...but...I'm not older than two koalas! They can live up to 18 years each:)!
Asen Invokes Aspect: Silvertongue bastard. It is EXTRA EFFICIENT! :cool:
A KURSE UPON YEEEEEE!
QuoteWe are, of course. Why, what were you thinking about:p?
Nothing, nothing...
nervous stareQuoteWell, your question was "how is it even possible", so there's your answer;).
Just an expression, bro, check your Aspects. ;p
QuoteChaos can be fun, too:). And if it's fun, what's the worse thing that could happen? Apart from hangover, STDs or overdoses, I mean, those are extreme cases:D.
But getting wrong assumptions about some simple games isn't worth the worry, especially if after that, you continue your normal campaign;).
...STDs...
Ok, we were definitely talking about same thing. ;D
Ahem.
Well, anyway, I suspect that truckloads of extremely negative opinions come from half-assed, rushed sessions featuring people who had no clue what they were doing in the first place and who, rather than give the game another chance simply assumed it's a hipster shit no gentleman should ever come in contact with,a nd all who do are no gentlemen. ;)
Quote from: Motorskills;902491Or, you could maybe try:
"Fantastic, someone is bringing us new[ish] games to explore! More please! And maybe give us "Director's Cut" versions of the first ones so we can see the original intent!"
Positivity is EARNED. It is never GIVEN.
Quote from: JesterRaiin;902623[...] we simply didn't develop certain tastes in such a way that our fellow gamers from the Nippon did.
Now that you mention it, I did sort of get the feeling the game was doing a sort of "well, you all know what goes here" in those parts. Which, obviously, I don't. It's one of the reasons I think it's so important for a game to talk about what its intended play style is, even - or perhaps especially - if it seems bloody obvious to the writers. I find most "Examples of Play" worse than useless for this.
Quote from: Snowman0147;902636Positivity is EARNED. It is never GIVEN.
Wow, that's really a dark way of looking at things - and that's said by someone who's wife almost died six weeks ago. :) I find positivity as a starting move often lubricates social interaction.
Quote from: daniel_ream;902564This. I really wanted to like Ryutaama, but after reading it through repeatedly I keep coming back to "there's no game here." Maybe it just needed more comprehensive examples of play or something.
I found it had as much game as B/X D&D. It had lots of mini-games for travel, food, trading, gathering herbs, combat, and all other things that you would do when adventuring. But you do still need to include a GM written adventure for which there are only worksheets to help come up with the basics. You could use Secret of Bonehill, Keep on the Borderlands, Nights Dark Terror, or Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh at a pinch TBH.
Some of these recent Japanese games getting translations seem like board/card/RPG hybrids... perhaps meant to be played by schoolgirls during lunch at the boba tea shop.
I'm assuming there are also more 'traditional' RPGs getting played there, like D&D, BRP, maybe newer editions of older stuff like Ware's Blade (started as BRP then moved to D20).
Quote from: Simlasa;902657I'm assuming there are also more 'traditional' RPGs getting played there, like D&D, BRP, maybe newer editions of older stuff like Ware's Blade (started as BRP then moved to D20).
Somewhere at home I've got a play-through of GURPS fantasy that's all in Japanese, so I think that's being played too. Then again, if it's Japanese GURPS, there's not a lot of need to translate that to English.
Quote from: jcfiala;902661Then again, if it's Japanese GURPS, there's not a lot of need to translate that to English.
No, but if there's some interesting Japanese-only sourcebooks for it, that could be of interest.
Quote from: Simlasa;902664No, but if there's some interesting Japanese-only sourcebooks for it, that could be of interest.
Heh. "GURPS America"
I'd buy it.
Quote from: daniel_ream;902640Now that you mention it, I did sort of get the feeling the game was doing a sort of "well, you all know what goes here" in those parts. Which, obviously, I don't. It's one of the reasons I think it's so important for a game to talk about what its intended play style is, even - or perhaps especially - if it seems bloody obvious to the writers. I find most "Examples of Play" worse than useless for this.
When I want to learn what the game is supposed to be about, I look at PCs' classes/roles first (providing it's that kind of a game), and then I read official adventures. If that fails I'm looking for answers in setting's description. This usually gives me enough info to form an opinion.
What's your approach?
Quote from: jcfiala;902667Heh. "GURPS America"
I'd buy it.
:p
Spoiler
(http://s33.postimg.org/6v2go4le7/gurps.jpg)
Quote from: Simlasa;902657Some of these recent Japanese games getting translations seem like board/card/RPG hybrids... perhaps meant to be played by schoolgirls during lunch at the boba tea shop.
.
