Simlasa

On 3/16/2020 at 1:51 PM, tooley1chris said:

But it could be an upstart rival or even a group of current members specializing 

That works fine. I'd assumed they were part of a guild.

OK, I'll have to think of something else... like maybe a gang of burglars, known for daring robberies?

Is the town big enough to support a theater, with an attendant troupe of players and hangers on?

1 hour ago, Vile said:

But, in reply to the OP, would you say that cults are an essential part of a MW setting? I would argue they are not.

No... but like I said, I'm not sure I think any element is 'essential'.
I am drawn to the 'cult' setup for various factions in BRP games... regardless of what they're called in the setting.

51 minutes ago, Rich Tom said:

I like the idea of guilds and factions but let's not have cults. There is another very popular Chaosium Bronze age game, just full of cults, (it's also very good), so if we want them we can just play that game instead.

I'm fine with including cults as well. They're just the factions that focus on religion... not the invention or sole territory of any particular game/setting.

20 minutes ago, g33k said:

Fair enough!

But HAVE you ever gone to a 'Con or a "game day" event (such as "Free RPG Day"), where GM's were running for whoever registered, whoever showed up, etc...?

I've played in stores where it was open table... and while it can be fun, it wasn't the same as a consistent table full of friends with a shared game history.

I'm not saying it would be an awful experience, but it's not quite the same... and for my taste, and reasons for playing, it's a lesser choice. Just like playing online games can be fun, but never quite measure up to face-to-face games.

I don't agree with the notion that because 'there have always been payed entertainers' that this is somehow the same thing. Players in a game have a given and take with the GM, much moreso than any audience at a play... or a DJ at a wedding. Maybe it's a modern notion that I haven't connected with... but I don't look to the GM to entertain me during a game, no more than the other Players. When I GM I do NOT think of myself as an 'entertainer' either... or at least no more so than I do when I'm playing.

Maybe I'm just annoyed at people trying to monetize every fucking thing they get involved with...

I'm not sure I think anything is 'essential'... but the settings I want to aim Magic World at seem to share certain features:

1. A magical world with generally mundane people. Kind of like how, in fairy tales, there is a feeling that the world is highly magical... but you don't see wizards throwing fireballs, or streets lit by magical gems, or floating cities (unless built by supernatural beings). No 'magic shops' selling real magic, but a virtuous princess might matter-of-factly bestow a charmed ring on a worthy servant.

2. Dangerous combat... if only to encourage characters to seek out more interesting solutions. Running away from things is often the wisest option.

3. Nature is dangerous... weather, wolves, bears, disease. Stick to the road, stay out of the wild forest. No need for a troll when a bear will do just fine.

4. A general level of beauty, even in the scary bits. For whatever reason, a lot of my mental pictures for Magic World come from old Disney movies... how pretty they can be, even when showing scary witches and mountainous demons waking up. Another visual reference for me is World of Warcraft... at least its earlier incarnation, it had a 'cartoony' aspect... very pretty in places, but even the most evil/dangerous places had visual appeal. It ties back to wanting a 'magical world', and that magic comes through to the senses of the characters.

5. Governments, religions, guilds, families... all vying for a character's loyalties. Reputations and oaths being very important.

On 3/1/2020 at 9:02 PM, Atgxtg said:

I empathize with your position, but that pretty much applies to everything that people do for money. The gas station attendant, the paramedic, the policeman, the lifeguard. They are all getting a paycheck for what they do.

True, and I don't reference prostitutes as anything negative... just that sex is an activity I want to share with a person, rather than being serviced... like with a gas station attendant.

Having gone on organized hikes before, paying a hiking guide doesn't seem similar to hiring a GM either.

I wouldn't want to be payed as a GM either, much as I don't like being hired by friends to do things... money changes the relationship.
Also, trying to turn hobbies into cash often seems to lead to loss of joy in the hobby, not for everyone... but it's a familar tale.

I don't think I'd enjoy playing a game where the GM was payed. They're not there for the same reason I am. Kind of like a prostitute. Not that gaming with someone is like sex, but it's not like watching actors in a play/movie either. There is some level of 'We are doing this together' that I'd miss.

12 hours ago, Atgxtg said:

Early Superman did do that, but at that time the novelty of the character kept him interesting.

Early Superman wasn't nearly as powerful as he later became. He couldn't fly, had no heat vision... he was just really strong, could run real fast and jump real high. I'm not even sure he was bulletproof... or if it was just his clothes, made from his Kryptonian blanket.
Much more 'street level', and, IMO, more interesting than what he is now.

Meanwhile, something like The Boys (only seen the TV version) would play more like a game of Call of Cthulhu... assuming you were playing the normies going after the demented supes. Hopeless to go up against them directly... but hit them in their fan base, take down the people supporting them... show them to be the monsters they are... you're still probably screwed, but it could be fun.

3 hours ago, sladethesniper said:

I don't like simplistic morality.

Neither do I, generally... but SW was set up to emulate the old serials, and those very much were simplistic morality. The series drifted away from that scheme pretty quickly, but it's still the template I want out of them. More pulp action, less dramatic posturing.
I don't want 'deep' characters or storylines out of SW... and that's where I feel like the series tried to go, and failed. Like trying to turn an old Scooby Doo episode into Masterpiece Theater, the foundation isn't there. Instead, to me, it all comes off looking ridiculous... and not in the fun way of the first movie.

