Outsmarting the Fun – part 2
by Stan Polson
How to Game like it’s 1999!
In part one, I presented my hypothesis that I am not alone in having less fun today as a gamer than I did as when I was younger (and dumber). Many of you agreed, and some of you didn’t. That’s good. It shows us with certainty that those of us not having as much fun are clearly doing something wrong, and we are going to buckle down here and try to figure out where we’ve strayed. The problem, as I addressed previously, sneaks up on us as our games are adapted to match our maturing tastes, so let’s have a look at what we do differently as adults.
First, if you’re like me, your early characters were little more than a cool name and some stats. Your more recent characters are given a rich back story, personality and flaws.
Second, when building characters, your earlier attempts were focused on cool or powerful combat abilities. Maybe you played martial artists or dual-pistol wielding vigilantes, but the point is your wizard spent his 1st level spell slots on Magic Missle. Today, you spend that slot on Detect Magic or some other utility. Latter day characters are built around utility and interaction.
Third, if you wanted to play a special character type, you would attempt to create your own class or skills and get them approved by your GM. As we have matured, we have learned that the difference from a rules perspective between a Samurai and a Knight is mostly cosmetic, and that many houserule classes and character types are little more than unnecessary crutches that a good role player can work around without much trouble.
Finally, we have come to play with an end in sight. Gone are the days when our parties would seek passage on a ship just to travel over to some island (or planet!) because there are dinosaurs there and fighting a t-rex would be fun. These days, we only get to play every two weeks and if I don’t get this forged note to the general, who will? Similarly, we’ve lost our desire for specific equipment as well well experiences. Instead, we take what we are given and soldier forth to the next development because the plot before us doesn’t specifically call for a flying carpet or strength-boosting power armor.
I’m sure we agree on several of these points, if not all of them, but the solution isn’t as easy as just creating Garlock the Fearsome, loading him down with Magic Missles and seeking only to get a staff of the magi so he can fight a tarrasque, because that’s really dumb. Really, really dumb.
What then? Well, I’ll tell you.
Stan’s Tips for Gaming Like a 16-year-old (Even if you’re closer to 40):
1) Try playing a character that is an idealized version of yourself. Not every time, but occasionally. Exhibit within your character a version of your own morals, ideals and desires. Live vicariously through the character. Alternatively, base your character on a favorite hero or protagonist from popular culture.
2) Don’t fill a broad role. Early characters were built either as if they were going to adventure alone (self-sufficient jacks-of-all-trades) or to do one thing exceptionally well (get-away drivers, hackers and starship pilots come to mind). I think the latter option is probably going to pay higher dividends for a mature gamer, but I could be wrong. The main point here is to play the character who would most likely get his own spin-off if the campaign were a TV show.
3) Do cinematic things. Have a trademark “move”. Light a cigar off the charred remains of your fallen enemies and say something pithy. Feel cool when your character looks cool and make the other players feel cool when their characters look cool. In other words: that’s a d12 in your hand, Ebert. Come off it.
4) Have something on your character sheet that isn’t by-the-book. Design a cool feat, race, class, ability or skill and submit it to your GM. Err on the side of unbalanced and game-breaking, if only for the nostalgia.
5) Want things. Want to own things and see things and do things. These don’t have to be the things you wanted when you were teenager, but let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water. Flatter your GM into compliance by wanting things that he drops hints about or has mentioned in previous games or conversations. The GM is Santa Claus and he takes considerable pleasure in seeing you light up when he tells you what you find in the dragon’s hoard.
This list is obviously incomplete, and I’m sure you can come up with your own ideas. Please share them in the comments. And more importantly, I don’t mean to suggest that this list is some kind of panacea that will cure you of your woes. Instead, I merely suggest that perhaps while reaching upward and outward for more diverse role playing experiences, many of us have scrapped a whole slew of options that are worth revisiting.
Next we’ll look at what the GM can do to bring a little old-school fun to the new-school table. Until then, level up, do good deeds and keep the rest of us posted on how it all works out!
I think that a good rule of thumb is to keep it fun. Not all of us can take roleplaying as seriously as th FTB-crew. Drama and action is great and all, but you’re still just sitting around the table with your friends, enjoying your hobby.
That last character that I truly enjoyed playing, was a bard in 3.5. I had a huge charisma and the Leadership feat. I had just bought the castle builder handbook and made it my main goal to create a Utopian like city for my Good aligned bard.
Have a goal. Something drastic, it helps to have a good DM who will help you realize that goal, even if it costs you.
Well I’d just like to say that even I, being the mere age of 14, am beginning to feel what you older guy’s are feeling. I began gaming back when I was 9 or 10 and as you can suspect, all of our games were rip-roaring, powergaming murder fests where the only goal was to get enough gold to go to the brothel.
But since then it seems like our games have gotten so dry as we are all trying to be creative and avoid any form of cliche. So my advice is:
Go for the cliche every once in a while! Wip out the good old elven ranger! Let yourself kill a horde of goblins just for the heck of it!
Like shieldknight01 the last character I truly enjoyed playing was a bard in v3.5. He had a good charisma along with a crappy wisdom and below average intelligence. This allowed me to do the crazy, stupid stuff that makes a character lots of fun.
So the true advice here is clear: Play a 3.5 bard. They’re awesome. And no matter what the problem, prestidigitation is the solution. You just have to be creative enough to find it.
Bard not awesome enough for you? Duelist Prestige Class from the 3.5 DMG. Bard/Duelist is even more awesomer than the mostest awesomest single-class bard could ever be.
I’d also recommend seizing any opportunity that comes up to play whacked-out games like Toon, Inspectres, Paranoia or It Came From the Late, Late, Late Show since in general it seems that such opportunities are few and far between. Not something I’d recommend to do every week, but every now and then I’m sure it would help the ever-creeping despair of the approaching grave. :)
Honestly, my fun level dropped the moment I opened the Monster Manual and DM’s guide. When I was just a young player that didn’t know what was going on behind the DM’s screeen – THAT is when I enjoyed the game the most.
I think the fun problem has more to do with seeing it as ‘just a game’ then actually aging. It was like discovering how a magic trick was done and then no longer being able to watch a magic show without figuring each trick out – which can be fun in its own right. It is a different kind of fun, but believing in the magic is so much more . . . . magical.
Granted, since then I have become an accomplished DM and have enjoyed the game for well over 25 years, but my naive year was the best.
Or, just play Spirit of the Century.
Something I notice in your descriptions is that the GM is the elephant in the room. “Utility spells are boring but better, because your GM makes you use them. Don’t ask this of your GM. Ask that of your GM. Flatter your GM, he might give you shinies.” Most of the problems you put forth have an easier solution: get a new GM. Someone who isn’t a cantankerous old coot with no sense of fun. Barring that, play something different. I’ve never played Exalted, but from what I hear punching reality itself is a commonly required task: http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/Category:Motivational_Posters:_Exalted
I really believe that what all of your great advise boils down to is this: Don’t take the game too seriously. truthfully, how serious were you about the game when you were 16?? If you were anything like me… you probably laughed a lot and silly little antics.. which you might not even consider doing anymore!
Worrying excessively over “is the game balanced” and “is everyone at the same power levels” and similar, only detracts from the game. I figure… as long as everyone is having fun, laughing, and getting some social interaction… welll… Game on!
Our group never had an issue of lack of fun or “maturity”. This is a group that makes new feats (Fecal Offensive – fully written out and everything!) and does stupid things (my character beheads then jumps up and down on someone she’s just killed). No lack of excitement here! :D