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Davenrell

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Lately the boards have slowed down due to one reason or another. In an effort to consolidate our players and maybe even rekindle a bit of interest I thought I would start up a discussion. As most of you know my self, mala, and carver all live in the same house, with Jas a hop, skip, and a 30 minute drive down the highway. This situation means I often get to hear their input on the kinda game they would like to play and what they are not currently getting from the games they are in. These discussions were what spawned my two games of Game of Thrones (which will resume and I hope soon.) and the WoD:Balance of Power (Which I doubt would resume but it is possible if enough people talked to me about it).

Now both of these games sputtered out, sadly, but it lead me to thinking. I have only gotten this type of input from three other people on the forums. What I want to see is people discussing the games they dream of playing in. Not just wanting to replay old characters but the settings or systems they long for, and most importantly of all the style. My hope is two fold on this. Those of us who like to run games will be better prepared for any games in the making to get a strong player base at the start, and so that through discussions those that are currently running games can point out if one of their games that the person is not in actually fits that interest and we can shore up the number of people in the current games on the board.

At the same time if you have friends that you have tried to get on to RPG-Post that have stated none of the current games interest them feel free to put up their wants and interest so maybe we can continue to get new blood in to things.

Now I will start things off. For running I would love to see AGoT kick off again and I think all the old players who are still around would be interested but I wouldn't mind seeing two or three new faces as well. I also have been thinking I wouldn't mind rolling up my sleeves and taking a shot at a Dark Heresy game which is set in the Warhammer 40k universe. Part of my thinking on Dark Heresy is it is greatly leaning on the environment and could be wonderfully interesting in a play by post style where you can really set the mood of a scene.

What would I like to play in? Well Justin already knows I am sitting on the sidelines drooling for the day he takes another shot at Bleach. I just love the culture of the setting too much. I would also love to play in a Cyberpunk game though I have never heard interest to Cyberpunk by anyone else around here. For style I am just craving the sort of mission style much like we currently get in DR and the stargate games but I usually abhor "super human" games of really any variety.

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It would be great if A-GOT started back up, though I should point out that both the character and the player (Darrik and I) each had their reasons for vacillating. Note, you'll have to PM me the old sheet, since I think I might have deleted it.

Bleach too, though I did accidentally delete the sheet there, which honestly is for the best if it comes to my remaking it. The character was fine, but Jierumi's powerset was all over the place and I want to make it fit more fluff-wise into the Bleach setting, having seen more videos and other information.

Those two would probably be for the best options, since otherwise, I'm getting full up.

Edit: Exalted is also good actually.

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Shadowrun, or similar cyberpunk. Doesn't have to have magic.

Near or not-so-near future "transhuman" setting...which would be kind of cyberpunk extrapolated out another 50 to 100 years. GURPS has an awesome setting book for this kind of game, and it's always fascinated me, conceptually.

Space opera. Any.

In general, my fantasy game itch is pretty scratched, as is my "superhero" itch.

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Life just got 'interesting' for me. I was promoted at work last week so when they move me into the new job in a couple weeks or so, I'll go from working 12 hour shifts and having 3 or 4 days a week off to having a pretty intense job that keeps me busy 5 days a week from 8-5. I'm pretty sure that's going to effect my posting and what I'm able to do here. I also am getting more serious about a writing project I've got going so that's going to be taking up more of my time as well.

I'm hoping none of that actually pulls me away from what I'm doing here, but it could.

Now having said that, I'll answer what I think is being asked...

Games that don't exist right now that I would be interested in:

OWoD vamp

A bad guy game of Aberrant starting at N-day in which the characters are free to use their new cosmic gifts to get their greed on. (not a four color setting - more like Jump)

Of course I'm always interested in hearing about new games being considered.

What keeps my interest in a game:

Pace of the posting. If it gets to be days in between posts I lose interest unless the concept of the game is very interesting, in which case I get frustrated.

What I like in a game:

I like to feel that the characters are making a difference plot-wise, that the game is 'going somewhere'.

I like to feel that the characters are accomplishing something, via both xp awards and personal character growth IC.

