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<blockquote data-quote="doghead" data-source="post: 4154513" data-attributes="member: 8243">general - clichesA really interesting thread. Commonly accepted genre tropes and conventions(or cliches for simplicity) are useful in RPG's. The make it easier for everyone to get on the same page. The more that something differs from the commonly understood, then the more explaining is needed to get everyone up to speed to play. That said, cliches can also make things a bit dull. But this aspect tends, in my experience, to depend on the handling and executionIn many ways, it comes down to the smaller details. Welcome to the Halmea (one of my favourite Story Hours), the elves are pretty much conventional dnd elves. They are an ancient society, they love nature and are good with magic. But a number of small background details have been changed, or developed, that make them seem new and interesting.Someone mentioned that with all the cliche reversal going on, its making the original cliches seem almost fresh again - a really nasty drow, or a genuinely decent and honourable paladin. I thikn that there is an element of truth in that. Which is, I think, a good example of how dynamic genre's are.I don't think that I have done anything particularly interesting in the way of cliche busting. I do like to play with conventions. But generally it is only in small ways. Exploring around the edges is another approach - we have all seen the half-orc barbarian, but generally we don't see much in the way of half orc society. So I decided to run a game in which all the PC's were members of a small half orc village.dogheadaka thotd</blockquote>

[QUOTE="doghead, post: 4154513, member: 8243"] general - cliches A really interesting thread. Commonly accepted genre tropes and conventions(or cliches for simplicity) are useful in RPG's. The make it easier for everyone to get on the same page. The more that something differs from the commonly understood, then the more explaining is needed to get everyone up to speed to play. That said, cliches can also make things a bit dull. But this aspect tends, in my experience, to depend on the handling and execution In many ways, it comes down to the smaller details. Welcome to the Halmea (one of my favourite Story Hours), the elves are pretty much conventional dnd elves. They are an ancient society, they love nature and are good with magic. But a number of small background details have been changed, or developed, that make them seem new and interesting. Someone mentioned that with all the cliche reversal going on, its making the original cliches seem almost fresh again - a really nasty drow, or a genuinely decent and honourable paladin. I thikn that there is an element of truth in that. Which is, I think, a good example of how dynamic genre's are. I don't think that I have done anything particularly interesting in the way of cliche busting. I do like to play with conventions. But generally it is only in small ways. Exploring around the edges is another approach - we have all seen the half-orc barbarian, but generally we don't see much in the way of half orc society. So I decided to run a game in which all the PC's were members of a small half orc village. doghead aka thotd [/QUOTE]

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