I dunno about that. Double Cross (FEAR, as noted above... need to edit OP...), has example adventures with some 18 scenes in them. Even if those scenes are really short it still suggests a 'typical adventure session' of several hours, minimum.
Now, Tenra Bansho Zero suffered for a lack of decent play examples. It came with loads of adventure ideas, in abstract, and a number of excessively brief examples of play to demonstrate principles like the relationship grid (which, by the way, I think is brilliant, despite the taint of storygame all over it.). So: While I know that I can't let my Karma get above 108 (after burning my relationships), I have no idea how much karma is getting tossed around in game on average, nor what a kabuki style game session would really look like.
THough I do have to thank the game for introducing me to the oddly formulaic world of Kabuki plays. Fascinating topic, really. Sort of like soap operas, as discovered by an archeologist and put on in new productions long after the fact... if that makes sense.
Quote from: Spike;902675I dunno about that. Double Cross (FEAR, as noted above... need to edit OP...), has example adventures with some 18 scenes in them. Even if those scenes are really short it still suggests a 'typical adventure session' of several hours, minimum.
My understanding is that in Japan, RPGs are generally played in longer sessions in the weekend as shorter sessions on week nights are less common due to less personal space at home and work commitments. This also means that multiple session campaigns tend to be less common than in the US. The structure to scenarios in both TBZ and DX reflect that reality i.e. episodic 4 to 6 hour sessions.
That makes a lot of sense, actually. Thanks for the insight, Skywalker. Btw: your father's a douche. Just sayin'.
But which Skywalker am I? ;P
GURPS America's map.
Spoiler
[ATTACH=CONFIG]146[/ATTACH]
Quote from: JesterRaiin;902672:p
Spoiler
(http://s33.postimg.org/6v2go4le7/gurps.jpg)
Mongoose beat you to it:
(http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/2/0/2000jddemocracy.jpg)
Quote from: Skywalker;902678My understanding is that in Japan, RPGs are generally played in longer sessions in the weekend as shorter sessions on week nights are less common due to less personal space at home and work commitments. This also means that multiple session campaigns tend to be less common than in the US. The structure to scenarios in both TBZ and DX reflect that reality i.e. episodic 4 to 6 hour sessions.
Say what you want about Japan, they know how to market a product.
Quote from: Skywalker;902681But which Skywalker am I? ;P
Does it matter? Every generation of Skywalker seems to have utterly failed in the fatherhood department. The only good one was Uncle Owen, and he was from the Lars branch of hte family, not the Skywalkers.
Hell, look how Leia's kid turned out, and she wasn't even the father... though with the relentless feminist propaganda in the last one, I don't doubt Han left because he got tired of her wearing the pants....
So even if your skywalker father is Leia... still a douche. Not your fault, but my advice is to never reproduce, lest you turn to the Douche Side.
Quote from: dragoner;902692Mongoose beat you to it:
Jesus freakin' Christ... There has to be some sort of conspiracy that secretly manipulates all world's events.
They know.
Quote from: Crabbyapples;902683GURPS America's map.
Totally stealing it.
Quote from: Skywalker;902678My understanding is that in Japan, RPGs are generally played in longer sessions in the weekend as shorter sessions on week nights are less common due to less personal space at home and work commitments. This also means that multiple session campaigns tend to be less common than in the US. The structure to scenarios in both TBZ and DX reflect that reality i.e. episodic 4 to 6 hour sessions.
I am not really sure about that "only on weekends". I have heard about gamers renting karaoke rooms as gaming spaces. I saw the gaming tables at Yellow Submarine (a popular game store in Akihabara) at weekday evenings, and of the seven(?) tables only two were unused.
The adventure structure in
Meikyuu Kingdom and
Ryuutama supports short sessions.
The intro module "Travel to Ifa" that was part of the very first Ryuutama translation was a really short affair - 7 encouters that hardly last longer than 2 hours.
The standard Meikyuu Kingdom adventure consists of up to 9 (dungeon) rooms or encounters, arranged in a 3x3 grid. (It's less fomulaic than it sounds as the corridors between those rooms can take any form and length.) The first edition of that game came with 2 two-page modules printed on flimsy colored paper. (But I also read actual play reports of Meikyuu sessions that lasted ~7 hours.)
The fan translation of the KotDT-style manga
QuickStart!! has one yonkoma ("four panel manga") that suggests that conflicts/sessions/scenarios can be as short as one hour. "You're full of energy! We could play for another hour!" "One more round!" (https://imgur.com/a/3b2qh#4) (And the next strip starting with "We played two rounds.")
I really wish we had more translations of replay books. I guess between the lines would be the means to understand how our gaming styles differ, and how that enables or enforces different rule concepts.
