I've decided to list the established tabletop RPG systems in the order I was introduced to them. I met group who used the Generic Universal Role Play System (GURPS) in my first year of college. This was designed to be modified to fit any setting the group needed, and many fans had made expansion books to cover what the writers missed. It uses an odd system of dice rolling based around three 6-sided dice, rather than the 7-die set that Dungeons and Dragons made so iconic. All skills and abilities were purchased from the same point pool, and could be upgraded to have a better chance of working or a stronger effect. You truly could make characters of any strength, human to superhuman to god. Many stats were given for hundreds of weapons, armor and vehicle ranging from past to future.
As far as story telling was concerned, that was up to the group playing. Resources for settings and monsters were available, but most of the plot is left to the user.
Friday, January 30, 2015
Thursday, January 29, 2015
RPG Systems
I love role-playing games, and have played a bit in several systems over the years. Sometimes knowing something about the physics of your world can be a good place to start building. RPG systems cover some basic physics, assign a number value to national alignments, and tell you just how long a character could survive in the desert with no training or equipment. I'm going to cover some basic pros and cons of several established systems this week.
Most systems are combat oriented (telling how much damage you can do to the giant rat with your club), and that is what 90% of the rules will talk about. Now in between the numbers we can find tidbits of story, prices for goods that aren't common in our present day (how often do you buy a camel, three torches, a cart and 50 gallons of water?), and other items that may prove useful.
I hope the next few posts prove informative and not boring (which is why I'll be pushing them out much quicker than usual).
Most systems are combat oriented (telling how much damage you can do to the giant rat with your club), and that is what 90% of the rules will talk about. Now in between the numbers we can find tidbits of story, prices for goods that aren't common in our present day (how often do you buy a camel, three torches, a cart and 50 gallons of water?), and other items that may prove useful.
I hope the next few posts prove informative and not boring (which is why I'll be pushing them out much quicker than usual).
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Tools
No work can be done without the proper tools. Story building can be done with as little as pen and paper, or amassed in a database for many to draw from. Tools for record keeping and communication can be needed.
Portfolios, whether digital or physical, keep information about characters, cultures, countries and creatures gathered and organized. Pretty much any type of noun (people, places and things) you want to use can have a synopsis of its information kept in a portfolio. For a character, a name, description and background are needed amongst any special abilities, training or equipment they posses.
Email, cell phones and internet calling provide excellent communication for a group. Most can be used to talk to the entire group a once. A little work with Google Docs or a similar online storage service can provide automatically updated portfolios to your team.
Portfolios, whether digital or physical, keep information about characters, cultures, countries and creatures gathered and organized. Pretty much any type of noun (people, places and things) you want to use can have a synopsis of its information kept in a portfolio. For a character, a name, description and background are needed amongst any special abilities, training or equipment they posses.
Email, cell phones and internet calling provide excellent communication for a group. Most can be used to talk to the entire group a once. A little work with Google Docs or a similar online storage service can provide automatically updated portfolios to your team.
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Setting
This is about work area, not story setting (coming soon). It's important to have a consistent place to do your story building. Make sure you choose a place that's convenient for your group (if any) to meet, and have any necessary car pools arranged. Note that a physical place may not be the most convenient way to meet. There are many virtual meeting softwares available (e.g. Skype, Roll20). Online games may even provide you with an environment best for your group.
In a physical or virtual environment, clutter can distract from the process. Idle minds will wander, but a focus (an intentional distracting object relating to the topic) can turn that daydreaming into inspiration. Props or maps could do this trick for you. Keep a few things around the room that remind people of the story you're working on.
In a physical or virtual environment, clutter can distract from the process. Idle minds will wander, but a focus (an intentional distracting object relating to the topic) can turn that daydreaming into inspiration. Props or maps could do this trick for you. Keep a few things around the room that remind people of the story you're working on.
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