e-Heroes: Do CRPGs, console, & arcade games influence your D&D game?

[WizarDru]

Darnit, where's hong? He's done a ton of stuff on an Ultima d20 game, iirc.

Anywho, generally-speaking no, I don't. At least, not anymore than I take from every other source currently available. If I steal a flying pirate-ship from Skies of Arcadia, it's not much different than if I borrowed a ship that can fly using giant lodestones from Vision of Escaflowne, or a wizard with two faces that rotates a la Thundarr.

Psion, I gotta ask, is there a particular subset of Kirby's work you find more inspirational than another...i.e. do you grab mostly from his Fourth World material, his alternate future stuff from D.C. (OMAC, Kamandi, etc.), his Thor work....or just all over the dang place? Not for nothing was he most surely known as 'The King'.

 

[diaglo]

are crpg influencing my current game.

pretty much a rhetorical question if you ask me. i'm playing 3.11ed for Workgroups.

 

[Holy Bovine]

Actually the only influence I have seen in my games is the other way around.

One of my players is trying to figure out how to map one of my campaigns to fit into NWN.

We have found little enough of interest in the CRPGs to excite or interest us.

Cool! I love hearing stuff like that. NWN is easily my favourite CRPG right now. I have played several fan made modules that I would like to convert to PnP.
That beign said i don't tend to use CRPG stuff in my games. I could see making a 2-3 session games based off of a NWN module (if it was especially good) but I would rathercome up with my own ideas or use Dungeon magazine for inspiration. I find it is usually easier to take something already in the format I want (PnP D&D) than spend hours porting over a CRPG element.

 

[Psion]

Psion, I gotta ask, is there a particular subset of Kirby's work you find more inspirational than another...i.e. do you grab mostly from his Fourth World material, his alternate future stuff from D.C. (OMAC, Kamandi, etc.), his Thor work....or just all over the dang place? Not for nothing was he most surely known as 'The King'.

Mostly Thor, with a smattering of Eternals and New Gods. Some great inspiration for true epic gaming there!

 

[Wombat]

Cool! I love hearing stuff like that. NWN is easily my favourite CRPG right now. I have played several fan made modules that I would like to convert to PnP.
That beign said i don't tend to use CRPG stuff in my games. I could see making a 2-3 session games based off of a NWN module (if it was especially good) but I would rathercome up with my own ideas or use Dungeon magazine for inspiration. I find it is usually easier to take something already in the format I want (PnP D&D) than spend hours porting over a CRPG element.

You know, I love the concept of NWN, but none of the modules have done a damn thing for me so far. I keep hoping that will change, but I keep getting disappointed.

The only CPRG that did anything for me was Baldur's Gate II -- real reason to go on the quest, fantastic bad guy, lots of NPC interaction (including different interaction if you have different combos of NPC), etc. Okay, it got way over the top towards the end, but it was still a satisfying ending -- get your soul back and kick the Big Bad's patootey into Hell.

In comparison, none of the NWN modules have come close ... except maybe Penultima City

 

[AFGNCAAP]

Hey, Psion--went to the link. Cool map. Still recall the days of Skills & Powers, when it was relatively easy to just construct your own varieties of the races & classes if you wanted.

And, along the Kirby influences, I think you may have a pretty good idea of what my campaign's version of the Hammer of the Thunderbolts looks like (minus the inscription, though). Then again, I was comtemplating creating a paladin NPC with said hammer, plus a round, throwable large shield, and a suit of enchanted, red & gold full plate armor--he would have simply been known as "The Avenger."

Back along the lines of the topic, I'm surprised that there hasn't really been more mention of published tabletop games based on computer games: Everquest, Warcraft, & Diablo. Are these settings so inticing that you'd be happy to play them regularly? Or is it enought o just borrow elements from the games & place them into your own campaigns?

Also, what about electronic games based on other sources? Games like the Gold Box D&D games (ala Pool of Radiance), the Lord of the Rings old CRPGs & current console games, and other similar stuff? Is there something about these interpretations that you've imported into your games?

 

[WizarDru]

You know, I love the concept of NWN, but none of the modules have done a damn thing for me so far. I keep hoping that will change, but I keep getting disappointed.

Have you played the Shadowlords/Dreamcatcher series (9 modules at last count, taking you from 1st to 13th or so)? Better than the main campaign by far, with an actual plot, engaging NPCs and pushes NWN's technical envelope at every point. Whether it be finding Ioun Stones at the bottom of the ocean while journeying to Evermeet, riding on the backs of dragons and engaging pirate ships (really!) or trying contests in the world of dreams, it's the high-water mark of NWN modules, to me.

The guy who wrote them got a job offer from Bioware, I think, but I forget the details. Simply fantastic work, both from a technical standpoint and a story concept. At one point, he turns NWN into a simplified RTS, as you command elven troops from Evermeet to investigate a dimensional rift.

Great, great stuff.

 

[Dark Jezter]

Have you played the Shadowlords/Dreamcatcher series (9 modules at last count, taking you from 1st to 13th or so)? Better than the main campaign by far, with an actual plot, engaging NPCs and pushes NWN's technical envelope at every point. Whether it be finding Ioun Stones at the bottom of the ocean while journeying to Evermeet, riding on the backs of dragons and engaging pirate ships (really!) or trying contests in the world of dreams, it's the high-water mark of NWN modules, to me.

The guy who wrote them got a job offer from Bioware, I think, but I forget the details. Simply fantastic work, both from a technical standpoint and a story concept. At one point, he turns NWN into a simplified RTS, as you command elven troops from Evermeet to investigate a dimensional rift.

Great, great stuff.

Adam Miller is the name of the guy who produced the Shadowlords/Dreamcatcher series of NWN modules. He was offered a job at Bioware, but turned them down because he didn't want to leave his current job and move up to Canada.

He's currently working on the next series of NWN modules which take place after Dreamcatcher. Tentatively titled Demon, these modules will have more of a Planescape feel to them instead of a Forgotten Realms feel. In fact, you get to travel to Sigil in it. Find out more at the author's website here.

 

[Ruined]

For me, some of the CRPGs I play have helped me interject combat into good places in my campaign. I play a lot of FF Tactics, and there are a ton of battles that are scripted into the plot. I much prefer those type of pivotal battles in my games as opposed to the random 'ninjas jump out of the shadows'.

My group contains some excellent roleplayers, and I always enjoy plots of intrigue and diplomacy. But I also like to have fun combats, and the CRPGs remind me that a lot of scenarios can just go poorly, ending up in combat for the heroes.