Quote from: Dirk Remmecke;902746I have heard about gamers renting karaoke rooms as gaming spaces.
That is actually an amazing idea. Dungeons and Dragons and Sushi and Soju. I must make plans.
Quote from: Krimson;902775That is actually an amazing idea. Dungeons and Dragons and Sushi and Soju. I must make plans.
It would certainly make it easier to play the bard. :)
Quote from: JesterRaiin;902623Yes, it's true. It's a common element found in pretty much every cJRPG - heroes wander around, gain experience, then arrive at [CITY] and spend considerable time pursuing next part of the story arc, until they move to another [CITY]. From what I hear, Westerners (I count myself among them) like that part the least, often roll eyes and say "oh great, here we go again".
Here's where Ryuutama steps in - it's is exactly that "wandering" part. Who knows, perhaps it's not that we're missing some point, see it in wrong light, or something, but we simply didn't develop certain tastes in such a way that our fellow gamers from the Nippon did.
I have only gamed with Japanese people a few times, so I wouldn't generalize too much about that - but you could be right. Still though, I think they enjoy a good dungeon crawl. That's still the basis of their computer RPGs. What my gut tells me is that a game like this actually does have deeper 'dungeon-like' encounters when it is actually played, and maybe the creator wanted to emphasize what makes it really different from other games.
Quote from: JesterRaiin;902623The lack of inspirational content is a good observation, though. Technically we have truckloads of "funny things that might happen on the way..." random tables and plot seed generators, but it would be nice to have such a thing written specifically with Ryuutama in mind.
I could see campaign settings for this that transform the game while keeping its core intact, using similar mechanisms.
The first thing that came to mind after reading the book was a Canterbury Tales type setting - the mission being to join a pilgrimage to the great shrines of
, guardian angels, devilment, etc - sort of an anime re-interpretation of the Christian spiritual journey.
A more Japanese one might be similar to the Mito-komon TV show in Japan (you don't need to understand a lot of Japanese to understand what's happening in the show), in which the Shogun's retired uncle travels around the country, appearing as a merchant or something similar, then uses his band of friends, ninjas and comic relief to solve local problems and pronounce judgement against people who abuse their authority.
Quote from: Lynn;902782What my gut tells me is that a game like this actually does have deeper 'dungeon-like' encounters when it is actually played, and maybe the creator wanted to emphasize what makes it really different from other games.
Exactly.
Come to think about it,
Ryuutama does seem a bit like Eastern equivalent of *.world games where people co-create the setting, and this is vital part of their experience, more a framework, a set of tools than a complete world. Still, it's a guess.
Oh well, until some Japanese roleplayers won't show up and shed some light on how to "properly" use the game, all we can do is to guess and use it however we see fit. In my case it will be always "one of those introductory RPGs, heavy emphasis on children". ;)
Quote from: JesterRaiin;902908Ryuutama does seem a bit like Eastern equivalent of *.world games where people co-create the setting, and this is vital part of their experience
I don't quite think so; I don't recall any shared-world mechanics in Ryuutama. Golden Sky Stories and Do: Pilgrims of the Flying Temple absolutely do have them, and they're in the same genre.
The tagline for the English translation was "Hiyao Miyazaki's Oregon Trail", and I think that's a good description. I'm just having difficulty seeing how to reconcile those two concepts since they're diametrically opposed.
Quote from: daniel_ream;902978I don't quite think so; I don't recall any shared-world mechanics in Ryuutama. Golden Sky Stories and Do: Pilgrims of the Flying Temple absolutely do have them, and they're in the same genre.
*.world as in "any game based on Apocalypse World engine", Dungeon World being probably the most famous one.
QuoteThe tagline for the English translation was "Hiyao Miyazaki's Oregon Trail", and I think that's a good description. I'm just having difficulty seeing how to reconcile those two concepts since they're diametrically opposed.
I'm not sure I understand it correctly: way I see it, Miyazaki tends to tell rather complicated stories, with "road" being of little importance, while
Ryuutama is specifically about traveling.
Quote from: JesterRaiin;902570Ryuutama is a bit difficult case. Being a heartwarming, rather peaceful (not non-violent, mind you, merely not "deadly") it seems to be the game made for and meant to be played by children. As such, it's one of those things you keep on your shelf and take out only on special occasions (like when your younger nephew drops by). There's simply little to do here to form the solid foundation for a prolonged gameplay.
"Special purpose game" - that's what it is and I don't think it's a mistake to think it's that way.
Really? This is the sort of game that is potentially great for players who love the travel and interaction part of an RPG. But dont like the combat part as much. Travelling. Doing stuff. A whole campaign could revolve around such.
