[MUD-Dev] Tabletop RPGs and Inspiration (was: no subject)

[Matt Chatterley]

On Fri, 16 Nov 2001, Brian 'Psychochild' Green wrote:
> "Koster, Raph" wrote:

>> Is it just me, or is tabletop RPGing basically dead? A corpse
>> shambling along without any significant audience growth in a
>> decade, low revenues (does an AD&D CRPG make more than the AD&D
>> books do? I have no idea, but it wouldn't surprise me), and a
>> terminally geeky image, and what's worse carried in part by
>> another industry that is also teetering on bankruptcy, the comic
>> shop.

> One of the problems with tabletop RPGs is that they're a
> self-defeating market. You need a good imagination to play RPGs in
> the first place.  If I have such an imagination, why do I have to
> buy the newest book filled with foozles, or even the next version
> of the game?  For example, I have lots of 2nd edition D&D books,
> why should I fork out more money for 3rd edition books when I can
> use 90% of my 2nd edition stuff with little effort?

Mind you, I did recently spend a small fortune on a set of 3rd ed
books to replace my (very old, original, pre-the-blummin-A) D&D
boxed sets. That, and they make neat background material for writing
short stories, and provide inspiration for all sorts of
gaming. Particularly some of the Planescape stuff, and the FR
setting.

That, and I've been trying (and failing due to time problems) to run
an online campaign. Some people probably would buy each new revision
('rich kids' syndrome?), but I suspect a lot of people will do what
I do -- update every now and then, when you're waaaa-aaay behind.

> Anyway, that industry has changed to adapt.  Tabletop RPGs gave
> way to collectable card games (CCGs) just as wargames gave way to
> the RPGs.  (I believe the more modern name for CCGs is now
> "trading card games", or TCGs.)  CCGs basically addressed what
> people wanted; a quick game with interesting rules, yet something
> that could spark their imagination. Games like Magic: The
> Gathering had much of the depth of a fleshed out RPG world.

Hmm. CCGs never really caught my interest. Although fun, they don't
seem to have much staying power -- but then, it was the immersive
elements which attracted me to gaming in the first place.

[Snip]

> Referring to the original post, however, I think that trying to
> make an online version of the table RPG experience is just silly.
> Most of us have as vivid memories of the people and places we
> played as in the games themselves.  While I certainly loved my
> dwarven berzerker in the campaign I played in college, I also
> remember the hyperactive red-headed GM that loved warm, flat
> Mountain Dew walking along the tables in the college common room.
> (I kid you not!)  You lose almost all of this other sensory input
> when you move it to the online medium.  The lesson here is: do
> your game in the right medium.

Aye. That said, I ran some RPG sessions very successfully using a
PennMUSH server as the forum (with a few HTML based resources
instead of 'handouts'). You lose out on a lot of the social aspects,
though.


[Snippage]

--Matt (from his somewhat hibernative state)

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