Tabletop/Desktop RPGs

[Alorael at Large]

I've just returned from PAX East. It is, for the unfamiliar, a Mecca of games of all types. Videogames get the flashiest displays because of their massive budgets, but boardgames and tabletop roleplaying of all stripes are well represented in panels, floorspace, and enthusiasm. I was there mostly for the non-video games and had a great time seeing new games (and getting suckered into buying a few). Many are experiments to be launched upon my home table, of course, but I feel bad about keeping myself aloof from AIMHack (scheduling is tough!) and noted some that I think would make for good Spiderweb fare.

 

The first on the list is Microscope, which is more world-building exercise than game. There are no dice or other randomizing mechanics. There's no GM; there are different roles, but they are passed around the circle of players, and everyone uses the rules to create an imagined history with all its critical events, focusing in on whatever interests the players, down to roleplaying out the characters in critical scenes. Oh, and it's not necessarily done chronologically, so future events can be reinterpreted in the light of newly inserted pieces of history. It's practically made to be played by post with a little bit of Google Docs aid. It's $10 for the PDF, but I think it can be explained even if only one person has read it. It's a simple, clever idea. It would even work quite well done asynchronously, by post. Only the most zoomed-in level of play (scene) requires real interaction, and even then I think it can be reasonably handled in post form without bogging down terribly.

 

More than four players isn't recommended, but I think it would work if only four play at a time. It's not something I'd want to experiment with out of the gate. I'd rather have multiple three or four person worlds going simultaneously.

 

This is so rules-light that anyone can grasp it and play. All you need is an unfettered imagination (and tolerance for having the story you think you're telling destroyed by the history someone else inserts in it.) So, if you're interested in building up (and maybe tearing down) a world, I'm interested in giving it a shot!

 

—Alorael, who has log entertained thoughts about how the ritualized formalities of Polaris might play out in a text medium, He also now wants to try some Byzantine setup like having the players of Lacuna all in a room or over Skype while Control (the GM) is listening over Skype but only communicates in text. He's not sure whether the effect in alienation and isolation would be worth the logistics.

[Dintiradan]

I've read the Microscope rules, and would love to give it a shot one day. Another concept of Ben Robbins that would be neat to have here -- interest permitting -- is a Run Club. AIMhack campaigns are good if you have long-term committed players, but one-time events that you can do either in chat or here with drop-in players are good too.

 

Another game that seems designed for Google Docs is Fiasco. Again, could be done here or in chat, though Fiasco lends itself to scenarios that might violate the CoC. TableTop has a really good session on YouTube (

,

,

).

 

(Alternately, I could finish that story RP Nioca and I were working on...)

[Lauren CW]

My friend showed me those Fiasco videos a couple weeks ago, it looks like it would be a LOT of fun.