Certainly not for everyone though. But yes. There are people who really like this sort of game. Or even those who play other RPGs that way. Think I've mentioned the Star Frontiers campaign that essentially amounted to the PCs running a shipping business.
Quote from: Alzrius;902370I've seen several other Japanese tabletop RPGs being translated into English by the fan community.
For example, Meikyuu Kingdom, and also Nechronica (https://ontlogy.wordpress.com/2013/09/21/fantranslated-japanese-tabletop-rpgs-meikyuu-kingdom-and-nechronica/). The designer for the former game also made the Kantai Collection ("KanColle") tabletop game (https://ontlogy.wordpress.com/2014/04/03/fantranslated-japanese-tabletop-rpgs-kantai-collection-trpg/). The creator of Lodoss created the RPG Grancrest (https://ontlogy.wordpress.com/2014/12/16/fantranslated-japanese-tabletop-rpgs-grancrest/). There's also Monotone Museum (https://ontlogy.wordpress.com/2015/11/04/fantranslated-japanese-tabletop-rpgs-monotone-museum/), built using the SRS system, which is apparently an RPG engine similar to OpenD6 or the d20 System. There's also a partial (lacking the setting information) translation of Night Wizard Third Edition (https://ontlogy.wordpress.com/2015/12/27/fantranslated-japanese-tabletop-rpgs-night-wizard-3e/).
i just wana say thanks for linking these
Quote from: Simlasa;902657Some of these recent Japanese games getting translations seem like board/card/RPG hybrids... perhaps meant to be played by schoolgirls during lunch at the boba tea shop.
I'm assuming there are also more 'traditional' RPGs getting played there, like D&D, BRP, maybe newer editions of older stuff like Ware's Blade (started as BRP then moved to D20).
Sword World comes to mind.
And untill WOTC pulled the plug in 2012 there was translations and printings of the D&D books. BX D&D is what Record of Lodoss War was being played and the replay logs that eventually became the novels and then the anime. There was also the above mentioned Gurps. Gurps Runal? And I believe Shadowrun got a release too? (Cant find any info though so maybee not) Id be surprised if BESM didnt. If I recall correctly Traveller was one of the early RPGs to hit Japan.
At one con wayyyy back someone was GMing something called Tokyo Nova I think. Was odd in that they were using playing cards instead of dice. And last year during the big porn witch hunt by the SJW crowd I believe a Japanese RPG called Night Wizard was mentioned.
Also I've heard of, but never seen a RPG based on the Ys console series.
Theres also at least one Gurps/BESM-like system I've heard of called MAGUS I believe.
Quote from: Krimson;902775That is actually an amazing idea. Dungeons and Dragons and Sushi and Soju. I must make plans.
Players locally would rent a buffet restraunt booth and play. And way way way back I rented a library meeting room to host sessions. The group before mine did too.
Quote from: Omega;903158If I recall correctly Traveller was one of the early RPGs to hit Japan.
It was. I have a copy of the Japan version.
Quote from: Omega;903154Really? This is the sort of game that is potentially great for players who love the travel and interaction part of an RPG. But dont like the combat part as much. Travelling. Doing stuff. A whole campaign could revolve around such.
Certainly not for everyone though. But yes. There are people who really like this sort of game. Or even those who play other RPGs that way. Think I've mentioned the Star Frontiers campaign that essentially amounted to the PCs running a shipping business.
I think this qualifies as "special purpose". ;)
Pretty sure theres one or two D&D modules that tried for that approach too.
Quote from: Spike;902262apparently the ONLY people translating games from exotic foreign lands are storygamers (why?! Is it a swine thing?), I'm rather curious as to how much influence the swine have on the game's original design, or if they are cherry picking swine like games (literal story games, designed to recreate teh story experience from other media).
It would be very ... I don't know what, really ... to discover that my copy of Golden Sky Stories was actually a swinish translation-with-extreme-liberties of an accurate Japanese translation of Call of Cthulhu. :eek:
Quote from: rawma;903393It would be very ... I don't know what, really ... to discover that my copy of Golden Sky Stories was actually a swinish translation-with-extreme-liberties of an accurate Japanese translation of Call of Cthulhu. :eek:
That would explain Haiyore! Nyaruko-san (http://myanimelist.net/anime/11785/Haiyore_Nyaruko-san). :D
So does Japan have any RPGs that the Swine wouldn't like?
Quote from: RPGPundit;904922So does Japan have any RPGs that the Swine wouldn't like?
Probably 75% or more are traditional D&D or Gurps style RPGs. Either class based or skill based with little to none of the storyteller elements of ye-ole swine.
