Dr. Strangelove
Or, How I Stopped Caring About Rules and Learned to Love the Game.
Now, all those of you who know me, you understand that 'stop caring about the rules' is similar to 'giving myself a vasectomy' in likelihood. However, one of the things I have always realized is that RPGs and games have Faults, Bugs, and Errors. One of the problems with the Shadowrun game system (new one) is that the Combat-Monkey Cyberware-heavy characters advance slowly due to the money-cost of buying new, shinier cyberware. I accepted this, and I'm okay with it. I don't say I like it, but I'm okay with it. After last Shadowrun game, last week, I spent... oh... probably about an hour discussing the problem with Arthur and Greg (them on one side, me on the other.) Part of this was an argument, but most of it was a discussion. Now, after tonights game, Jorge and Greg start going head to head on a discussion about the game system, and comparisons to the old edition, and Whats Wrong (tm). After twenty minutes the discussion became an argument, and an hour later I went upstairs. I can still hear them talking, and though I admit they sound like its died down to a discussion again, I can't believe they're still at it!
I've realized that the game systems I know and love have flaws. I'll point out the ugly glaring flaws, but I'll mostly work towards using the rules to help me, and overall enjoying the game. I *will* get into arguments or discussions about them, but generally its on how to do something, or what the rules mean.... Not this sort of back and forth circular discussion about what is wrong, which edition means what, and all that...
So, after over an hour of listening to them talk, after the game is over, late at night... I said to myself, "I could sit here, try to add to the discussion, and maybe even settle the argument eventually... Or I could go make fun of them on LJ."
Q.E.D.
Now, all those of you who know me, you understand that 'stop caring about the rules' is similar to 'giving myself a vasectomy' in likelihood. However, one of the things I have always realized is that RPGs and games have Faults, Bugs, and Errors. One of the problems with the Shadowrun game system (new one) is that the Combat-Monkey Cyberware-heavy characters advance slowly due to the money-cost of buying new, shinier cyberware. I accepted this, and I'm okay with it. I don't say I like it, but I'm okay with it. After last Shadowrun game, last week, I spent... oh... probably about an hour discussing the problem with Arthur and Greg (them on one side, me on the other.) Part of this was an argument, but most of it was a discussion. Now, after tonights game, Jorge and Greg start going head to head on a discussion about the game system, and comparisons to the old edition, and Whats Wrong (tm). After twenty minutes the discussion became an argument, and an hour later I went upstairs. I can still hear them talking, and though I admit they sound like its died down to a discussion again, I can't believe they're still at it!
I've realized that the game systems I know and love have flaws. I'll point out the ugly glaring flaws, but I'll mostly work towards using the rules to help me, and overall enjoying the game. I *will* get into arguments or discussions about them, but generally its on how to do something, or what the rules mean.... Not this sort of back and forth circular discussion about what is wrong, which edition means what, and all that...
So, after over an hour of listening to them talk, after the game is over, late at night... I said to myself, "I could sit here, try to add to the discussion, and maybe even settle the argument eventually... Or I could go make fun of them on LJ."
Q.E.D.