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Post by scottanderson on Jun 21, 2017 22:13:22 GMT -5
I want to try a real face to face playtest of my Mythical Journeys rules (aside from playing with my kids and wife). There are a lot of RPG guys at the local game store, but they play Pathfinder, White Wolf, Shadowrun, etc. some guys use the 1e rules but they still play it modern.
How do I 1) give the elevator pitch, and how do I 2) determine what guys can really hang with the OSR ethic?
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Post by mormonyoyoman on Jun 22, 2017 6:21:10 GMT -5
OSR elevator pitch, Grandpa Chet style: "Attempt anything you want. Succeed or fail, have new character sheets handy. You don't need to know the rules any further than you do in real life. (Ding) This is my floor."
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Post by scottanderson on Jun 22, 2017 16:05:31 GMT -5
I just re-read Matt Finch's excellent old-school primer from way back in the dark ages of 2008. It's funny that it seemed so revolutionary then but now it seems kind of middle-of the road. That's not because it got worse. It because so many people got better at thinking and writing about the OSR. Ty Cobb was able to hit .420 but guys with a similar skill level now hit about .350 because the "average" pitcher is so much better now than he was back then.
So I have begun to consider that doc as the basis for my pitch.
1. Rulings not rules
2. Player skill > character abilities
3. Heroic, not superheroic
4. Setting, not set-pieces
Additionally I would add
5. Resource management and exploration, not tactical simulation
6. If you can imagine it, you can try it
7. Play face-up, not face-down
Help me out here guys!
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Post by Admin Pete on Jun 22, 2017 16:47:11 GMT -5
I have just asked people if they would like to try the original 1974 OD&D and show them the tiny size of the 3LBBs. If they show interest and ask questions then I tell them more. I usually make it clear that the original game told you to house rule and make it your own and that my game is unique, fast paced and that I rarely use more than a few tables during play. Those that play usually enjoy it. Sometimes I have kids playing and for some people that is a deal breaker.
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Post by ripx187 on Jun 22, 2017 17:20:05 GMT -5
Getting strangers to play a homebrew. You'd think that that would be easy, but it isn't. People want to play what they are familure with, D&D has become so complex that players don't want to learn a new game. When you tell them that they don't need to know the rules, then there is this idea that you are making stuff up and that is a bad thing. Jeffrey McArthur on YouTube doesn't even tell players that he's playing OD&D, they use their own character sheets and he just DMs. Maybe if you advertise it as OD&D, folks will show up? A lot of the younger players are deeply interested in the history of the game, being able to play a game of it may be something that they would at least like to try. Myself, I'm lucky, I've got a dedicated group that trust me. They play 2nd Edition AD&D, but I am always introducing things into the mix. We've gotten away from "by the book" play, and over time have gone into homebrew territory. Just throwing a homebrew at them and expecting them to be cool with it wasn't possible. They trusted me, but they had reservations about "learning a whole new system". They are ready and open now to a homebrew campaign, as we've talked at length about it as a group, but it didn't happen over-night. Besides, I want them to be involved in the process. The game doesn't belong to the DM, it belongs to the club. I think that people have changed too. In our busy world with so many options for entertainment that caters to individuals, finding a schedule that works is more challanging than any of the games that we play. Game-time is precious, and nobody wants to sit there with a bumbling DM, and they assume that all DMs are bumbling. One bad experience is enough to put your average player off of an entire system. Thankfully, if you've got your ducks in a row and can show them how a really good DM does it, they are hooked. If you can get two players to try it, and you do a good job, more will come. |
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Post by mormonyoyoman on Jun 22, 2017 19:37:09 GMT -5
7. Play face-up, not face-down Cut out the free booze if you don't want your players face-down. |
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Post by Admin Pete on Jun 22, 2017 20:00:09 GMT -5
7. Play face-up, not face-down Cut out the free booze if you don't want your players face-down. You're kidding, that is your 500th post!   |
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Post by mormonyoyoman on Jun 22, 2017 20:22:09 GMT -5
And I didn't even get a cookie! 😢
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Post by bravewolf on Jun 22, 2017 20:37:29 GMT -5
And I didn't even get a cookie! 😢 Cos you were too busy going on about free booze  ! |
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Post by mormonyoyoman on Jun 22, 2017 20:41:23 GMT -5
You must be of the Creek or Muskogee tribe.
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Post by bravewolf on Jun 22, 2017 20:46:09 GMT -5
You must be of the Creek or Muskogee tribe. All right, I'll be your huckleberry...why Creek or Muskogee? |
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Post by mormonyoyoman on Jun 22, 2017 20:47:49 GMT -5
Those are my tribe on my dad's side, with our notorious inclination for alcoholism.
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Post by bravewolf on Jun 22, 2017 20:59:15 GMT -5
Those are my tribe on my dad's side, with our notorious inclination for alcoholism. Zoiks! My tribes are from Sinaloa & County Leitrim. Is maith liom uisce beatha! |
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Post by scottanderson on Jun 22, 2017 21:44:56 GMT -5
Rip: you are right, that all makes sense.
Maybe OD&D is the way to go.
