Let's say that you wanted to take someone and make them into an "Elite" RPG PLAYER. You had a semester (four months), to give them a grueling period of training to make them into the best player possible.  What 4 RPGs would you use as your "elite training" RPGs to create the best players, in terms of being competent, with skills at character interpretation, capability with systems, but NOT to produce min-maxers or powergamers or character-builders or that sort of thing?

RPGPundit

Who wants elite roleplayers?

I just want people who contribute to the fun of the group.

I can concur.

Who wants elite roleplayers?  I just want good times with good games and people that if they aren't pals when the game begins, by the end of the adventure module/campaign they are.

Quote from: Captain Rufus;289324I can concur.

Who wants elite roleplayers?  I just want good times with good games and people that if they aren't pals when the game begins, by the end of the adventure module/campaign they are.

In my experience, elite players usually can't manage a simple dungeon because their characters wouldn't know to bring rope. Elite gamers are better off with diceless, story driven drivel.

Quote from: RPGPundit;289317Let's say that you wanted to take someone and make them into an "Elite" RPG PLAYER. You had a semester (four months), to give them a grueling period of training to make them into the best player possible.  What 4 RPGs would you use as your "elite training" RPGs to create the best players, in terms of being competent, with skills at character interpretation, capability with systems, but NOT to produce min-maxers or powergamers or character-builders or that sort of thing?

I'm not sure if the qualities that make someone fun to roleplay with (in terms of "character interpretation") are things that I can teach.  They might be teachable: I'm just not sure if I can teach them.  So instead of training the same group of people, instead I'd spend the semester in a filtering process, playing with a wide variety of people, and finding out which of them I would most like to play with more in the future.

As far as system capability goes, I would simply advocate learning-by-doing: playing games.  If they don't know how to do something, they look it up and do it.  Doing things for them just promotes learned helplessness.

These guys look like regular rpg characters. Maybe the Pundit is slyly referencing this film:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy07EdScQSo&feature=related

Regards,
David R

Quote from: Kyle Aaron;289321Who wants elite roleplayers?

I just want people who contribute to the fun of the group.

See I would have said that an Elite Roleplayer is just this. Given that supposition I would have then say that in four months I would get them to play as many types of games as possible with many different personalities as possible.

i.e. Teach them to be friendly people able to play any game/style and/or genre with equal fervour and equanimity.

Quote from: David R;289330These guys look like regular rpg characters. Maybe the Pundit is slyly referencing this film:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy07EdScQSo&feature=related

Regards,
David R

Thanks!  I added it to my Netflix queue.

Quote from: tellius;289331See I would have said that an Elite Roleplayer is just this.

I distinguish between a good/bad player, and a good/bad roleplayer.

A good roleplayer portrays their character in an evocative, believable and interesting way. A good player contributes to the fun of the group.

The two don't necessarily overlap, and the things Pundit listed were more about being a good roleplayer than being a good player.

Quote from: Kyle Aaron;289334A good roleplayer portrays their character in an evocative, believable and interesting way. A good player contributes to the fun of the group.

The two don't necessarily overlap....

I see your point and I largely agree.

But, in reference to Pundy's requirements (from the way I read it at least), the Elite RPG Player was to be cognizant of rules and capabilities but avoid the traps of power gaming. To me the point where they both overlap is the sweet spot.. after all if you are only good at being a player or vice versa just good at being a roleplayer you aren't Elite.

If you are a good player, you will avoid the min-maxing problem, if you are good roleplayer you will be able to capably fill any role in a group that is required and do it with panache.

Ok, I have no idea about all this "elite" stuff....sounds Swine-ish to me, but the 4 games I would use to make a player....I suppose this means a new player....fit in well with my crew and our playstyle is as follows:

Over the Edge or Whispering Vault - Mostly for character concept building. The brief and simple rules help.

D&D 3E - To familirize the player with crunch. Sometimes we play games with a lot of crunch. To me 3E strikes the right balance. I'd also use a setting like Spelljammer, so he/she would know that weird fantasy/SF is the kind of stuff we are into...ok well I'm into.

In Harms Way - A good example of how setting, theme and mechanics mesh to form a complete whole. The History aspect is a bonus, because we are into that kind of thing, now.

Blue Planet - Ok this is more for the fact that it's crunchy and the kind of SF we enjoy.

So there. Nothing to do with the OP at all. I'm in a derailing kind of mood. I regret nothin'.

(What the hell has gotten' into me....)

Regards,
David R

Dudes, you guys are reading way too much into this; it was meant to be a silly way of asking "What four games make kickass good RPG players"?

RPGPundit

Also, damn, Sam Peckinpah RULES.  I bet "Vice President in Charge of DEATH" would be a sweet job.

RPGPundit

GURPS, Fate, Capes, and Dread.

For my purposes:

InSpectres
Dogs in the Vineyard
HeroQuest (Gloranthan background)
Pendragon

If they can handle all those, they can handle anything I'd throw at them.