But as someone else noted. All it takes is a translator with an agenda and it will be impossible to spot untill someone who knows both languages and has both books notices. If you've never seen Nausuciia then how would you ever know of how much was changed to make Warriors of the Wind? Same analogy. Or someone cherry picking games that fit their style and interest/agenda.
Other rimes its just a matter of what you can get permission to translate and what you cant. Or even availibility of the game. If all youve got is SwintTrekNippon. Then that is what gets translated.
Quote from: Omega;904950Probably 75% or more are traditional D&D or Gurps style RPGs. Either class based or skill based with little to none of the storyteller elements of ye-ole swine.
But as someone else noted. All it takes is a translator with an agenda and it will be impossible to spot untill someone who knows both languages and has both books notices. If you've never seen Nausuciia then how would you ever know of how much was changed to make Warriors of the Wind? Same analogy. Or someone cherry picking games that fit their style and interest/agenda.
Other rimes its just a matter of what you can get permission to translate and what you cant. Or even availibility of the game. If all youve got is SwintTrekNippon. Then that is what gets translated.
Yeah. I suspected that the Storygaming crowd was essentially cherry-picking to give the false impression that Japanese RPGs were all swine shit.
I suspect the licensing costs were a factor too. Sword World 2.0 would probably cost a lot more to license than something like Ryuutama.
The creator of Ryuutama is a good friend of the translator, which is why it was chosen for translation. The designer owned a RPG Café which demoed games for customers. I don't think I have seen any suggestion that Ryuutama is a big RPG even in Japan.
FEAR on the other hand is a large, if not one of the largest, tabletop RPG producers in Japan from what I have heard. So, I don't think that would apply to Tenra Bansho Zero or Double Cross. TBZ may have been easier to licence due to its age and the designer having moved on from FEAR to more profitable business.
Quote from: RPGPundit;906689Yeah. I suspected that the Storygaming crowd was essentially cherry-picking to give the false impression that Japanese RPGs were all swine shit.
Of all the Japanese people I know, I don't think any even know what a pen and paper RPG is.
Even the biggest publisher has lines that don't sell all that well. I don't know how well Tenra Bansho Zero sold or how much it cost to license. Japanese table talk RPG companies have no more incentive to publish their sales figures than their American counterparts. I suspect that Sword World, which is a multimedia property that has sold over 10 million books, is a bigger deal and a much more expensive license though. Hard sales numbers are scarce as usual though.
Quote from: Krimson;906718Of all the Japanese people I know, I don't think any even know what a pen and paper RPG is.
Most Americans only have a vague idea and would probably think I was talking about a console game.
Quote from: yosemitemike;906723Most Americans only have a vague idea and would probably think I was talking about a console game.
Honestly, before I came to this site a couple of months ago, I didn't even know what a Storygamer was, or that there were convenient boxes that people were categorized into. I mean, I remember Pundit ranting about Fate during the playtest for Cubicle 7's Doctor Who RPG but I really had no idea what the issue was.
Quote from: Krimson;906731Honestly, before I came to this site a couple of months ago, I didn't even know what a Storygamer was, or that there were convenient boxes that people were categorized into. I mean, I remember Pundit ranting about Fate during the playtest for Cubicle 7's Doctor Who RPG but I really had no idea what the issue was.
I'm still not sure.
When I told people I play RPGs in the past, their response would usually be "you mean like D&D?". Now it's, "you mean like Skyrim?"
Quote from: yosemitemike;906734I'm still not sure.
Certain people began to claim that RPGing isn't merely about playing a game.
They had their artificial theories and exotic games where players created the world in place of GM.
el Pundito Loco disagreed.
They disagreed with him.
Now it's personal.
"
RPGs: the revenge of OSR".
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis as himself. Liam Neeson as "the set of skills". Rihanna as "Charisma". Leonardo di Caprio as "Condition". Angry Taliban mob straight outta Afghulistan as storytellers. Vladimir Putin as "the story".
In cinemas near you.
This summer.
Which side you're on? It doesn't matter. There will be blood anyway.
This summer.
Be there.
Well it would be interesting to see what kind of Japanese RPGs are out there, without being filtered through one translator. I doubt there are many of them.
Quote from: Krimson;906731I mean, I remember Pundit ranting about Fate during the playtest for Cubicle 7's Doctor Who RPG
Yes, but FATE isn't a storygame any more, according to Pundit.
And we've always been at war with Eastasia.
Quote from: RPGPundit;906689Yeah. I suspected that the Storygaming crowd was essentially cherry-picking to give the false impression that Japanese RPGs were all swine shit.
Isn't the translator of most Japanese RPGs (Andy K) also the owner of the publishing company? Because in this case, I suspect he's just picking games he'd like to translate:).
