Games that are fun, but need a one-in-a-million GM

[Piratecat]

I started GMing Paranoia after playing twice at two different cons. The first time the GM was great; the second time, he was awful. I walked away from the table saying, "I can damn well run that game better than he did!"

It's now one of my favorite games to run. It is tough, though; it's all about timing and improvisation.

 

[WizarDru]

I started GMing Paranoia after playing twice at two different cons. The first time the GM was great; the second time, he was awful. I walked away from the table saying, "I can damn well run that game better than he did!"

It's now one of my favorite games to run. It is tough, though; it's all about timing and improvisation.

I'm curious....can you run more than one or two consecutive games of Paranoia? The impression I got was that it was great for a couple of ad-hoc or jokey sessions, but that continued play was virtually impossible. I've always seen Paranoia as a game that everyone talks about...but no one really plays all that much, myself included. I've played a sum total of two games of it, both very memorable....but that's it. It collapsed under it's own satirical weight.

 

[Mercule]

I'd agree with yout, except....

... I've never even found a person willing to _TRY_ to run Wraith, much less pull it off. Or, for that matter, more than a tiny handful of players who would be willing to try it.

Agreed. Really sad, too. I think the game could be one of the most fun in the series. Possibly the one with the most hope, too, oddly enough.

Of course, the fact that one of the guys in the group tags it with "You're dead. And that's the _good_ news." Doesn't help. Especially when Wraith came out at the time everyone was getting burned out on needing Prozac after every game.

 

[Vaxalon]

I'm curious....can you run more than one or two consecutive games of Paranoia

At the "red" security clearance, no, it doesn't lend itself to campaign play.

If you take down the satire level a few notches, you can play a campaign they call "HIL sector Blues" where you play blue-clearance troubleshooters who are in charge of the security of an entire sector. You assign the suicide missions to lowly reds and take the juicy ones for yourself. You get better equipment and have more influence, but in the end, the computer can STILL do you over if you mess up.

I've never actually played this way, but it sounds like fun. The lunacy of the usual game takes a back seat.

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

I've got a copy of the Mage rules (although I've never played) and whilst I think I can see where a great game would come from, I was a little baffled by what actually <i>happens</i> in a typical game!

I know this sounds stupid, but as a D&D/fantasy gamer (with occasional diversions into CoC and Fading Suns and convention gaming) I looked at Mage (and more recently Exalted) and wondered just what the heck a typical set up is.

The backgrounds and the worlds are supberb, really good, but I just wouldn't know where to start with an adventure.

 

[ranix65]

Actually, Exalted is great fun, I'm just waiting for the Lunar Book to come out in early November, it's really great for epic, world-spanning campaigns. I love it, it's not set modern day like the World of Darkness, which is not a stupid thought, first time I looked at it, I thought it was a world of darkness game. Martial Arts, Sorcery, Shapeshifting, it's like really great anime.

 

[Tsyr]

I've got a copy of the Mage rules (although I've never played) and whilst I think I can see where a great game would come from, I was a little baffled by what actually <i>happens</i> in a typical game!

I know this sounds stupid, but as a D&D/fantasy gamer (with occasional diversions into CoC and Fading Suns and convention gaming) I looked at Mage (and more recently Exalted) and wondered just what the heck a typical set up is.

The backgrounds and the worlds are supberb, really good, but I just wouldn't know where to start with an adventure.

It's like most any WW game, really, except Exalted... You have to get a handle on the characters motivations, who the major players are, etc. For example, for Mages you always have the Technocray and the Marauders to play around with, or any number of political subplots within the Traditions. Plus, Werewolves (Well, some tribes... Red Talons for example) or Vampires can make good antagonists. Common goals of mages (Furthering themselves, the Assention War, etc) and personal goals of the characters are also very useful to know when trying to plan an adventure.

Really, none of the WW games except maybe hunter are really conducive to "throw together" plots... you normaly have to put some thought into them. Hunter... well, if nothing else, with Hunter you can just recyle any number of horror/fantasy/action movie plots into a half-decent storyline, by slotting in WoD stuff in place of whatever the movie used.

 

[Tsyr]

Actually, Exalted is great fun, I'm just waiting for the Lunar Book to come out in early November, it's really great for epic, world-spanning campaigns. I love it, it's not set modern day like the World of Darkness, which is not a stupid thought, first time I looked at it, I thought it was a world of darkness game. Martial Arts, Sorcery, Shapeshifting, it's like really great anime.

Here here! Long live Exalted! I too eagerly await the Lunar book. I've wanted to play a Lunar ever since I read the main book. Is it going to be HC like the DB book was? I sure hope so...

 

[ranix65]

Yeah Tsyr, it's gonna be Hardcover, like the DB book. Then in Spring 2003 comes Abyssal, and in Fall 2003, Sidereals.

 

[Henry]

I can't believe it - between Vaxalon, Undead Pete, Tarek, and Wanderingmonster, that's more people who have heard of Continuum than I've met in 6 months!

As for the "MIT Physicist" part, my impression wasn't that bad, but I do know that if you've got players who want to make life hard for you, they can.

OTOH, the Frag system means that the GM can make it hard on them right back.

The real hard part is in making sure that the players keep their span books accurate, or there is heck to pay when the GM tries to come up with anything remotely clever.

I did pick up the book, Further Information, and it did give some helpful tips, but in no way do I feel confident enough to try a game of it.

I hope to get into a game of it next year at Gencon. If I'm lucky. Getting into a demo game of Alternity at Gencon 99 was what was responsible for my whole group picking up alternity from late 1999 to the middle of 2000.