Real men don't play GURPS
- Thread starter hong
- Start date
Tratyn Runewind
First Post
Hello!
Wow, the Fortran post mentioned in the beginning of "The Story of Mel, a Real Programmer" is actually still archived somewhere online. I probably really shouldn't be surprised by that, but somehow I still am.
Your adaptation is nice, hong, and I can sympathize with much of the sentiment behind it (especially the parts concerning White Wolf/Storyteller), but some of the effect is spoiled for me when you admit later on in the post that, um, some Real Men actually DO play GURPS after all.
Still, it's an amusing dose of Munchkin's Guide to Powergaming-style attitude. The tips in that work for dealing with angsty White Wolf gamers are truly righteous...
He's talking about GURPS, all right. You should see some of the weaponry threads that have appeared in the rec.games.frp.gurps newsgroup. Some lively and highly technical discussions can arise, mostly centered on stuff in the domain of Vehicles and the High Tech/Ultra Tech supplements.
Wow, the Fortran post mentioned in the beginning of "The Story of Mel, a Real Programmer" is actually still archived somewhere online. I probably really shouldn't be surprised by that, but somehow I still am.
Your adaptation is nice, hong, and I can sympathize with much of the sentiment behind it (especially the parts concerning White Wolf/Storyteller), but some of the effect is spoiled for me when you admit later on in the post that, um, some Real Men actually DO play GURPS after all.
Still, it's an amusing dose of Munchkin's Guide to Powergaming-style attitude. The tips in that work for dealing with angsty White Wolf gamers are truly righteous...
He's talking about GURPS, all right. You should see some of the weaponry threads that have appeared in the rec.games.frp.gurps newsgroup. Some lively and highly technical discussions can arise, mostly centered on stuff in the domain of Vehicles and the High Tech/Ultra Tech supplements.
Re: GURPS or FATAL
It's not my fault that APFSDS rounds happen to have an, uh, _evocative_ name....
KDLadage said:
It's not my fault that APFSDS rounds happen to have an, uh, _evocative_ name....
Tratyn Runewind
First Post
Hi again!
I think you're right. Clean forgot about the infamous FATAL, and figured from the name that it was some sort of G3/Millenium's End type system that strove for techno-thriller realism even more so than GURPS. Ah well, some you miss...
Entirely true. It's just that in White Wolf's games, you have to put up with it in block after block of "inspirational" text within the rulebooks themselves, as well as from overly-dramatic tragedian players. And Vampire has that weird vibe I get from games that are strongly inspired by a single property that they don't have a license for. So darn much of it seems so "Anne-Rice-with-the-serial-numbers-scratched-off", the same vibe I get from Immortal (with regard to Highlander) and Prime Directive (relating to Star Trek). Still, you're right about the havoc that can be wrought with experienced characters, and the system does let players roll lots of dice (a strong Real Man game requirement - Amber Diceless would probably get a spot on my Quiche-Eaters list if it weren't for the coolness of the setting).
I think you're right. Clean forgot about the infamous FATAL, and figured from the name that it was some sort of G3/Millenium's End type system that strove for techno-thriller realism even more so than GURPS. Ah well, some you miss...
Entirely true. It's just that in White Wolf's games, you have to put up with it in block after block of "inspirational" text within the rulebooks themselves, as well as from overly-dramatic tragedian players. And Vampire has that weird vibe I get from games that are strongly inspired by a single property that they don't have a license for. So darn much of it seems so "Anne-Rice-with-the-serial-numbers-scratched-off", the same vibe I get from Immortal (with regard to Highlander) and Prime Directive (relating to Star Trek). Still, you're right about the havoc that can be wrought with experienced characters, and the system does let players roll lots of dice (a strong Real Man game requirement - Amber Diceless would probably get a spot on my Quiche-Eaters list if it weren't for the coolness of the setting).
Tratyn Runewind said:
Look. Vampire bashing is just as boring as GURPS bashing, which in turn is just as boring as D&D bashing. There's nothing inherently wrong with a melodramatic, angsty campaign, even if that's not your cup of tea. In fact, the WoD players I know tend to appreciate self-deprecating humour more than most, perhaps because they're aware of how inherently absurd is what they're doing.
In short, you may not like the WoD atmosphere (I'm not a great fan of it either), but that's not an excuse to start a Vampire-bashing session. Please stop.
Tratyn Runewind
First Post
Hello again!
Boring? You're too modest - you did quite a nice job in the post that started this thread, parody though it was.
Again, true. It just doesn't fit the "Real Man" stereotype of role-playing that is more or less the topic of this thread, and which has much in common with my own usual preferred style.
Bashing session? I listed a couple of things I disliked about Storyteller/Vampire, and a couple of things I liked. White Wolf games are actually a bit unusual for me in that the stuff in the "dislikes" column tends to revolve around style and atmosphere more than my usual finicky rules nitpicks. But perhaps you're trying to head off a session between real pro- and anti-White Wolf fanatics before it gets rolling - probably a wise move.
Boring? You're too modest - you did quite a nice job in the post that started this thread, parody though it was.
Again, true. It just doesn't fit the "Real Man" stereotype of role-playing that is more or less the topic of this thread, and which has much in common with my own usual preferred style.
Bashing session? I listed a couple of things I disliked about Storyteller/Vampire, and a couple of things I liked. White Wolf games are actually a bit unusual for me in that the stuff in the "dislikes" column tends to revolve around style and atmosphere more than my usual finicky rules nitpicks. But perhaps you're trying to head off a session between real pro- and anti-White Wolf fanatics before it gets rolling - probably a wise move.
Gentlegamer
Adventurer
Real Men bid 100 for Warfare in Amber . . .Tratyn Runewind said:
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