What I don't like in a game:

Slow posting pace

A game that bogs down and seems to drag on

A game in which nothing ever changes, ie what the characters do doesn't seem to matter in terms of the plot

Very irregular xp awards, ie many weeks or months between XP.

(I like best, games that award a set amount of xp at regular intervals with bonuses for achieving goals and good RP.)

What I feel is important for a successful game:

Good communication between the ST and the players so that the ST understands what the players see as 'fun' and where they see the character going. If you are playing in a game and the game is going off in one direction that is far different than what you thought you were signing up for... well, that's a recipe for fail.

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I must confess - after knowing some of the folks around here over the last 3 years (well, almost 3 years) I prefer a good ST over a good setting. The most awesome Game announcement/proposal can end in the gutter because it was proposed by someone who's no experience in PbP-Storytelling. I made quiet a few mistakes myself when I started running my own games around here and while I thought I had some good ideas and enough experience as ST on Tabletop games I had to learn very soon that running a PbP (and in a foreign language) is a different kind of beast. I'm still far from being good in my book.

Anyway - that aside - Settings I love - I'm pretty open for everything but had to find out that Anime/BESM is not my cup of tea. The same applies to Adventure abd Trinity.

WoD is another topic which very strongly depends on the ST and the players involved. IMHO WoD (or NWoD) requires a lot of work and writing skills (which I feel I lack). Although I'd love to play Lavinia again in BoP (or if necessary in a different setting/Background).

If I had more time I'd run a Shadowrun, a BSG (Battlestar Galactica) and a M&M 2e based Fantasy (High-Fantasy) game all at once but alas - I can't do that. Earthdawn is also awesome and it's the only game I still Tabletop here at home.

Aberrant always gets my attention but that also depends strongly on the setting (i. e. when and what) and type of game. Generally I don't like open games (those without STing or little STing and 'only' Moderation by a selected few).

So - that's my 2 cents.

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I am open to running Bleach again, but if I do it, it will be in a system (read BESM 3e) That I know very well and am much more comfortable playing in. If there's actually some interest in playing i'd be open to playing it.

Max you say space Opera, What are we talking about there? I tend to think of Space opera when I see Robotech, Starblazers, Captain Tylor, Glass Fleet, Starship Operators and the like (Yes they're all anime, that's predominantly what I watch.)

I would like to get into an actual Scion game, I love all the mythos, and Exalted, as i've kinda fallen in love with the system.

I'll be honest, a giant robot game would be awesome, One i don't have to run or do everything for being preferred obviously. I don't mind making stats for 1 or two things, but at the moment, designing everything is beyond my desires, unless people don't mind me ripping off things.

I'm kinda tapped out for superheroes, though a good fantasy game might catch my eye.

Generally it takes alot for any NWoD to catch my eye, I just dislike the system on the whole, and much of the canon.

I'll play in most anything run in BESM 3e, or Exalted.

I wouldn't mind a steampunk world, (anime reference Sakura Wars)

As far as giant robots go, I'd be more than happy with something along the lines of Big O, ore even the larger than normal battlesuits of Appleseed.

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WoD is another topic which very strongly depends on the ST and the players involved.

QFT.

WoD vamp is not about POWAH! so much as it is about power. Ie. political pull, contacts, allies, and personal ability. Some of the best games I've played in were very political/intrigue type games.

On the other hand, I've run a couple of diablerie games that were just all kinds of fun. (modified house rules allowing you to permanently keep the goodies you get from draining another vamp if they are lower gen than you, but at the risk of gaining undesirable traits of the victim as well.)

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What I want are good characters. That makes a game for me; sometimes, the best characters can overcome a bad ST (Mala and I have called it "having fun despite the ST"). When characters are magical and just click, its awesome.

An example (not to pick on Jim, but just because I think it shows the difference from my PoV) is TMNT and Indigo. In both cases, we had a good group, but for whatever reason, Isaac has clicked with the other PCs and myself so much better than Penny did. I don't think that makes either a bad character, but Isaac has been way more interesting to me because he fits. He fits the world, the game and the other PCs.