The idea that he's doing to create an erroneous impression is one I'm sure he'd find laughable. I sure do. In order for someone to not find it so, that person should subscribe to your views that "RPG swine" are trying to destroy RPGs from within.
I'm sure not many people do that;).
(Now, if you were claiming that those same people
don't care if they destroy RPG-related traditions that
you value...you might have a point).
Quote from: Krimson;906731Honestly, before I came to this site a couple of months ago, I didn't even know what a Storygamer was, or that there were convenient boxes that people were categorized into. I mean, I remember Pundit ranting about Fate during the playtest for Cubicle 7's Doctor Who RPG but I really had no idea what the issue was.
The problem with this categorization is that it tells us about as much as a categorization which includes "mammals" and "predators" as part of its categories.
Quote from: Krimson;906788Well it would be interesting to see what kind of Japanese RPGs are out there, without being filtered through one translator. I doubt there are many of them.
I suspect there are. But anyway, I'd back a KS project to translate other Japanese RPGs, so if you find anything worth reading, let me know when you start the KS:D!
Quote from: Krimson;906788Well it would be interesting to see what kind of Japanese RPGs are out there, without being filtered through one translator. I doubt there are many of them.
Theres quite a few from Japan. Some have gained traction. Others fall by the wayside like any other. Same with other countries. Drakar och Demoner for example. Theres a few French RPGs and wargames that I believe have not as yet made it to english translation. Or if did were very short lived. Theres also a couple of Brazillian RPGs or hybrid RPG/Board games like RPG Quest.
Quote from: Krimson;906788Well it would be interesting to see what kind of Japanese RPGs are out there, without being filtered through one translator. I doubt there are many of them.
There are currently four translators that I am aware of. Three are affiliated with each other by way of Andy K (Tenra Bansho Zero, Golden Sky Stories, Shinobigami, and Ryuutama). The other is independent (Double Cross).
Quote from: JesterRaiin;906770Certain people began to claim that RPGing isn't merely about playing a game.
lul huh?
Quote from: JesterRaiin;906770They had their artificial theories and exotic games where players created the world in place of GM.
That's playing a game with different rules.
Quote from: JesterRaiin;906770el Pundito Loco disagreed.
They disagreed with him.
So the issue is that the Doctor Who has story points...or it isn't...or....I still don't know what the actual issue is.
Quote from: yosemitemike;906723Even the biggest publisher has lines that don't sell all that well. I don't know how well Tenra Bansho Zero sold or how much it cost to license. Japanese table talk RPG companies have no more incentive to publish their sales figures than their American counterparts. I suspect that Sword World, which is a multimedia property that has sold over 10 million books, is a bigger deal and a much more expensive license though. Hard sales numbers are scarce as usual though.
Most Americans only have a vague idea and would probably think I was talking about a console game.
Yeah iv had this happen several time its especially problematic with dnd as its had so meany video game adaptions that some people think it is primarily a video game franchise!!!
Hell i worked with a guy who literally could not comprehend the idea of a table top rpg when he ask what i was working on once(not at work).
And could only comprehend it as a precursor to a video game........
Quote from: Krimson;906788Well it would be interesting to see what kind of Japanese RPGs are out there, without being filtered through one translator. I doubt there are many of them.
you might look in to
tokyo nova its a cool one.
Interesting take on cyber punk i think sadly out side of a few notes here and there no translation as far as i can tell.
Quote from: kosmos1214;906990you might look in to tokyo nova its a cool one.
Interesting take on cyber punk i think sadly out side of a few notes here and there no translation as far as i can tell.
Okay that is cool. I'll have to try and find that. I'm guessing it's inspired by Ghost in the Shell with the first edition predating the first film. One of my longest running settings Hachi:Blue, takes a lot of inspiration from GiTS, Blade Runner and other anime such as Toaru Kagaku no Railgun. I wonder how long it would take to read since I can't read kanji very well. Thanks for the suggestion.
Quote from: kosmos1214;906990you might look in to tokyo nova its a cool one.
Interesting take on cyber punk i think sadly out side of a few notes here and there no translation as far as i can tell.
I knew one of the artists briefly way way back and at the time there was mention of a possible published translation to english. But obviously it never came to pass.
Heres a loose rundown of the rules.
http://j-rpg.com/talk/discussion/2/%E3%83%88%E3%83%BC%E3%82%AD%E3%83%A7%E3%83%BCnva-tokyo-nova-a-slow-breakdown/p1 (http://j-rpg.com/talk/discussion/2/%E3%83%88%E3%83%BC%E3%82%AD%E3%83%A7%E3%83%BCnva-tokyo-nova-a-slow-breakdown/p1)
Meikyu Kingdom I heard had a translation but have never come across. It was supposed to be set totally underground in huge dungeon kingdoms? They also did something called Kantai Collection.
