Scott Rouse: of Interesting Note

[Rystil Arden]

You are wrong. Emphatically, unquestionably wrong.

The fact that you have not apparently experienced what people are talking about doesn't make it not real. It just means you are not currently able to imagine how the game can be played, exactly "correctly" by the books, without actual minis and a battlemat.

Not only can it be done, it's done every day by hundreds of people.

You need to accept the possibility that there is a way to do it, and that you just haven't personally wrapped your mind around how it would be done quite yet.

Mistwell is exactly correct. In fact, Retreater is making the classic argument from ignorance which is a known logical fallacy.

 

[Friadoc]

One little scrap of information I took notice from response from Scott Rouse is that he does not refer to the game as pen-n-paper, but rather as 'tabletop' gaming. This is rather disturbing to me, as I think it foreshadows a move to a more mini-centric game, and is not playing to the roots of the game.

There have been other allusions to moving the game in this direction. I am not sure what to think about the future of my favorite hobby.

Maybe, but I doubt it, I mean I've used the terms pen-and-paper and tabletop as interchangeable for the past 27 years of gaming.

It would have worried me more had he PCs and NPCs as pieces, or said collectible and non-collectible RPGs and other jargon more synominous with change.

 

[Friadoc]

You are wrong. Emphatically, unquestionably wrong.

The fact that you have not apparently experienced what people are talking about doesn't make it not real. It just means you are not currently able to imagine how the game can be played, exactly "correctly" by the books, without actual minis and a battlemat.

Not only can it be done, it's done every day by hundreds of people.

You need to accept the possibility that there is a way to do it, and that you just haven't personally wrapped your mind around how it would be done quite yet.

Exactly, even though my group follows the combat concepts fairly well, we only use dry erase boards (terrain and 'minis') drawings for all of our combat.

Our distances are more statements then grids, in fact we could probably do it all without the dry erase board, except that we get sidetracked a lot BSin about life and such.

Miniatures are nice, a fun element to the hobby in fact, but as of yet, I've never seen D&D /make/ me have to use it. The closest exception would be if I bought the D&D Miniatures' rule supplement and added it to my game, which we haven't and probably won't. *grins*

 

[Crothian]

The mini tangent got moved to here

 

[Lanefan]

I've always used the term "face to face" when referring to around-the-table RPGs as opposed to online RPGs.

I've never bothered distinguishing between games that use minis and games that don't, perhaps because I've always used minis and just assumed them to be a quasi-standard part of playing.

If I found myself playing in a game that didn't use minis, it'd take about half a round into the first combat for me to start using dice as markers to figure out where things are.

Lanefan

 

[jodyjohnson]

Using actual 'pens' has always been a bad idea for us.

After 20 plus years of playing we know that no character attribute is unchangable, whether it be race, sex, class or name. Much less hit points, XP, spells prepared, and equipment.

Maybe everyone is talking about those new-fangled erasable pens. Not for me, I won't touch those cursed things.

Pencils and extra erasers is more accurate for us. Pencils, erasers, & paper gaming. PE&P.


Must we make the use of grid and markers/tokens synonomous with precise miniatures and detailed battle mats? Or at least admit that the virtual battle space and character positions might only be realized in the DM's mind and translated to the players via description?

 

[Scott_Rouse]

One little scrap of information I took notice from response from Scott Rouse is that he does not refer to the game as pen-n-paper, but rather as 'tabletop' gaming. This is rather disturbing to me, as I think it foreshadows a move to a more mini-centric game, and is not playing to the roots of the game.

There have been other allusions to moving the game in this direction. I am not sure what to think about the future of my favorite hobby.

don't read anything into that. Bring a pencil, character sheet, eraser, dice, soda, books, dice, minis, tiles, dm screen, maps, battle mat, your lucky rabbits foot, ponty wizard hat, what ever. Just meet an my house at 7 we'll have the kitchen all to ourselves.

play the game the way you want to play it

 

[Scott_Rouse]

Are we sure Scott Rouse is even one guy?

I propose that there is a Second Poster, hiding in the grassy knoll.

Because otherwise, we have to subscribe to the "Magic Poster Theory", which clearly defies the laws of physics as we know them.

Scott Rouse is more of an organization than a guy. Scott Rouse is posting from a van outside your house right now.

 

[Creeping Death]

Scott Rouse is more of an organization than a guy. Scott Rouse is posting from a van outside your house right now.

That's just one step above "a van down by the river."

Later,

 

[happyelf]

"Tabletop" Is often used to describe pen-and-paper roleplaying games. I agree that using pens is pretty wierd, considering how often things are replaced and erased.

Yah, I wouldn't worry. We use Tabletop and Pen & Paper interchangeably around the office. Of course, since I work on DDM, I'd like to see the minis game grow, but I have no delusions that it'll take over D&D as we know it any time soon. Long live the RPG!

Oh ok, that's great-. . . wait just one second!!!!

Of course, since I work on DDM, I'd like to see the minis game grow, but I have no delusions that it'll take over D&D as we know it any time soon.

So you admit it! You admit that it's only a matter of time! We're dooomed!