Some of my favorite characters were the most irritating people on the planet, and the most insane freaks to boot. I’ve screamed, referred to myself in the third person, and stole the show every session while playing these characters. Other players loved and hated me for it. I’m typically a fade-into-the-background kind of guy who hates talking to people he doesn’t know but secretly starves for the spotlight. I typically shrink away from center stage, except when I break out of my shell and play an obnoxious character.
Looking for game advice? Want to know our thoughts on something? Shoot us an e-mail at devteam@apathygames.com and it may become one the subject of our Dear Apathy column.
Dear Apathy Games,
Let’s say I’m an eager young man with a head full of ideas and a passion for game design. How do I join the ranks of the elite and start a game company? I have a list of things I know that I need including: Product, art, a website, a layout editor, a copy editor, a means of distribution, and capital, and it would be within the realm of possibility for me to find these things, but how do I combine all those elements to actually create a company?
Today, March 4th, is GM’s Day. Today, you’re supposed to get your GM a give in appreciation of the work put into running a game for a bunch of generally ungrateful time-leeches. The whole thing got started with a single ENWorld post, and had been continuing annually.
I’m currently without a game, so I have neither players or a GM. So, instead, I would like to give a gift to all of those new GMs that probably haven’t even heard of GM’s Day: advice.
Once per week we go behind the bar at Apathy Games and discuss gaming in more personal terms and ask you to respond. The best response will be featured the following week. Drink of the day: Rusty Nail As a gamer one of the things I have excelled at is throwing a wrench in the [...]
Each week we answer a question from our loyal audience. Our question for this week is:
Dear Apathy,
I really want to have an evil character, but every evil character I’ve played with was an utter dick. How can I be evil without succumbing to the worn out trope of stabbing my buddies and taking their loot?
–Yearning to Unleash my Inner Villain in New York, NY
A friend of mine this week was lamenting about another player that just couldn’t seem to let go of past characters. He wished she’d be able to let the past go and go on playing a new character.
In Sins of our Fathers I discussed the implications of our parents on our lives and specifically those on our characters. When the challenge to write, “Your mother is a whore” came it got me thinking about characters that come from the streets or from impoverished areas and how they might become adventurers.
The next time you are running a game, try changing things up a bit by starting the session during the action. I’ve found this works best when the enemy is clearly defined, and your group enjoys less-than-diplomatic solutions to conflict. The effect is jarring, sure, but it grabs your players’ attention and drags them into the action instantly.
Last week we told you what Savage Worlds is and why you should care. That’s all you really need, but in the spirit of making the game as approachable as possible, I wanted to share with you some advice on how to get started. Remember: Fast. Furious. Fun.