And another called Nechronia? Nechronica? A weird PA setting of cyborgs remnants?
And someone else was working on a translation of the Grancrest and Night Wizard RPGs.
Quote from: Omega;907019I knew one of the artists briefly way way back and at the time there was mention of a possible published translation to english. But obviously it never came to pass.
Heres a loose rundown of the rules.
http://j-rpg.com/talk/discussion/2/%E3%83%88%E3%83%BC%E3%82%AD%E3%83%A7%E3%83%BCnva-tokyo-nova-a-slow-breakdown/p1 (http://j-rpg.com/talk/discussion/2/%E3%83%88%E3%83%BC%E3%82%AD%E3%83%A7%E3%83%BCnva-tokyo-nova-a-slow-breakdown/p1)
Meikyu Kingdom I heard had a translation but have never come across. It was supposed to be set totally underground in huge dungeon kingdoms? They also did something called Kantai Collection.
And another called Nechronia? Nechronica? A weird PA setting of cyborgs remnants?
And someone else was working on a translation of the Grancrest and Night Wizard RPGs.
Hmmm... I have an Aliester Crowley Thoth Tarot on my bookshelf sitting between a Cardcaptor Sakura Clow deck and a Miku Hatsune playing card deck. Shame my old HR Giger deck died in a house fire. In any case, I have cards I can make this work somehow. :D Thanks for the link.
Lace and Steel used Tarot for chargen and special cards for resolution. Not Japanese, but Australian. Close enough! :D
Found a better description of Nechronica. Its set after some war has killed everyone. The PCs are zombie girls who still have free will. The DM is also playing the final foe. The Necromancer who animates all the dead.
Someone sent me a copy of the WIP for Meikyu Kingdom and having a glance over now.
Interesting premise akin to d20 Gamma Worlds idea of a community as a sort of character and the players as part of its creation and management, playing key characters/adventurers. So theres a kingdom phase where the players discuss and allocate for the expedition. Then the exploration phase where they go adventuring. Adventuring usually means entering a section of dungeon and beating its ruler. If the expedition wins the section is added to the kingdom. Even an option to form alliances with other player groups kingdoms.
Lots and lots of tables for events and ideas. Uses an odd version of the percentile d66 where you read the lowest die as the first number and the higher or equal die as the second. So you get a range of 11,12,13,14,15,16,22,23,24,25,26,33,34,35,36,44,45,46,55,56,66. Kinda a d21? Other times it uses 2d6 or 1d6.
Combats pretty quick too. 2d6 and enemy defense is the target to beat. Chance to kill or be killed flat out with a fatal wound when you hit zero HP. Also on a really good hit your weapon levels up! Or on a really bad fumble you kill your weapon instead!
Quote from: yosemitemike;906826So the issue is that the Doctor Who has story points...or it isn't...or....I still don't know what the actual issue is.
Sir, I'm sorry to break it for you, but there's no easier way to say that: there's no possibility to truly comprehend this ancient, bloody conflict without being at least
mildly drunk. :cool:
Quote from: Skywalker;906823There are currently four translators that I am aware of. Three are affiliated with each other by way of Andy K (Tenra Bansho Zero, Golden Sky Stories, Shinobigami, and Ryuutama). The other is independent (Double Cross).
Double Cross is fairly trad, isn't it? I mean, the only "indie" cred it possibly has would be because it's Japanese, not because of its "Indie"/Forgey/storygamey mechanics, right?
Also isnt there also Anima beyond fantasy???
If i remember right isn't that another Japanese table talk rpg.
Quote from: Omega;907019I knew one of the artists briefly way way back and at the time there was mention of a possible published translation to english. But obviously it never came to pass.
Heres a loose rundown of the rules.
http://j-rpg.com/talk/discussion/2/%E3%83%88%E3%83%BC%E3%82%AD%E3%83%A7%E3%83%BCnva-tokyo-nova-a-slow-breakdown/p1 (http://j-rpg.com/talk/discussion/2/%E3%83%88%E3%83%BC%E3%82%AD%E3%83%A7%E3%83%BCnva-tokyo-nova-a-slow-breakdown/p1)
Meikyu Kingdom I heard had a translation but have never come across. It was supposed to be set totally underground in huge dungeon kingdoms? They also did something called Kantai Collection.
And another called Nechronia? Nechronica? A weird PA setting of cyborgs remnants?
And someone else was working on a translation of the Grancrest and Night Wizard RPGs.
Yeah thats the one i found would have posted it but i wasn't at my own comp at the time thanks.
