tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post8678325049871331194..comments2023-05-27T11:14:02.426-04:00Comments on Some Space to Think: A Question of SettingAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14216103531396452644noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-56028607863811115312011-01-02T17:50:15.884-05:002011-01-02T17:50:15.884-05:00Ah ha. Golden Comeback wasn't one of mine and ...Ah ha. <i>Golden Comeback</i> wasn't one of mine and my recall of it isn't so great. There are a few "cooler-than-thou" NPCs in the <i>Feng Shui</i> history, but I tried not to add to that stack.Will Hindmarchhttp://www.wordstudio.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-71435129622140333122011-01-02T16:14:54.485-05:002011-01-02T16:14:54.485-05:00Well, crap, I hit the bookself and realized I mean...Well, crap, I hit the bookself and realized I meant Golden Comeback.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14216103531396452644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-43668310178663441722011-01-02T15:52:48.522-05:002011-01-02T15:52:48.522-05:00On Twitter you said the NPC is The Dragon. I don&#...On Twitter you said the NPC is The Dragon. I don't recall him at all and flipping through the book just now I don't see him statted in there. Did I miss him?Will Hindmarchhttp://www.wordstudio.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-25116176179428360002011-01-02T14:55:21.279-05:002011-01-02T14:55:21.279-05:00@Will In fairness, it's only one of the FoD NP...@Will In fairness, it's only one of the FoD NPCs, but tellingly, it is the single NPC that sticks in my brain all these years later without my even cracking open the book. <br /><br />That said, you're right, never is a hell of a word, and I concede some necessary wiggle room. Your point about NPCs defining the setting is a good one, and I think the real rub is in the nature of the activity: I'm not asserting that NPCs should not be proactive or important, but I think they need to contend with two things. The first is that there are KINDS of actions better suited to players and second (as you note) that there's a difference between what happens on the page and on the table. A multitude of sins become forgivable when they're performed by the GM in pursuit of play when contrasted with when they occur in print, in pre-emption of play.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14216103531396452644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-12079682119062451992011-01-02T13:33:07.239-05:002011-01-02T13:33:07.239-05:00As to Friends of the Dragon, I don't recall th...As to <i>Friends of the Dragon</i>, I don't recall the NPCs you're talking about. (It's been a while since I went back to that book.) I can tell you for sure, though, that "cooler-than-thou" NPCs were not in the design doc for that book. <br /><br />I can also tell you that, based on forum posts and notes I got as the <i>Vampire</i> developer, that NPCs who don't do things to the setting can be deemed feckless by the audience, at least when compared to the setting-shaking NPCs of the previous WoD. The sig characters of <i>Requiem</i> weren't hot because they didn't shake or define the setting. That is, yes, NPCs can be cool for things they do to the setting when you take in the property as a whole (novels, etc.). I agree that it's gross when it could be subtle or classy.<br /><br />Can they be abused? Sure.<br /><br />The trick, I think, is to have NPCs that define the setting the PCs are introduced to, not NPCs who <i>defy</i> the setting to demonstrate their own badassery. NPCs should allow PCs to debate, seduce, argue with, or fist fight the setting directly. <br /><br />I had a DM last year who had a more-powerful-than-us NPC who was a real jerk. We wanted to take him down a peg, but we were afraid he was out of our reach (this being D&D and us being merely Paragons). He was a great foil for us, when used correctly—an immovable object around which we sometimes flowed. Now, what RPG writers do and what DMs do are not the same thing, but I bring it up because you used the word "never," which is a hell of a word.<br /><br />The problem, I say, is that grandiose (not necessarily "cooler-than-thou") NPCs can be abused and that RPG writers and fellow GMs do not share their education on how to use them well for specific purposes. Taking focus away is often not good, but taking opportunities away is part of restricting choices, which is part of game design.<br /><br />Anyway, I don't know which NPCs you're talking about in <i>Friends</i>, but I can tell you that they weren't designed to be "cooler-than-thou."Will Hindmarchhttp://www.wordstudio.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-8380652115995352152011-01-01T01:09:55.263-05:002011-01-01T01:09:55.263-05:00Hey. Not really relevant to this post in particula...Hey. Not really relevant to this post in particular, but:<br /><br />Big, BIG fan here -- Always excited to see your new rules hacks and thoughts. Also, I'm a beginning gaming blogger, and I thought you might consider taking a look at my site (realmcrafting.blogspot.com) and perhaps giving it a nod. It's an ongoing campaign-creation blog, following my efforts to put together a cross-dimensional fantasy setting based on the Fate ruleset.<br /><br />Thanks!Gremlin1384https://www.blogger.com/profile/00062614422718891716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-47990362459561815972010-12-31T22:32:05.291-05:002010-12-31T22:32:05.291-05:00As to footnote 2, I wonder if it's because it&...As to footnote 2, I wonder if it's because it's so much easier to add new cults and critters to the Mythos without disrupting it's basic structure -- Unlike Amber, where you can only have so many credible Amber-level threats come out of the woodwork without crowding the multiverse.<br /><br />But on your main point, I think that Everway might have fit in, if it had survived. The framework was complete. Setting books would just detail new Spheres or stat up the families of Everway.Uncle Darkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15153259977898899885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-91948589474561177732010-12-31T14:40:48.596-05:002010-12-31T14:40:48.596-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Reverance Pavanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01217657347160811310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-36975145626146959992010-12-31T14:21:43.409-05:002010-12-31T14:21:43.409-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Reverance Pavanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01217657347160811310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-54132309316920396142010-12-31T12:29:45.119-05:002010-12-31T12:29:45.119-05:00" RPG writers - your NPCs will never be cool ..." RPG writers - your NPCs will never be cool for the things they did to the setting. You take opportunities and focus away from the people who are actually playing your game."<br /><br /><br />A-freaking-men.Vaklamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14839979414750032302noreply@blogger.com