About the RPGA

[BluWolf]

I have had nothing but lack luster experiences with the RPGA over the years. Thats fine, but when I go to the website to look into actually joining there is no info on how to do this???

They describe all the benefits and then don't tell you how to actually join?? More of the same I guess.

 

[Adso]

I have had nothing but lack luster experiences with the RPGA over the years. Thats fine, but when I go to the website to look into actually joining there is no info on how to do this???

They describe all the benefits and then don't tell you how to actually join?? More of the same I guess.

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=rpga/join

That page explains the two ways to join the RPGA. It is accessed right off the main site.

Stephen Radney-MacFarland
RPGA Content Developer
Wizards of the Coast

 

[Serpenteye]

Re: To Serpenteye

Hey there Serpenteye, my friend!
Thanks for the compliments.

How are you doing, Serpenteye?
What's going on with you?
How are your friends on the board doing?

Concerning the IRs, I moderated. You, the players, made the IR great. I must give special credit to Maudlin for his maps, and I think everyone knows it was a team effort.
I thought there was a 4th IR going already. The Rokugun IR. Has something happened?
And where is Forrester? He's been gone a long time from the boards.

Hey!

First of all; sorry for hijacking the thread but I hadn't seen you for a while so I figured I'd stop by to say "hi". I've never even been to a DnD convention (I don't know if there even are any in Europe) and really know nothing about the RPGA, so I have nothing to add on that topic.
I'm doing quite well right now, after a long period of extreme busyness at work and with my gf. The Rokugan IR is a lot of fun, though it's a lot slower than the 3rd IR it's very high on RP, Creamsteak is doing a great job. Forsaken One, Kalanyr and Festy Dog are also involved in the IR and I've seen most of the others on the boards, though Forrester has been strangely quiet. I really have no idea what he's doing, but he's a smart guy so he's probably doing well, I hope.
What about you? How's life treating you?

 

[Barcode]

My experiences with the RPGA:

I started going to cons in the late 80's, and was introduced to the concept of competitive roleplaying. These were mostly cons in upstate NY, where three round elimination tournaments were the norm and RPGA did not have much of a presence. My first few experiences were very, very fun, and were really what got me back into roleplaying after a long absence. I loved playing pre-genned characters that were directly integrated into the adventure, and while I am a competitive guy, the biggest benefit was getting to meet the great role-players who advanced into the later rounds.

However, I found as time went on that signing up for a game at a con was hit or miss. Actually it was either insanely great or sucked horribly, with few in the middle ground.

In 1990, I went to Council of Five Nations and played in their competitive roleplaying tourneys, which were run by the RPGA. None of them sucked, a couple of them were great (not insanely great, but great), and most of them were fun, just fun.

It is worth noting that at that convention I met Piratecat in the first RPGA feature for both of us and beat him in the final. I should also note that it was the last time I did that in maybe 30 tries. Man, if you are going to compete with future legends, do it when they're rookies.

Piratecat was just the first of perhaps 20 or so close friends that I met through RPGA. So for that they have my eternal gratitude.

That said, I did go through a snit for about three years in the 90's where I refused to give them any money because I didn't like how things were run. I still played in the events (you don't need to be a member to play), and they still recorded my points. Eventually things got better and I came back.

Overall I liken the RPGA to a fast food restaurant. If you are in a strange city and you pick an unfamiliar restaurant at random, you could end up with the best meal you have ever eaten, or you could get food poisoning. If you eat at Wendy's, it's not great, but it's good and you are pretty sure you won't be sick.

Similiarly if you are at a con and you don't know anything about the GM's running at the con, you could pick from the description in the con book and get into the best game you've ever played. Or, it could be a huge waste of your time. I find that at the RPGA, it is only occasionally great, but seldom sucks. It's mostly just middle of the road fun.

Of course, knowing who the good judges are always tips the hand in your favor, and another of the advantages of RPGA is you get to know the people after seeing them at con after con.

Oh, and man, if my judge was eating scabs off his arm at my table, I'd have asked him to stop, or I would have left. I feel like tossing my cookies just thinking about it. Suffice to say this is not a fair representation of a typical RPGA judge.

