Why do we play rpgs? I mean theres tons of reasons and they'll be different for everyone, but it feels like theres some common core. So much that lots have tried to voice it (and left pictures), but I found a part recently that often gets left out.
This isn't quite the problem, but close.
And not only is it so much simpler if you could directly fix something, like kill the dragon terrorizing people or overthrow the evil king, but then you have the sense of achievement of having done something. Eternal vigilance may be more realistic or a fitting resolution for certain characters to end on, but there's something satisfying about "And they shall trouble your lands no more!"
Now, this isn't to say I only like hack and slash, or think campaigns should be that simple; to the contrary I really like mystery plots, where you have to piece things together and figure them out. If I had to pick the best source inspirational material for a campaign, right now I'd say Planetary hands down, but there even if the overarcing direction is unclear, there is stuff to do each issue, and behind it is eventually an opponent to "fight" ...rather than something like societal issues being behind the problem, or "the apathy of the common man".
There are of course MANY other reasons, like hanging out with friends and exploring characters/settings/ideas, too:
...on 4chan of all places. Yet another diamond in the shitpile. It was a thread about 3 wishes, but the genie was bored with wishes for "power in the most uncreative ways possible", more wishes, the best at X, etc., and wanted to be entertained. The question was what do you wish for to deal with those limitations?
One response was of course:
The interesting one though was:Problem solving at its best.
- Wish for her to be entertained by my wishes
- "I want huge amounts of power in the least creative ways possible"
- Wish for more wishes
I wish to be placed in a world that needs active, obvious heroes, rather than the subtle evils and horrible repercussions of my homeland, and to have all the knowledge of such a hero when I get there. if possible, I ask for her to stay with me, freed from the bottle, as my guide and possible ally.which really struck a cord with me, why I play, and particularly the types of characters and games I like to play. I mean it seems like allot of problems in the world are intwined in these complex systems, that are hard to grasp and require some kind of systemic change...
If this is impossible, she's clearly worthless, so I wish for her to be unable to get bored with granting wishes.
This isn't quite the problem, but close.
And not only is it so much simpler if you could directly fix something, like kill the dragon terrorizing people or overthrow the evil king, but then you have the sense of achievement of having done something. Eternal vigilance may be more realistic or a fitting resolution for certain characters to end on, but there's something satisfying about "And they shall trouble your lands no more!"
Now, this isn't to say I only like hack and slash, or think campaigns should be that simple; to the contrary I really like mystery plots, where you have to piece things together and figure them out. If I had to pick the best source inspirational material for a campaign, right now I'd say Planetary hands down, but there even if the overarcing direction is unclear, there is stuff to do each issue, and behind it is eventually an opponent to "fight" ...rather than something like societal issues being behind the problem, or "the apathy of the common man".
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