Comments on: Defining Who We Are http://www.apathygames.com/2010/01/01/defining-who-we-are/ Zero Compromise Roleplaying Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:37:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Spyder Z http://www.apathygames.com/2010/01/01/defining-who-we-are/comment-page-1/#comment-676 Spyder Z Sat, 23 Jan 2010 01:19:14 +0000 http://www.apathygames.com/?p=481#comment-676 Yeah, it's meant to catch them off guard. Role playing is an easy concept to catch onto once you see how it's done. By coming up with a scene and getting them to respond to it (An Exaggerated "What if" series of questions basically) I eliminate most of the "How does it work" questions. I do like your metaphor, as it's understandable to a wider audience. I was just paraphrasing what I've said in the past. ;P Yeah, it's meant to catch them off guard. Role playing is an easy concept to catch onto once you see how it's done. By coming up with a scene and getting them to respond to it (An Exaggerated “What if” series of questions basically) I eliminate most of the “How does it work” questions. I do like your metaphor, as it's understandable to a wider audience. I was just paraphrasing what I've said in the past. ;P

]]> By: Spyder Z http://www.apathygames.com/2010/01/01/defining-who-we-are/comment-page-1/#comment-259 Spyder Z Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:19:14 +0000 http://www.apathygames.com/?p=481#comment-259 Yeah, it's meant to catch them off guard. Role playing is an easy concept to catch onto once you see how it's done. By coming up with a scene and getting them to respond to it (An Exaggerated "What if" series of questions basically) I eliminate most of the "How does it work" questions. I do like your metaphor, as it's understandable to a wider audience. I was just paraphrasing what I've said in the past. ;P Yeah, it's meant to catch them off guard. Role playing is an easy concept to catch onto once you see how it's done. By coming up with a scene and getting them to respond to it (An Exaggerated “What if” series of questions basically) I eliminate most of the “How does it work” questions. I do like your metaphor, as it's understandable to a wider audience. I was just paraphrasing what I've said in the past. ;P

]]> By: Tyson J. Hayes http://www.apathygames.com/2010/01/01/defining-who-we-are/comment-page-1/#comment-254 Tyson J. Hayes Thu, 21 Jan 2010 22:11:53 +0000 http://www.apathygames.com/?p=481#comment-254 Personally I find your explanation a bit confusing and although I would eventually catch on something like the metaphor I used for me at least would have been more useful. If you were to begin some kind of roleplaying without telling me I'd be a bit befuddled as to what you were doing. Personally I find your explanation a bit confusing and although I would eventually catch on something like the metaphor I used for me at least would have been more useful. If you were to begin some kind of roleplaying without telling me I'd be a bit befuddled as to what you were doing.

]]> By: Spyder Z http://www.apathygames.com/2010/01/01/defining-who-we-are/comment-page-1/#comment-248 Spyder Z Thu, 21 Jan 2010 05:29:20 +0000 http://www.apathygames.com/?p=481#comment-248 When asked what my game is like I tend to describe a situation to them. "Okay, so you're at work, the time clock has been bumped up 10 minutes, so you clock in a few minutes late. The Boss comes out and starts freaking out on you for being late. How would you react to that?" (Though of course the "Situation" would be far more tuned to the individual. :P ) They give me some kind of answer, or ask questions about the situation, at which point I continue on with the "Scene" until they catch on to what I'm doing or I've gone far enough to use the conversation we just had to explain it. ;P<br> After that I explain that there is a "System" built around that, and answer any other questions they may have. On rare occasion there are people who don't "Fall in" to that. For them I say something along the lines of, <br><br> "You've got someone who's in charge of the game, and everyone else is in charge of one character in the game. The person in charge tells a story, he is in charge of the world, and all the characters in it. Each player builds a single character which tells them what they can and cannot do. The players then dictate their characters reactions to that story within the bounds of their characters abilities."<br><br> I don't believe I've ever run into anyone who just "Didn't understand it". I've talked to many who "Didn't get it", but they at least understood how it was supposed to work. (As a side note, I've picked up several new role players while explaining to them how the game works via method 1. ;P ) When asked what my game is like I tend to describe a situation to them. “Okay, so you're at work, the time clock has been bumped up 10 minutes, so you clock in a few minutes late. The Boss comes out and starts freaking out on you for being late. How would you react to that?” (Though of course the “Situation” would be far more tuned to the individual. :P ) They give me some kind of answer, or ask questions about the situation, at which point I continue on with the “Scene” until they catch on to what I'm doing or I've gone far enough to use the conversation we just had to explain it. ;P
After that I explain that there is a “System” built around that, and answer any other questions they may have. On rare occasion there are people who don't “Fall in” to that. For them I say something along the lines of,

“You've got someone who's in charge of the game, and everyone else is in charge of one character in the game. The person in charge tells a story, he is in charge of the world, and all the characters in it. Each player builds a single character which tells them what they can and cannot do. The players then dictate their characters reactions to that story within the bounds of their characters abilities.”