That's not something that you can plan for, really. You can see it; if I get a submission for a game of mine and I can't think of two to four plots to do with them by the end of the submission, it doesn't seem to jive well. Likewise, if a PC that I submit doesn't have the ST coming back to me with the words, "This will be fun and I can think of several things to do with it," then I feel I need to tweek things.

Dav was asking about genres and the like, so I'll throw out some I'd like to see: a Victorian era/1920's Call of Cthullu game or another high-horror game like that. I'd like to see a fantasy world (low or high) where the PCs' submissions build the world for the ST.

Hope that helps.

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More players.

More players.

Also, more players.

That said I agree with Carver about characters. I also agree with the correlation, sometimes a setting works, sometimes it doesn't despite every best effort. TMNT just didn't work, but the same general idea flipped 90º into Indigo seems to have caught on.

I'd like players who are more forthright with their STs. If you don't talk to us we won't know if you aren't engaged, having fun, or feeling like you make a difference. We need feedback to know that things are going poorly, and likewise feedback that you are enjoying things is good too; I can't imagine any ST dislikes being given props for their hard work.

Things I'd like less of:

2 line replies when not in combat - Its fine if you just type out a quick "Bob pummels the guy with punches" and the needed dice rolls for a combat post, it keeps things moving and allows for a little leeway when the dice don't work out for you. On the flip side outside of combat "Bob nods and follows" basically adds nothing to the story. Not only that but it doesn't inspire the GM or other players and makes it harder for them to reply. Sometimes less is more, but in PBP more is almost always more.

Jumping on the shiny new bandwagon at the expense of older games. I don't think I need to explain.

--

Edit: I'm not going to wax poetic about games I'd like to run or play, I'm having a hard enough time right now with the couple I have.

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Shamelessly stealin' Fox's format:

Games that don't exist right now that I would be interested in:

Fantasy, preferably low- to mid-. Adrian's Warhammer Fantasy game was ideal. cry At the time, I wasn't so 'in' to GoT, but having read the novels now I'd be willing to throw myself into it again.

Characters I'd be interested in revisiting:

This dude, naturally.

Diarmuir from the above-mentioned WHFRP game. He was a fun amoral bastard to play.

Ditto Clem Steiner from BoP.

What keeps my interest in a game:

Pace of the posting. I agree with Fox there. I understand naturally if people have RL intrude or if their mojo flags. It happens to me all the time. But as long as something is happening in the game that's moving things along I'm happy.

What I like in a game:

Interpersonal and personal character development.

To feel that my character is progressing in his IC goals and not being stifled.

What I don't like in a game:

Same as jim here: one- or two-line posts. Call me selfish, but it's irritating for me to put even a small amount of thought and care into writing a paragraph's worth of descriptive post only to receive a monosyllabic response.

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Justin, when I say space opera, I mean a spaceship and crew, either doing their own thing, or working for someone, traveling around the cosmos getting into and out of trouble. The classic RPG space opera is of course, Traveller. Cinematic examples would be Star Wars, Serenity, and similar.

Also, yes, Scion would be cool. Modern day interests me most.

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Games that don't exist right now that I would be interested in:

Fantasy. Pathfinder would be great.

Space Opera. Hands down Alternity is the best Space Opera game there ever was, I just wish people played it.

Shadowrun. Let's face it, it needs a home here.

Characters I'd be interested in revisiting:

Any character I have that's inactive... Swara, Primal, Ditto, Evana, Gabriel, Lucien... I can find a place for them in any game.

What keeps my interest in a game:

1. When I Feel I'm Writing a Story, Not Playing a Game. I want to read and feel what is going on in the worlds we create. Isn't that the reason we 'play' these games: to escape reality for just awhile and enjoy a world we created? I want to write a story with all of you, not sit about and reply to you as you regale me with how awesome you are and how the rest of us your supporting cast. I want there to be tension, friendship, love, romance, drama, spite... these are things that make a story worth reading and will draw us into wanting to see how it turns out. Any ST worth a damn will tell you that if you have your players engrossed in the story, the world, and in fear of possible outcomes before the dice have even entered the picture, then you've done your job. If I have to roll a dice to keep you interested... then I haven't done my job.

