Is it wrong for a game to have an agenda?

Crothian · Feb 13, 2005

Let's say I wrtite a role playing game and while the game is there to have fun and for people to play it also serves as a way I can preach my love for Oozes and the equal treatment of them.. People who don't like oozes are routinely imprisoned in my setting and I make no qualms that I want to use the setting to get people to understand and treat oozes better both in game and real life.

DaveMage · Feb 13, 2005

If your players are having fun, then there's nothing wrong with it.

Crothian · Feb 13, 2005

DaveMage said:
If your players are having fun, then there's nothing wrong with it.

But I'm publishing this setting and putting it out on the market. So, it is not just my players that are effected by it because I'm making it availible for everyone to use and read.

Do games that have agends bother you (you referring to everyone on EN world)? Would you care, and play the game if it was good dispite the games agenda or would the agenda turn you off and no matter how good the game is never touch it?

Napftor · Feb 13, 2005

It's a personal thing whether an agenda affects you. So it all depends on the agenda.

As head of the Society for Ooze Slaying (SOS), this game's agenda would bother me in the extreme.

KB9JMQ · Feb 13, 2005

If it is done in a fun/good natured way then maybe.
I once watched a game at a LGS that had a definate agenda.
The DM was running a game where one kind of ooze* (using your example) was superior to all other oozes and went out of his way to make sure all the other oozes were tortured and degraded. Some of the players were pretty into it also.
It was pretty sad. I took note of the players and made sure they were never in any group I played in.
That was the worst case I had seen. I have seen games where the DM wanted to prove that magic users were the end all of characters to play.

* Feel free to substitute creature/race of your choice here to get my drift of this group's game.

Crothian · Feb 13, 2005

Napftor said:
It's a personal thing whether an agenda affects you. So it all depends on the agenda.

I know it is personally, that's why I'm hoping for lot and lots of responses.

As head of the Society for Ooze Slaying (SOS), this game's agenda would bother me in the extreme.

okay, that's one writer I'm not asking for help on this setting

Glyfair · Feb 13, 2005

Crothian said:
Do games that have agends bother you (you referring to everyone on EN world)? Would you care, and play the game if it was good dispite the games agenda or would the agenda turn you off and no matter how good the game is never touch it?

I imagine it mostly depends on the particular agenda and how obvious it is in the game. Now oozes, that's just plain weird and it's hard to be subtle about that.

In the past, all the roleplaying games that I'm aware of that had agendas (beyond directly gaming related ones) were games I avoided by a good distance. All the ones I can think of apparently tried to hit you over the head with their agenda and weren't very good games to begin with.

Crothian · Feb 13, 2005

KB9JMQ said:
If it is done in a fun/good natured way then maybe.
I once watched a game at a LGS that had a definate agenda.
The DM was running a game where one kind of ooze* (using your example) was superior to all other oozes and went out of his way to make sure all the other oozes were tortured and degraded. Some of the players were pretty into it also.
It was pretty sad. I took note of the players and made sure they were never in any group I played in.
That was the worst case I had seen. I have seen games where the DM wanted to prove that magic users were the end all of characters to play.

* Feel free to substitute creature/race of your choice here to get my drift of this group's game.

That brings up an interesting side topic, games with agendas. Obviously my pro ooze setting could be played with out the agenda. People could pick it apart and take the rules feats and other items that they liked. They could rework the setting so the Ooze qualities are removed.

However, a game with an agenda is a bit different. I think I'd be bothered by a game with an agenda more then a setting. THe game I'd be forced to leave and find a new game or at the very least request that the agenda was removed. A game with an agenda just doesn't seem to be worth it since it only effects maybe a half dozen peaople. My setting will of course sell a million copies and reach and influence gamers world wide.

Napftor · Feb 13, 2005

Alright, then. In all seriousness, if the agenda is in-game and makes sense for the game, then I certainly have no problem with it. Besides, it sounds like fun!

Crothian · Feb 13, 2005

Glyfair said:
I imagine it mostly depends on the particular agenda and how obvious it is in the game. Now oozes, that's just plain weird and it's hard to be subtle about that.

Obviously I needed an example that everyone was familar with, not in the real world, and unlikely to offend anyone. I could talk about specific agendas but that would turn the thread into something else and not as an acedemic approach to agendas in gaming in general.

In the past, all the roleplaying games that I'm aware of that had agendas (beyond directly gaming related ones) were games I avoided by a good distance. All the ones I can think of apparently tried to hit you over the head with their agenda and weren't very good games to begin with.

THat is mostly my experiecne with them as well. But what if the game is good? I'm a brillaint writer obviously and anything I write will be pure gold (yes, I'm exagerating highly for the point of the discussion). So, I'm still going to hit you over the head with my agenda to treat oozes well, but the writing and rules really are going to be great. CAn the rules of an agenda based game make people look past the agenda?