And yes they did translate the kantai collection rpg if you dont know what kantai collection is you can get the gist of it in this vidieo.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TKzdn6Wbqc
Quote from: 3rik;907062Double Cross is fairly trad, isn't it? I mean, the only "indie" cred it possibly has would be because it's Japanese, not because of its "Indie"/Forgey/storygamey mechanics, right?
Yep its not that type of game from what iv read / heard its pretty normal it just comes from a language most ppl in the rest of the world have no ability to read.
Quote from: JesterRaiin;907045Sir, I'm sorry to break it for you, but there's no easier way to say that: there's no possibility to truly comprehend this ancient, bloody conflict without being at least mildly drunk. :cool:
That's kind of why I stopped watching the show. I don't drink often and lately it's been impossible to watch sober. :D
Quote from: kosmos1214;907078Also isnt there also Anima beyond fantasy???
If i remember right isn't that another Japanese table talk rpg.
It's Spanish.
Quote from: AsenRG;907083It's Spanish.
Ahhh thank you.
Quote from: 3rik;907062Double Cross is fairly trad, isn't it? I mean, the only "indie" cred it possibly has would be because it's Japanese, not because of its "Indie"/Forgey/storygamey mechanics, right?
I guess it depends who you are talking to. The conspiracy theories can be pretty wild here :)
More seriously, it's use of Encroachment and Loises are mechanics that are not really trad, tying into the narrative and genre much like bennies or Fate points.
Quote from: kosmos1214;907078Yeah thats the one i found would have posted it but i wasn't at my own comp at the time thanks.
And yes they did translate the kantai collection rpg if you dont know what kantai collection is you can get the gist of it in this vidieo.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TKzdn6Wbqc
There's an abridged fan translation.
http://www.mediafire.com/download/xa8f21m778aru69/Kancolle+TRPG+Fantranslation.rar
It's hard to make heads or tails of how it's supposed to work.
Quote from: yosemitemike;907138There's an abridged fan translation.
http://www.mediafire.com/download/xa8f21m778aru69/Kancolle+TRPG+Fantranslation.rar
It's hard to make heads or tails of how it's supposed to work.
It reads more like a moderated naval wargame with some Warhammer Quest-esque random events between missions where "random stuff happens".
Quote from: Omega;907140It reads more like a moderated naval wargame with some Warhammer Quest-esque random events between missions where "random stuff happens".
It has this wargame like system with phases and missions but it also has tables for random stuff that happens during certain phases like the characters going fishing and having a love rivalry appear out of nowhere. I keep thinking I must not be getting it.
Quote from: yosemitemike;907153It has this wargame like system with phases and missions but it also has tables for random stuff that happens during certain phases like the characters going fishing and having a love rivalry appear out of nowhere. I keep thinking I must not be getting it.
Their other game is like that too. Massively random table driven. Which is how Warhammer Quest ran too. You had your dungeon delve and then weird things happened on the way to or from the site and then more in the town like suddenly deciding to adopt a puppy or being accused of a crime and run out of town or getting a tattoo. Mikiyu Kingdom has stuff like that too like suddenly feeling sympathy for the current dungeon boss which messes with combat. Or an item falls from the ceiling, or trouble in the camp.
Quote from: kosmos1214;906990you might look in to tokyo nova its a cool one.
Interesting take on cyber punk i think sadly out side of a few notes here and there no translation as far as i can tell.
Amusingly enough, the fan community translated (https://ontlogy.wordpress.com/2016/07/01/fantranslated-japanese-tabletop-rpgs-tokyo-nova/)
Tokyo Nova just a few days ago.
Quote from: Alzrius;907261Amusingly enough, the fan community translated (https://ontlogy.wordpress.com/2016/07/01/fantranslated-japanese-tabletop-rpgs-tokyo-nova/) Tokyo Nova just a few days ago.
Awesome. Tokyo Nova seems like a direct descendant of Double Cross as almost everything reads very similar in style and structure. I love how Japanese RPGs use narrative structural elements to help emulate a TV show feel to the game. The Axess Card system looks pretty cool :)
Quote from: Alzrius;907261Amusingly enough, the fan community translated (https://ontlogy.wordpress.com/2016/07/01/fantranslated-japanese-tabletop-rpgs-tokyo-nova/) Tokyo Nova just a few days ago.
Hooray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think all this clearly shows that at least over in Japan the RPGs have as broad a range as in the US. You have ones that are little more than board games, ones that are more traditional D&D-esque adventures, ones that are very focused on a theme Tri-Stat style, a few Gurps type universals and some stotygames. And just like in the US. Lots of weird hybrid experiments.