Rants/Raves
On September 11, 2000, I posted on this site my first impressions of D&D 3rd Edition. Now, 8 years and change later, I thought I would post my impressions of D&D 4th Edition. These are not first impressions, however; these are based on my having played the game for several months now. They may very well incite a riot. Line forms on the right.
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What I learned from falling in love with the game that everyone else hated: White Wolf's Hunter.
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Gaming is about many things. Some of us game for fun, some for the social aspect, some to win – but for most of us, it’s some combination of those interests that attracts us to gaming. So, for the moment, let’s look at a couple of games and consider strategy as a way to make games more fun for all the players. Let’s face it, it’s more fun if you’re not getting womped all the time and as we play across ages (generations in fact) in my game group, some level of strategy is important to keep the ‘tweens from feeling like there’s no point in playing if you’re not a grownup.
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Many role-playing games include a system meant to model the characters' moral compasses or beliefs (or lack thereof). But is such a mechanic really necessary in a roleplaying game? If so, what's the best way to implement it? I'll share my opinions on what works and what doesn't in my own gaming experiences; you can (and should!) do the same in the comments.
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A description of two characters from one of my past campaigns illustrates the topic of what it really means to depict and focus on both genders fairly and equally in your role-playing games. It also shows that if you're interested in making sure that your game gives equal time to men and women, doing so may be an easier task than you think.
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Recently, I've found myself in the unusual situation of being an experienced gamer with little experience in the game my primary group is playing - and that game happens to be D&D. Many gamers take D&D experience for granted in their new players, which can cause groups to run into trouble when that isn't the case for some players. These are a few of my experiences as a D&D newbie; knowing about them may help you when dealing with new players.
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Large molded and painted pieces dominate Lego sets of today. They look cool, but can rarely be used for anything other than their original design purpose. The same might be said of the design components of RPGs such as Dungeons & Dragons, which has evolved quite far from its roots. The following article is a critical examination of the loss of narrative interactions in tabletop role-playing, as exemplified by D&D.
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It's been more than five years since I last wrote about women in gaming. In that time, we've seen the end of the World of Darkness, yet another new edition of D&D, the advent of World of Warcraft, and (at least in my opinion) much greater involvement of women around the gaming table. When so much has changed for the better, is the topic of women in gaming even worth exploring anymore? At the very least, I have one new piece of advice for male gamers, and one new piece of advice for women in the hobby.
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A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, there lived a breed of online text-based game called a Multi-User Dungeon, or MUD. The MUDs thrived for a time, and then along came a beast called EverQuest, followed by its larger cousin, WOW. Together they killed the MUD forever. Or did they?
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In a world gone mad, one special child stands alone against the forces of darkness. They alone must wield the power of the sacred artifact to deliver the land from the power of the one true evil, before all the world is swallowed in war. This Christmas, take a journey into a magical land of wonder.