2. Pace of the posting. The pace should be smooth and people should be respectful of others' RL issues. One of my pet peeves is people making several posts ahead of someone while they were at work that day just because they couldn't wait.

What I like in a game:

1. Awesome Characters! I want to be able to enjoy my interactions with the PCs in the game. Some encounters have been nothing more than pissing contests with autistic Downs Syndrome patients. Some of us make some really kick ass PCs and put a lot of effort into them and it's sort of a slap in the face when we have to contend with PCs who were 'whipped up' at the last minute.

2. A Story That Promotes Character Growth. This ones for the STs, guys, please, give us something we can sink our teeth into. I want my PC to advance, not in levels... as a person (or mutant, or whatever the hell the PC is). Being a Level 5 Rogue doesn't mean dick to me, the stories that got me to Level 5 are what make the PC great.

What I don't like in a game:

1. One or Two Line Posts. I'll play Devil's Advocate on this one... sometimes they are necessary. Personally I've been there and I know that I can only describe something a certain way only so many times in the same scene or do something to help with a descriptive before it becomes repetitive. I will say though, some of you out there abuse this privilege.

2. Use Some Fucking Extras! It should not take us six weeks to kill six zombies. Please STs, hear my plea! The game is about US not the henchmen! Make it a challenge, but please FFS if the game is slowing down nudge it along by giving the players the advantage. If it's not a 'Boss Fight' then seriously... who cares?!? Sometimes the story must move on and the dice be put away.

3. Dick Waving. Seriously, this will seem childish, but I have to say it. No one gives a fuck that you were first to arrive. Activating all your powers/abilities/enhancements just because you can when there is really no reason for it is just stupid and irritating. No, you do not know everything that's going on, no you didn't solve anything before the ST finished explaining it, no you are not the awesomeest thing that has ever awesomed. Just because you have powers/abilities/enhancements doesn't mean you need to remind people in every post by reiterating how omni-cognizant you are.

P.S. And no one gives a fuck how ENGORGED your member is.

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For everybody that's wanting some form of fantasy game, while I think I would prefer to play, if I can get around 4 people interested, I would still be willing to run an ED game.

My idea would basically be a series of missions to drastically change the world. Missions would be about 70% combat, 20% detective/investigative, 10% political intrigue... ish (though in importance the latter two would be more important than the first one). Characters would start off with enough ranks to be somewhere around second circle.

Just putting it out there.

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Originally Posted By: Stargaizer
For everybody that's wanting some form of fantasy game, while I think I would prefer to play, if I can get around 4 people interested, I would still be willing to run an ED game.

I'd honestly prefer a home-brew - they're always more interesting than the canon worlds.
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A fantasy game would be cool, but so far I've not experienced one done well in the PBP format. I think it's easier in a Abby/Trinity/Adventure/WoD, etc because we all know what the world is like. You say New York City and we all have an idea what the setting is even if we haven't personally been there. But Fantasy worlds are different. You say the game is staring in the town of Such and such in the mountains of tall boulderiness and we have only a vague idea of what that setting is like. We picture a dark ages village in the mountains somewhere perhaps, but that's it. We don't know that the village is just up the road from Farmersville and that their biggest claim to fame is making goat cheese that doesn't taste vile.

What I'm trying to say is, that in order to do a fantasy world you have to heap on a crap ton of info on the players for the game to feel real. That's a tall job for an ST, and although I'd love to play in a good fantasy game, I'd want an ST that could make a hell of a commitment to details and description and background. But if anyone wanted to step up, I'd be interested in hearing it.

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It would be 1st Ed., the one published by FASA.