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Post by scottanderson on Jun 22, 2017 21:47:20 GMT -5
Sometimes I have kids playing and for some people that is a deal breaker. Gosh, that's terrible. Kids are the best D&D players! |
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Post by bravewolf on Jun 22, 2017 21:58:34 GMT -5
I want to try a real face to face playtest of my Mythical Journeys rules (aside from playing with my kids and wife). There are a lot of RPG guys at the local game store, but they play Pathfinder, White Wolf, Shadowrun, etc. some guys use the 1e rules but they still play it modern. How do I 1) give the elevator pitch, and how do I 2) determine what guys can really hang with the OSR ethic? Is your Mythical Journeys OD&D-based? If so, starting with the 3LLBs & gradually working your modifications into play might maintain just enough familiarity to conscript them into your homebrew. |
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Post by scottanderson on Jun 22, 2017 22:01:18 GMT -5
It's in the neighborhood of 0e and Holmes. So, I think maybe that's the way to go?
I still have to do some scouting. There's a RPG night at the FLGS So I'm going to go, observe, talk shop.
If anyone wants the PDF, I will link it. Most of you know where it is anyway.
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Post by Admin Pete on Jun 22, 2017 22:11:55 GMT -5
Sometimes I have kids playing and for some people that is a deal breaker. Gosh, that's terrible. Kids are the best D&D players! That is an absolute truth!! The best players I have ever had out of about 100 total players over the years was a 9 year old girl and a couple of 10 year old boys. But for whatever reason some people don't want to play with kids in the game, but hey their loss, I play with whoever shows up. |
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Post by bravewolf on Jun 22, 2017 22:33:42 GMT -5
It's in the neighborhood of 0e and Holmes. So, I think maybe that's the way to go? I still have to do some scouting. There's a RPG night at the FLGS So I'm going to go, observe, talk shop. If anyone wants the PDF, I will link it. Most of you know where it is anyway. Cool idea, scouting things out. I neglected to mention in my earlier (on-topic) reply that I also wrote a campaign primer for the prospective players in my Arduinian AD&D campaign. These guys all played D&D 3.5, 5e, & GURPS, but only two of them ever played AD&D. So I wrote this little campaign prospectus, explaining as conversationally as I could my views on old-school gaming, a bit of history of Arduin, some available classes & races, & likely conventions that we'd be using. I really emphasized what I saw as key differences between my style of play & nu skool conventions. I think it came in around 6 pages, but don't recall. I also basically presented the campaign & playing style as objectively, inherently cool. It worked pretty well, as six out of the nine are regulars. Is Mythical Journeys at treasurehunters? EDIT: Yes it is. Hell's bells, Mr. Anderson, I took a quick glance through the game and think it's a great-looking retroclone. If I had known about it a few months ago, I probably would have used it for Arduin instead of AD&D. It reads quite easily, too. Well done. |
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Post by scottanderson on Jun 23, 2017 0:36:57 GMT -5
Oh thank you  that is really great to hear. One of the goals for the game was for it to be really easy to read. I want a ten year old, for instance, to be able to pick it up and figure it out for himself. I lost the .doc manuscript in a tragic and stupid hard drive failure. Had I not, I would make some changes to the copy to make it even easier to grok, but no changes to the rules. The rules are the way that I want them. |
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Post by xizallian on Jun 23, 2017 7:05:56 GMT -5
And I didn't even get a cookie! 😢 So you're the Cookie Monster! |
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Post by xizallian on Jun 23, 2017 7:08:07 GMT -5
Oh thank you that is really great to hear. One of the goals for the game was for it to be really easy to read. I want a ten year old, for instance, to be able to pick it up and figure it out for himself. I lost the .doc manuscript in a tragic and stupid hard drive failure. Had I not, I would make some changes to the copy to make it even easier to grok, but no changes to the rules. The rules are the way that I want them. That is a shame that you lost your hard drive, those are always a real pain. Yeah, if it is too complicated for a 10 year old it is too complicated. |
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Post by Robert the Black on Jun 27, 2017 13:49:47 GMT -5
And I didn't even get a cookie! 😢 So you're the Cookie Monster!You get a fresh shiny Exalt for identifying mormonyoyoman. |
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Post by Robert the Black on Jun 27, 2017 13:50:38 GMT -5
Oh thank you that is really great to hear. One of the goals for the game was for it to be really easy to read. I want a ten year old, for instance, to be able to pick it up and figure it out for himself. I lost the .doc manuscript in a tragic and stupid hard drive failure. Had I not, I would make some changes to the copy to make it even easier to grok, but no changes to the rules. The rules are the way that I want them. Shame you lost your stuff, that happens to way too many people. |
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Post by scottanderson on Jun 27, 2017 18:36:27 GMT -5
Coincidentally, I found it again. My editor had it in a Dropbox.
We will see if the work continues
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Post by scottanderson on Jun 28, 2017 1:22:09 GMT -5
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Post by bravewolf on Jun 28, 2017 2:27:23 GMT -5
I jotted some thoughts about your elevator pitch over at G+. I hope it is helpful.
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Post by Admin Pete on Jun 28, 2017 5:37:26 GMT -5
These days I might change men to men and women, just say'n. Some grogs might object to your use of the term board game, but most will understand that in the context, so don't worry about the grogs, it doesn't bother this one. |
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Post by Admin Pete on Jun 28, 2017 5:37:47 GMT -5
I jotted some thoughts about your elevator pitch over at G+. I hope it is helpful. Link please. |
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Post by bravewolf on Jun 28, 2017 9:11:14 GMT -5
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! 
that is really great to hear. One of the goals for the game was for it to be really easy to read. I want a ten year old, for instance, to be able to pick it up and figure it out for himself. 
