MarkCMG said:
Strange questions and unfortunate timing. Piratecat and Bearendd Nobeard are two folks who would probably chime in on this but they both may be too busy with Gencon, so we'll see. Make a note, Joe, to bump this thread next Tuesday or Wednesday just to see if you get some posters returning from Gencon with fresh RPGAS stories for you.
I think DA has it right, in that the RPGA is a mixed bag...regionally. I know that here in Illinois/Indiana and in Wisconsin there are many active members who work hard to make sure there are plenty of events and that they are as high a quality as the talent pool can muster, and in some cases that's as good as some professionally published materials. I've made some good friends through the RPGA that I'm sure will continue to be for life, at and away from the game table. I don't currently play in the RPGA but I think it is one of the best tools a gamer can have available to him
The RPGA is largely what you make of it, as an individual, so if you've never even looked into it then it hasn't failed you, you have failed it (but that's not to say you need it in the first place ).
You rang?!
Mark speaks with great wisdom. The RPGA is what *you* make of it. I have judged a little, but mainly played in RPGA events. And most of those are Living Greyhawk (150+ modules) and a little Living Death (approx. 12 modules).
I joined to learn the 3.0 rules. Playing with different classes at every table helped with that a lot. I also met a lot of great people, some of whom I play with a lot (both RPGA and home games).
But, yes, it's just a marketing arm of WotC. Yes, it concentrates (for better or worse) just on the Living campaigns. Yes, they have a very small staff. Yes, sometimes pledges made to a campaign aren't maintained. Yes, sometimes you have to game with loser dweebs.
I have played some HORRIBLE adventures through the RPGA. But I have also played some fantastic adventures, and also played with some DMs and tables that took bad modules and made them great ("Brendigund's Bride" anyone?). It's also interesting to play a module and then run it later. I have played modules that I hated, but them liked them much more when I ran them.
The long-term plot lines can be amazing (at least here in Wisconsin, the Highfolk region of Greyhawk). In Year 5, they're now wrapping up plot lines that started in back in Year 1 (Aug. 2000 - Dec. 2001). We were playing one mod and the judge started asking, "Who's played module 'X' with this character?" So many people have multiple characters, that it was a lot of fun to be the only character at the table who was involved in the "old" plot line (I've played 40 out of 43 Highfolk modules with the same character).
If you get involved in judging RPGA events, there is a hidden benefit. As people prepare for conventions, they will run a "slot zero" of a mod--a chance for the convention judges to play it before the convention. Since you're playing with other judges, you tend to get great role players at the slot zero tables. When the triad members (each region is run by a triad) run the slot zero, they often give a lot of cool back-story to the module that's not printed in there. It's great fun to see what they were thinking when they wrote a module, instead of just the module itself. Of course, sometimes the "slot zero" version is not done yet and it's a killer mod. Two of my five of my PC deaths were in slot zero events. On back-to-back days. Right before I would have levelled up.
Quartermoon said:
Winter Fantasy, in January. But it has been having problems of it's own, the most obvious is that they can't decide on a site. Used to be In Ft Wayne, then moved to NJ in '04 and VA in '05...no telling where it will be this year.
In Arlington, VA again early next year. Feb 23-26, or something like that.
Quartermoon said:
So, yes, now the RPGA is mostly about the Living Campaigns, and the quality of those depends as much on the local scene for you as anything. I am lucky in that I live near the home base of the Living Death organizers, and I love Living Death. It's the closest thing to a home game that I have. But your milage may vary.
Lucky you! Living Death is great! But I haven't played it in almost two years.
mcrow said:
RPGA? It's ok, it gives people who don't have a group or can't find a game otherwise a chance to play. The problem I have with RPGA events in general is not the events but some of the players who show up. I have noticed that there are three type of players who show up to RPGA games, new players, good veteran players, and players that noone wants to games with. I that one player noone wants to play with shows up to every RPGA event there is a good chance he's going to wreck the fun for me so I won't go.
There is another type--the RPGA power gamer. There are lots of them out there (both playing and writing modules, as well as judging), so unless you have an optimal character build, combats can be nasty (or boring as you watch everyone else fight). I have played at many table where victory was achieved, but I think the judge was going easy on us. The first time that happened, I was very happy. But the second, third, fourth time it happened....well, then it just seemed silly.
francisca said:
Moral of the story: Like alot organizations, the RPGA, at least at the local level, is what the members make it. If you guys find that the local RPGA groups are problematic either don't bother or work to make it better.
Very true. Work to improve it--most regions welcome any help you can give.
mzsylver said:
I have to agree with a lot of the people here. The RPGA is for marketing & the Living Campaigns. I myself love the Living Campaigns... though the organization leaves a lot to be desired. And, I am a slave to the man, collecting all the Complete and Races books. Gotta catch 'em all.
I was tricked into joining the RPGA at GenCon in the mid-90's and played mostly Classics (where you get a pregen PC) until I got enough guts to play a Living Campaign. From my experience, Living Death is the best written (Living Jungle was a blast... AND Living City was fun WAAAAAAYYYY back in the day before Organized Play). I started playing the Living Campaigns because I was a judge at home and never got to play - so this gave me a taste of the other side.
The RPGA is a great way to meet people. I've met a LOT of friends in Wisconsin & Illinois and all over. It also gives DMs adventures if you don't feel like writing them yourself.
I like Living Greyhawk because you can go to different regions (different parts of the US which correspond to different places in the game) and see completely different adventure styles. Power gaming does abound, but I think the RPGA has greatly improved my tactical playing.
The 2 year campaigns they've started are interesting... Legacy of the Green Regent and Mark of Heroes. You can just drop in at whatever level the campaign is currently at and build your own pc or level up with it. However, I am very disappointed that the next 2 year campaign will be in Eberron just like Mark of Heroes. I dislike that campaign setting and am hoping they do a Dragonlance or another Forgotten Realms campaign.
In any case, I recommend trying the RPGA if you havent - maybe more than once as at major cons it can be hit or miss. Get a half group of your friends and meet a half group of strangers!
But now... GEN CON AWAITS! =)
Great idea, mzsylver! (Rydia, is that you?) Getting a small group together at the same level for half a table is a great way to meet other role-players.
If you go in with a good attitude and have fun (despite any problems), people will notice and want to play with you. There are players I avoid like the plague--but they're few and far between. 95% of the RPGA players are fun to adventure with. The modules, well, maybe 70% of them are good+.... and, yet, my friends play them *all*. They seem aghast that I will miss mods, but look at my .sig file below: Life
is too short to play crappy games.
Got a Shackled City or Age of Worms game going? Sanction them and get the points. 
