Which Game Would YOU Choose for Wil Wheaton's Tabletop RPG Spinoff?

[PaulofCthulhu]

As mentioned in post#8, their own system.

That way they own the IP and can do with it what they want (including sell it).

 

[pickin_grinnin]

If they are using their own system and it isn't for sale, I wouldn't be interested in the show at all.

I would really prefer for them to explore different games, like the main show, though.

 

[Morrus]

Using their own system turns it into a different type of show, I think. It turns it into an infomercial. Especially if they sell it. The fun thing about Tabletop is how they are enthusiastic fans of other peoples' work.

 

[dd.stevenson]

I'll be mildly surprised if the show doesn't end up with a widely-recognized IP. Which shouldn't be hard, since there's a lot of fine IP-based RPGs out there. The other thing is, I think each show wants to be accessible to as many people as possible, whether or not they've seen the preceding shows. So something mission-based or episode based, albeit with a larger campaign arc.

LotR actually looks really appealing in that regard, with its excellent downtime rules forming a natural break between quests. Or a Star Wars squad that does related missions. Or a Dresden Files game with related cases.

 

[TrippyHippy]

The main problem with doing a RPG show is gamer tribalism. I have my favourite games, along with everyone else - including Will most probably. The appealing thing for having an original 'house system' for the show is that it would possibly cut through those issues. Beyond that, in previous 'Not The Flog' episodes he gave indication of the sort of games that work on a web-show format. They need to be visually appealing, basically - with lots of tabletop bells and whistles for the players to play with. My guess is that it could be a modified version of Savage Worlds! (which was rumored).

Then again, it could just be D&D for easy brand recognition.

 

[Bluenose]

Lots of things to play with could suggest some of FFGs systems - WFRP3e, their Star Wars games, for example. They have lots of rather obvious bells-and-whistles. Star Wars would seem like the obvious one, if you don't want to spend time explaining the setting concepts.

Personally I'd rather see something rules-lite, and avoid games that are heavily tied to one setting. The former simply because it's easier to get people interested in simpler games, the latter because you don't want to turn people off with a setting they don't like without making it clear that it's a choice for this particular occasion rather than something you're stuck with. Fate would be nicely plausible in that respect, but it's only one of several games.

 

[PaulofCthulhu]

Using their own system turns it into a different type of show, I think. It turns it into an infomercial.

- and it may indeed be a different type of show. You could view Tabletop as essentially that anyway: an infomercial for other people's games.

Mr. Wheaton has been noted as saying that he loved the idea of the card game in Big Bang Theory being turned into a real (saleable) game. With a new RPG-centric Tabletop spin-off they could have the opportunity to do something like that with whatever game they play.

I dont think the majority audience will care if they use a recognisable "IP" or not. They want to see Wil Wheaton play games with cool (somewhat notable/famous) friends.

If it's a fantasy-based RPG then most people will implicitly think of it as simply "D&D with the serial numbers filed off" anyway.

 

[Morrus]

- and it may indeed be a different type of show. You could view Tabletop as essentially that anyway: an infomercial for other people's games.

Sure. So is every review/fan/news site. But there's a fundamental difference between covering other peoples' stuff and covering your own stuff. It's not bad or anything (hell, I do it frequently), but it is a different beast.

 

[PaulofCthulhu]

Sure. So is every review/fan/news site. But there's a fundamental difference between covering other peoples' stuff and covering your own stuff. It's not bad or anything (hell, I do it frequently), but it is a different beast.

Tabletop isn't just a review/fan/news site. Tabletop is an entertainment channel demonstrably showing the fun of actually playing these games.

Of course there's a difference between covering other people's stuff and your own stuff. As I said, the RPG-centric edition could indeed be a different beast. There's no reason why it won't be. It would make a lot of sense for it to be that different beast. Board games are discrete "play & put away" type games. Less so for RPGs.

The fact that they're talking to game designers (pick your darlings) about the system they're going to use suggests they're not just going to use an off the shelf system.

As TrippyHippy suggested it's likely to be rules light to keep it quick. With financial investment they can easily do animated intercuts to cover less exciting parts (as per PAX intros) if they wanted.

The advantages of doing your own roleplaying system continue. RPGs are a lot cheaper and quicker to produce than doing your own board game. Sell the PDF of your new RPG while the show's on to get maximum capitalisation out of the the passing interest.

 

[Kaodi]

GUMSHOE. Maybe Trail of Cthulhu edition. I admit I have only had limited exposure to this game, but that brief experience with [MENTION=2]Piratecat[/MENTION] is enough to make me think the system could be absolutely perfect for the type of players TableTop draws in. Hell, some of their games they seem to even do ad hoc what GUMSHOE is designed for. The narrative based game they played with [MENTION=189]jonrog1[/MENTION] in particular makes me think it could be perfect.