I don't believe I've ever run into anyone who just “Didn't understand it”. I've talked to many who “Didn't get it”, but they at least understood how it was supposed to work. (As a side note, I've picked up several new role players while explaining to them how the game works via method 1. ;P )

]]> By: Jeff Carlsen http://www.apathygames.com/2010/01/01/defining-who-we-are/comment-page-1/#comment-212 Jeff Carlsen Tue, 05 Jan 2010 03:27:30 +0000 http://www.apathygames.com/?p=481#comment-212 You should have brought your dice with you. Pull out an old Scrabble board to be used as a battle map (tokens included) and send them on a Savage dungeon crawl. If that doesn't do it, change the dungeon trappings to a Black Friday sale and the dragon at the end to Big Bertha, the 400 pound mediaphile who is guarding the last 60" plasma. You should have brought your dice with you. Pull out an old Scrabble board to be used as a battle map (tokens included) and send them on a Savage dungeon crawl. If that doesn't do it, change the dungeon trappings to a Black Friday sale and the dragon at the end to Big Bertha, the 400 pound mediaphile who is guarding the last 60″ plasma.

]]> By: Hillary Crenshaw http://www.apathygames.com/2010/01/01/defining-who-we-are/comment-page-1/#comment-208 Hillary Crenshaw Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:33:10 +0000 http://www.apathygames.com/?p=481#comment-208 I'm just giving you a hard time. "Playing make believe" is probably a better description than the ones I've come up. I gave Tyson's improv analogy a try and I definitely made better progress. It's rather depressing to realize that I'm the only nerd in my family. I'm just giving you a hard time. “Playing make believe” is probably a better description than the ones I've come up. I gave Tyson's improv analogy a try and I definitely made better progress. It's rather depressing to realize that I'm the only nerd in my family.

]]> By: Jeff Carlsen http://www.apathygames.com/2010/01/01/defining-who-we-are/comment-page-1/#comment-207 Jeff Carlsen Sun, 03 Jan 2010 17:17:31 +0000 http://www.apathygames.com/?p=481#comment-207 I tend to get a decent response, but It's not like I leave it at that. I tend to mention that it's really just a social experience where you actually do something together.<br><br>Maybe I should add that you don't have to make small talk when you're busy trying to not be eaten by a dragon. I tend to get a decent response, but It's not like I leave it at that. I tend to mention that it's really just a social experience where you actually do something together.

Maybe I should add that you don't have to make small talk when you're busy trying to not be eaten by a dragon.

]]> By: Hillary Crenshaw http://www.apathygames.com/2010/01/01/defining-who-we-are/comment-page-1/#comment-206 Hillary Crenshaw Sun, 03 Jan 2010 04:38:14 +0000 http://www.apathygames.com/?p=481#comment-206 What kind of reaction does that receive? You make it sound like something that belongs on Sesame Street :P What kind of reaction does that receive? You make it sound like something that belongs on Sesame Street :P

]]> By: Trillinon http://www.apathygames.com/2010/01/01/defining-who-we-are/comment-page-1/#comment-205 Trillinon Sun, 03 Jan 2010 00:19:08 +0000 http://www.apathygames.com/?p=481#comment-205 I always describe it as playing "make-believe" with more rules. I always describe it as playing “make-believe” with more rules.

]]> By: Tyson J. Hayes http://www.apathygames.com/2010/01/01/defining-who-we-are/comment-page-1/#comment-202 Tyson J. Hayes Sat, 02 Jan 2010 17:10:19 +0000 http://www.apathygames.com/?p=481#comment-202 As successful as I could hope to be, as they've never played the games I think they understood, but not in a deep way that I would have hopped to communicate. I think it's the problem of any industry and any specific job, unless you do it no one really understands what it is. As successful as I could hope to be, as they've never played the games I think they understood, but not in a deep way that I would have hopped to communicate. I think it's the problem of any industry and any specific job, unless you do it no one really understands what it is.

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