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

I'm doing pretty well, Serpenteye.
As well as you can do when someone in the family is an alcoholic.
(It's been a hard year.)

I am very glad to hear the Rokugun IR is doing well. Give my greetings to Kalanyr, Festy Dog, and Forsaken One!

I have never gotten food poisoning at a Fast Food Restaurant, and neither has anyone in my family.
The same cannot be said concerning strange and exotic restaurants of various sorts, which some in my family have patronized.

One of the best DMs I have ever played under was in the RPGA.
His name I will not give on this worldwide forum without his permission (he is entitled to privacy, folks), but trust me when I say he was a blast. I always tried to get into his games at RPGA events.
Sadly, he moved away, and his absence was quite a blow, both to me and to all the others. I hope he is still running RPGA games, and having a good time, where he is now.

 

[William Ronald]

Hello, Edena!

Hazen stands at attention, ready to work hard to make the Domain of Hope and the multiverse a better place. (I think he has his work cut out for him.)

Overall, I have had good experiences with the RPGA. I have several friends who are members as well. Last Gen Con, I played in an event where most players had at least a decade of gaming experience. I have also enjoyed several other events.

True, I have had some negative experiences. I have had a few groups consist of so-so DMs and players who seemed to be vying for the weirdest character concept. (In some Living City events, my character stood out by being relatively normal and quiet.) However, in some LC and other events I have played in there were both good role players and strategists.

I think the RPGA is what you make of it. Are there a few people who will make you shake your head? Yes. However, there are good people in the RPGA.

Mind you, there have been support problems. I once played in an adventure run by a friend (who was impartial) where an encounter was left out of a module and was referred to a little later in the adventure.. My group was able to finish the adventure, but it did change the tone of it. (Yes, we should have been told something was wrong with the NPC. It would have made some of the reactions of the other NPCs more logical.

Ironically, we also had an offensive player at the event. His character was jovial, and swearing a bit. Normally, I would not mind but one of the players was quite young. (The offending player calmed down a bit but I would have hoped that the man would have had more discretion.)

So, my experiences have largely been positive with a few sour notes. I appreciate the hard work of the judges and the volunteers. As for the behavior some have complained about in other posts, I think we have to monitor ourselves a little. Or to use an old saying, if you want respect, you have to give it to others.

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

I wanted to share this RPGA experience:

I had a character I really liked in a Living Campaign.
He was low level, but he was a favorite of mine.
He was killed in a scenario, and the cost of resurrecting him was beyond his means (that is, his money and magical items combined were not enough to pay the cost.)
I commented to the Event Coordinator that I had lost a favorite character, and (at that time this was allowed) the Event Coordinator had one of his characters come along, and shill out the 100,000 gp required to resurrect my character!

It isn't everyday that a complete stranger walks up, and has his character say: This person died? He was an unimportant person nobody knew? (a low level character) But you liked him, and want him back? Have a hundred thousand gold pieces, to resurrect him with, then!

This happened at AndCon.
From that point on, the RPGA was definitely my cup of tea.
People who do things like that, are good people, and the kind of people I want to be around.

 

[William Ronald]

Edena:

That was a very positive experience. A rare one, but sometimes kind acts can surprise people.

I think it is up to the members of the RPGA to try to improve the organization's image. Most judges are pretty friendly to new gamers and new members.

So, how can RPGA members make the organization better? I think a little constructive criticism could help.
(If I criticize, I try to offer a solution.)

For example, for the person who cited the case of a scab-eating judge, perhaps the RPGA could advise judges to try to present a positive and friendly image. (However, I think the judge in question may need a little more advice.)

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

Hey there, William! Greetings to an old friend.

 

[Fast Learner]

I've had nothing but neutral or negative experiences with the RPGA. I've been to tons of conventions where neither members nor non-members could get a game because the games were simply full. Like other people here, I joined and then could never figure out what to do, and I'm a smart guy.

Edena, it's great that you're having such a great time with the RPGA. I do suggest, however, that you try to recognize that your experiences with the RPGA are not automatically everyone else's experiences with the RPGA.

Do you really think things automatically work out everywhere the way they do for you?