Unmakeable Games
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So, I've been working with a few very new folks, not just to MUing but to RP in general. They are intimidated by MUSHing but are willing to give it a shot in a controlled environment. So, I set up a game and have been working with them on it. Earlier today, one of them asked me, "Why don't you use this to set up a GI Joe game?"
We've been playing the tabletop GI Joe RPG in our TT group, and today we were messing around with the FS3 combat system(which I'm not an expert in). They thought GI Joe would work great with the system and didn't understand why a game doesn't exist.
While I agreed with them that the game would be cool, I think the problem is there's no interest in it out in the world. We'd get 4 players, and 3 of them were right here. LOL
I explained that, in my experience, the MU community is interested mainly in modern-day horror and superhero games. This is probably because of the easy social component each comes with. While I think that could also exist on a GI Joe game, I think the knee-jerk response would be, "I'm not interested in an action game like that."
I know this is kind of akin to the old thread "Games I'd Love To Make But Won't" but instead of neroing that thread, I figured I'd just make a new one. So do you have any games you'd love to make but the juice just isn't worth the squeeze for whatever reason?
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For starters, I will disagree that people in the MU community are mainly interested in Urban Fantasy and Super Heroes. I think for many these games have revolving tropes and character concepts they revisit over and over and over again. Most hero MU players you'll read say things like "I'm a psylocke, emma, kitty, etc" and have close ties to their "relationship" roleplay partners oocly who have, on multiple occasions, romanced their characters with Booster Gold, Hawkman, whatever.
Fact is that SH games are popular because of two reasons:
- Comics are a never-ending spank bank a lot of us have had since our youth
- The system of
popularsuccessfulmost SH games is...typing. There's little to learn.
Point in case, IIRC was it you @ZombieGenesis or someone else who tried Mutants and Masterminds as a system and it didn't last long? I imagine any super game that used any of the crunchy systems like FASERIP or Champions would fall flat so long as a "write out your sheet" SH MU with somewhat passable staff existed.
WoD/CofD are somewhat similar. There's a lot of Anita Blake in those games and in my experience I've encountered 3 kinds of players on Urban Fantasy games:
- Person who hoards xp and uses it as a justification for everything
- Person who gives zero shits about the system outside of cgen, doesn't go to events, and wants to have in-theme TS in peace
- Person who actually likes the system and wants to use it, but has to find people who also will use the system.
Some players are just so used to WoD/CofD that the learning curve is over and they're familiar with it.
SO, ONTO THE TOPIC...
I think all unmakeable games fall into association with these concepts.
I think that people would absolutely play in the THEME of Shadowrun, CpunkRed, Eclipse Phase, Traveler, or any other crunchy system so long as the crunchy system isn't something they have to learn. I will go so far as to say that most MUers are NOT TTRPG players and there is such an aversion to dice deciding anything contrary to what they want for the dreaded my story that introducing a system and ACTUALLY USING IT is a fool's errand.
Now, the only caveat I have for this is Firan/Arx, because there were automated wealth/powerbuilding systems that people could metagame on the side. The systems were a little more complex, but there were clear, established ways to get up and over most players through ooc networking, asking people to do wealth system stuff that (like a pyramid org) came back to build your own character, and as I understand it...in the end led to power-locked, unbeatable factions who churned this to the point of no return.
So, tl;dr?
Cool setting, less dice. Otherwise it's dubious at best.
Delete the Hog Pit. It'll be fun.
I really don't understand He-Man -
@Ghost I ran a M&M game a very long time ago. It might have even been first edition. Maybe 2nd. It did okay but did run out of steam.
I do agree that ease into entry is very much a big thing. It's why I've ultimately given up on trying to use any sort of RPG system on a game unless it's FS3 or a basic traits system. If there was a fleshed out CoD/WoD plugin for Ares maybe that would be included.
RE: GI Joe, I actually do think you could do that fairly well with FS3.
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@ZombieGenesis said in Unmakeable Games:
@Ghost I ran a M&M game a very long time ago. It might have even been first edition. Maybe 2nd. It did okay but did run out of steam.
I do agree that ease into entry is very much a big thing. It's why I've ultimately given up on trying to use any sort of RPG system on a game unless it's FS3 or a basic traits system. If there was a fleshed out CoD/WoD plugin for Ares maybe that would be included.
RE: GI Joe, I actually do think you could do that fairly well with FS3.
GI Joe, I can't remember, is that modiphius or free league? Those systems aren't terribly complicated. Heck, I would totally play the TTRPG.
Delete the Hog Pit. It'll be fun.
I really don't understand He-Man -
@Ghost Renegade Game Studios. It runs off their Essence20 system. It's not bad. It powers GI Joe, Transformers, Power Rangers, and...My Little Pony.
Modiphius does the 2d20 system that powers Star Trek, Fallout, Conan, and some other stuff. I feel that's a pretty good system. I'm currently in love with Star Trek and Fallout. Love the settings and I love the system. So happy Star Trek finally has a decent system to power it.
Free League does Alien which I'm very much hoping to run for my TT group some day.
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@ZombieGenesis duh I should have known it was Renegade, with how much of a v5 fanboy I am
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@ZombieGenesis said in Unmakeable Games:
While I think that could also exist on a GI Joe game, I think the knee-jerk response would be, "I'm not interested in an action game like that."
I think there are a fair number of MU players who dig action games. Folks who turn up on BSG and such. It's certainly not as prevalent as some other genres, but we do exist.
I don't know if GI Joe specifically would get much traction. The live action versions never took off with audiences, and the Saturday morning cartoon version maybe doesn't have the same nostalgia and staying power as some comic franchises.
But who knows. No harm in trying. Folks can have fun on a small game. TGG never had more than a dozen players, but we were a dozen passionate players.
