One for you gamers out there

[uberreiniger]

I would like to share a funny cycle I've seen happen more than once.

Day 1
Me: I'm thinking about running a d20 game. You guys want to play?
Players: Aw, not d20! I HATE d20! It's so lame/stupid/badly designed/for munchkins who don't know how to roleplay. Alright fine, I guess I'll do it if it's that or no game at all.

Day 2
Me: Have you thought about what you might want to play, or if you want to play?
Players: Yeah, man! I'd really like to play a ranger and then pick up the Mercenary Ranger prestige class later on! Those guys are SOOO awesome at XX level once you get the Feat that lets you do YY! Or maybe I'd like to be a Bear Rider! Do Dire Bears exist in your game world? But there's also this sorcerer/monk idea I've had for a sooo long! Oooh, I just can't decide!!! Are we gonna be starting pretty soon? Let's all get together and discuss what characters will suit the party best!

I just have to shake my head at the so-called d20 haters. You guys are like Dracula... you always come back. It's sort of like watching a kid get a box of Tinker Toys as a Christmas present. "Aw man, buncha dumb stupid sticks!" Only you come back a few hours later to find them running amok with a mad glint in their eye as they zealously construct a to-scale working wooden model of the Death Star in your living room.

Comments

[stitchedsutures.livejournal.com]

haha... very right:) that, and i think people just long for something to bitch and moan about. its the way we work. And i'd gleefully play any D20 game you started up. hell.. i'd play anything at this point. even tinkertoys.

[donkeyjon.livejournal.com]

Yes, but you forgot stage 3 and 4 of the cycle:

stage 3: 5-6 weeks into the campaign, someone has to miss because of vacation. Someone else ends up sick, so you have to cancel the session. The next week, someone has too much homework/work to do, and has to skip. About three weeks later, you can't get 4 people together to play if you threaten physical harm. By week 10, the campaign is over because people get too busy.

stage 4: After about 3 weeks of downtime, people start complaining that they want to game again. They start talking about past campaigns they had that were just great. Eventually, someone decides to run a game. Return to stage 1.

Honestly, I haven't had a campaign end on its own in well over a decade. They ALWAYS fall apart due to absenteeism.

[skynock.livejournal.com]

I am proud to say I managed to run an L5R run for over a year, and I got to end it how I planned. I've also been lucky to be in a DnD run that has gone now for over a year and a half :D

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[damonite.livejournal.com]

You know, has anyone ever informed these people it's a role playing game? Even with a crappy system, good players can keep it from becoming crap. I've never had problems even with the occasional munchkin. Funny thing about literal role playing is it doesn't really involve dice. ;) Then again I play mages and clerics, so even when it comes to combat I'm more caught up trying to be smooth than bash skulls. Sometimes you just have to whack them in the head with a mace.

Oh, and this prestige class thing. Cool? Yes. Played them? Yes. Still prefer straight classing or multiclassing? Yes. Why? Role playing makes better prestige classes.

[donkeyjon.livejournal.com]

Lucky! I think all of my gamers just grew up, got jobs, and found they no longer had time to game. Unfortunately, they refuse to give it up completely.

[skynock.livejournal.com]

nah my players are or rather were all very devoted, those that were not found their characters brutally murdered over the week.

[etan.livejournal.com]

Hey, I'll admit, I like d20. It's not my favorite system--White Wolf is--but it works. I used to be an AD&D hater, but 3rd edition converted me. I'm really happy with the direction WotC has taken D&D and the way they've universalized the d20 system.

Granted, I don't exactly play very much anymore. I miss it, tho. Nothin like a good spot of gaming to stretch the imagination.

[uberreiniger.livejournal.com]

Gald I'm not the only one. I've actually had one I was in end on its own. A couple Adam has run have (I can count on one hand.) Jim's Rift's game where I first met you all ended, although in an abridged form. I guess all total I'm very lucky.

Re: -

[uberreiniger.livejournal.com]

I wholeheartedly concur. Any character is its own prestige class waiting to happen if you're doin' it with style. I'm proud to say I've been blessed with many excellent role players in my career. Whole game sessions w/o a single dice roll have not been uncommon for me. The drawback is good players are usually the ones who experience the d20 snobbery. But like I said, they know they love it. They know they want it.

I wish sex was like d20 and my players were all beautiful women.

[uberreiniger.livejournal.com]

Growing up and getting a job. Hmm... I might have to try that sometime. :D

[uberreiniger.livejournal.com]

*wipes off vorpal blade* That reminds me, you owe me 6000 GP for the female half-orc cleric. She was tough. I got a little worried when she started flinging the Inflict spells. Don't worry about the gnome bard, though. Them, I always do for free.

[uberreiniger.livejournal.com]

I've always admired White Wolf for being the best game system out there for making yourself as a player character. It's got the best stuff for approximating real life skill, abilities and personal information. I keep trying to design my own game system, but can't think of any way to do it without either ripping off White Wolf or d10 L5R because everything I can think of to do they've already done.

[uberreiniger.livejournal.com]

Well, in the undesireable (for you) event that you should find yourself living in Kansas City again, rest assured that there will always be a place for you at my gaming table. Praise God and pass the ammunition!