In setting, it would be similar to ItB, in that you know the history (the Scourge, Kaers, etc.), but once the PC's get into it, everything is up for grabs. The main focus on the game would be drastically changing the face of not only Barsaive but also the world; therefore, by definition, it would be homebrew... to an extent. (there would also be several rule changes, i.e. karma, thus also altering the basics)

I don't know how well I could meet your expectations Fox, but all that I can say is that if enough people are interested, I would give it my best. I have maps, all sorts of books, and I've been setting on this idea for a campaign for a while, so I can come up with details. Also, you would be starting off as just emerging from a Kaer, so your characters wouldn't know alot about the current world anyway. You could discover it together (in fact, that would be part of your main mission...).

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Originally Posted By: Dawn, OOC
I'd honestly prefer a home-brew - they're always more interesting than the canon worlds.

Generally ditto, that usually goes to all settings not just fantasy for me.

Originally Posted By: Mr Fox
What I'm trying to say is, that in order to do a fantasy world you have to heap on a crap ton of info on the players for the game to feel real. That's a tall job for an ST, and although I'd love to play in a good fantasy game, I'd want an ST that could make a hell of a commitment to details and description and background. But if anyone wanted to step up, I'd be interested in hearing it.

I think that something important to keep in mind for a GM is who the characters are and where they begin. Most "fantasy age" villagers are not going to know much beyond their village and perhaps a day or two beyond. Even traders and merchants are likely to hold to a strict looped route and know only a little outside of that. With careful planning the GM can make sure that his required flow of information to the players is a steady stream and not a tidal wave followed by a trickle.

Of course you could also emulate the great 80's Dungeons & Dragons cartoon ... laugh
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Isn't the entire setup of Earthdawn basically a homebrewn setting? You're given a basic map and a historical background with political factions and when the PCs start things are practically new, since the Scourge has changed the face of the known world beyond recognition. It's up to the ST to fill that with life and mystery.

I never thought of ED as being something that is entirely set in stone. You can make use of settlements but place them somewhere entirely differently on the map. You can decide where Kaers were built, which have survived the Scourge, which have failed, etc...

Anyway - I'd give it a shot, if you want to run an ED game. Most likely an Elven Warrior or Archer.

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Joani, all fantasy games are like that. But when I say "home-brew" I mean that it hasn't been released by a company as part of a setting or system. The way I set up a homebrew is start with a map and general idea of the world. Then I see what the players want to play. For example, you say you'd do an Elven Archer, and I'd ask you to create some of that culture - appearance, customs, etc - then I'd look at my setting notes. You want to be part of an isolated elven city, so I find a spot that looks good and fill in the details. I tell you what I have and we agree on the culture together. By the time you're done, the PC's fit the world, far better than taking a character idea and crunching it into whatever setting the ST decided he liked.

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Even that is possible within the ED setting. Only a very few things are "set". everything else can be made up from scratch. It is even encouraged to create your own subcultures which have splintered off during the scourge. It is one of the reasons I love ED so much because you can make it so, if you want to and have a ST who is willing to do exactly what you are describing.

But aside from that - creating something completely from zero is a very good approach but I'd say it would take several weeks, or even months before you can start playing. If people are willing to put so much effort into it, the better. I'd love to be part of such a project.

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It's not that hard. The players and you don't have to write books. Of course, I might be biased since I create that kind of background for most of my PCs. But even then, I'd allow a player to say, "I just want a generic wood elf culture and background," and I'll say, "Ok, then here's what your woods are called and here are a few details on your tribe and what your knowledge of the world is."

ED still defines the world, from what I know. IIRC, it is post-apololytic. Which is fine, but what if that's not the background you want for your PC? You're still stuck with it having to wedge the character into place.

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Originally Posted By: Joani
But aside from that - creating something completely from zero is a very good approach but I'd say it would take several weeks, or even months before you can start playing. If people are willing to put so much effort into it, the better. I'd love to be part of such a project.


Well, that is one good way to weed out the "fair weather fans" who will join up and then drop a game within the first month of play. If somebody is dedicated enough to stick with world gen for a couple of months they are probably invested enough to stick with the game for the long haul.
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Shoot, the ED setting concentrates so much into one area of the world, there is no reason one can't do something in a completely different area. But I'd be interested in something taking place there, but then there are a lot of games and game settings I like.