I still think the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie is the best Star Wars movie I've seen in decades.

I've liked the SCP stuff since... forever... but never knew there was a podcast! Yay!

I won't hold my breath.
Elric holds a special place for me and I doubt any TV show will come anywhere close to how I experienced it while reading.
More likely it will be heavily watered down and sanitized for our safety, especially if the U.S. makes it.

I'm less attached to Corum and Hawkmoon... so maybe I could watch those with less pain.

I think you could certainly do 'cosmic' heroes... I'd just try to reason them out according to BRPs mindset... grittier cosmic heroes who can't really punch planets out of orbit or such nonsense. Like what does it take to be a cosmic hero? A way to get to other worlds and a way to survive the trip.
Mythras manages to do Luther Arkwright just fine, and, IMO, he's operating on a 'cosmic' level.
I'm quite fond of Alan Moore's Warpsmiths and Qys... who have BIG powers but are not otherwise immortal or prone to punching gods (AFAIK).

There's really nothing in CoC 7e's changes that I find to be improvements... so no, not interested.
There are a few thing from Mythras that I like and might borrow (Mysticism)... but my real interest would be something that weirds-up magic a bit, ala Dungeon Crawl Classics... makes things a bit more unpredictable and less 'rational'.

I do really really like that cover art!
Reminds me of spooky books I'd check out from the library as a kid.

12 hours ago, Qizilbashwoman said:

... and i reckon it were a Christian wedding, or a "we're not getting Christian married but somehow the trappings are Christian", because a Jewish wedding is, uh

Oh yeah... super duper christian, with two pastors in the family.
I've never been to a Jewish wedding... only seen what's shown in the movies.

2 hours ago, ThornPlutonius said:

"Courtesy" is really culture-based.  While there may be common elements in what is considered courteous across cultures, there are also many differences.  Knowing those differences can be the difference between being well-received and ill-received...

Culture can be surprisingly local too. Being from the West Coast and going to a 'big fancy' wedding in New York City, I felt like an utter troglodyte. They sat me with the musicians so anything I did/said would seem less odd... but really, there was so much stuff that I had no clue about, despite having been to plenty of weddings at home (somehow, I suspect the NYC visitor would be as confused out here... I don't think we have as many traditions... or something... suggesting some courtesies are more complex/harder than others).

1 hour ago, MoonRightRomantic said:

Aside from being newbie unfriendly, another possible problem with the game's premise is that Nephilim are presented as parasites possessing human bodies. While sufficient for antagonists in a horror or conspiracy game, it isn't really appropriate for protagonists.

***

Rather than parasites, it might be better to characterize them as symbiotic.

I never saw the basic concept as a problem at all.
Lots of people love playing vampires... which are even more monstrous (unless they sparkle).
Geist, one of the NWoD games, presents a more open/aware relationship between the host and its partner, and it works fine in that game. But, for me, I saw the Nephilim's nature of 'possessing' different bodies through history as a weight to be carried... reacted to. Trying to make it a happy circumstance for all involved kind of waters down the setting, IMO.

14 hours ago, seneschal said:

Anyway, I want a Superworld reboot to succeed even if the end product may not be to my personal taste.  Not everyone can appreciate Adam West and the Tick vs. the Legion of Doom.  And I think our consensus so far is that the next iteration must have a unique bankable setting rather than being just another generic supers run.  I already have Champions for that.

My hope is that, like the BGB of BRP, there are options to tune it as you like.
I might want grim/gritty... or something based on other sources besides just supers comic books (which were inspired by classic legends IIRC). Something that would let me play The Shadow, Godlike, Adam West Batman, AND wild Wuxia-type heros would be nice.

Yeah, I see it as school... the kids who love to read and the kids who hate it. Maybe it was always like that... but now the non-readers feel justified in their refusal, that reading is some 'old' skill that will be of no use in the future (as I've been told).

2 hours ago, Bill the barbarian said:

Wow, The Boys totally evaded my radar, but I never even knew there was a RPG based n everyone’s fave dysfunctional hero.

I've often seen Mayfair's Underground RPG described as 'The Marshall Law RPG'.
But I've never read that comic so any parallels escape me (but I quite like Underground).

37 minutes ago, seneschal said:

But it would be nice to also end up with a product I could feel comfortable playing with my wife and adult children.

Could you play Call of Cthulhu with them?
Nowadays someone somewhere WILL be offended... so where to draw the line? And regardless of what's in the rulebook, the stuff that gets to the table is up to you... you are the ultimate filter.

3 hours ago, seneschal said:

But I'd prefer something G- or PG-rated so we can attract younger customers without offending the parents or grandparents who may be the actual purchasers of the game.

Chasing after kiddie money with 'safe' content is more likely to lead to a bland product that won't attract much interest, from the kiddies or anyone else. Or are you thinking 'Supers' are inherently a kid-oriented topic?
Also, given the stuff kids are experiencing in their video games, which their parents and grandparents buy for them... how likely is it that any supers RPG going to be more egregiously violent?

4 hours ago, g33k said:

Have you looked at their already-released "Agony & Ecstasy" product?

Yeah, have that and read it.
What I've heard so far about the upcoming game is quite promising actually... that it is fully compatible with Mythras and will allow for a variety tweaks to let people fit it to their tastes.