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The way I have done my D&D games in the past, the way I would do it if I were to do one here (which I am not terribly interested in doing at this time) has been to ask each player to choose an alignment, and create a god. 40+ levels, go nuts. Then we roleplay at least a couple of sessions of the interactions of the gods. The creation of the world, the introduction of the races, the ancient days. You know.

Once I feel like we've done enough there, I have them each take a kingdom. We do much the same thing for a couple or three sessions, covering about 500-1000 years of wars and peace, migration and genocide. Keep in mind that the players are moving races around like they would walk down the street in a regular game. ("Ok, well if you are annexing the outer forest, then my elves are going to withdraw to the Deep Drith. Good luck with your expansion against us, the fey AND the Treants, bitch.") Hundreds of years can pass in a single session.

Then I usually let whoever played the evil gods work up some massive thing. They pull off their whatever before the good gods are aware, creating a huge Ohnoes! for the world.

At this point, I have them create their characters. Level 1. We start somewhere they are fairly familiar with, about 300 years after we left off with the kingdoms. This way, they start out knowing a ton about the world, and grudges between races, and even some of the relics that are kicking around. The other upside is that I have such a wealth of information to start with, but I can tweak or change, or meddle in that as much or little as I wish. (I love the look on their faces when I have a sage present the history of something in a way that they KNOW is not right, but IC they have to just go with it. Priceless.) In this way, it is much like ItB. All the history, but I get to put my own spin on it.

Anyway, that has been successful for me in the past.

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Dittos on the above comments. Titan, if you ever decide to do that give me a shout.

The custom fantasy world that I have was created by my best friend and I growing up. We spent a good 5 or 6 years on that world fleshing it out, taking turns as ST. We also worked out the history of the world in a way very similar to what Titan describes. The result is a very fleshed out fantasy world that feel real. And because we have so much history and detail it is easy to throw in tons of descriptive and info for the players.

Although, as Dawn said and Titan described, the best way for a new group is to create the world together. That way everyone has a great sense of the world their character is living in, or at least their piece of it.

I would be up for joining a game that was created in that way and fine if it took three months before the game actually started. World building is a ton of fun all by itself even aside from getting to play in the world.

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So that's all of 2 people (Joani and SM) who are pro ED... guess that's why we don't already have a game going.

(Unless Krul would be interested, it was hard to gauge from your post, if so, that would make 3, which would be enough for a game, and only one down from optimum.)

Oh, and what everyone else said, great idea Titan, as always.

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I would do ED actually, though I don't have the books at this time, I love the setting (though I love Shadowrun more, I made my attempt at running it, and it fell though here.) I'm hoping for good things when Equinox [8th Age] comes out too.

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Hi! I've been looking for a thread to stop lurking in, and this one looks pretty good.

IMHO, Titan's way of building a world seems to be the best one for me. When I've been Story Teller, I've tended to informally do that with my players, and the better Story Tellers I've had have tended to do that with me. Those have also been the stories with the best characters and plot developments, and the least pre-published bits in it.

FWIW, I haven't played ED or read the rules, but IIRC, it's like Shadowrun in the ancient past, and without the tech? I'd totally be down for that as a premise for the setting. I'd also be totally down with world-building. Especially if it continued to get built on the side as we started playing in a small section of it.

Cheers!

-Kael

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Thanks, Star, for bringing this thread to my attention.

I love games that are character-driven and characters that have complexity—by which I do not mean having a trench coat AND a gun. In particular, I like seeing how my characters respond to adversity. I like to be challenged by my fellow PCs and STs (or GMs).

I would really like to see something like DR (or really anything) run with GURPS. My favorite genres are post-apocalyptic and cyberpunk, but I’m perfectly happy with dark fantasy games, superhero games, pretty much anything setting-wise. Please count me among those interested in playing an Earthdawn game because...Windling. But more than anything else, I crave a good Shadowrun game, where magic isn’t run of the mill and is still awesome and scary and there’s lots of hard drugs and hard sex and hard music and hard boiled hard knocks...and no furries (and no, I do not have an erection right now). If someone ever gets around to doing a Runaways type supers game, please count me in for that as well.

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