Thursday, February 5, 2009

"But the world has changed in 10 years..."

Monopoly has been the same game for years. There are variants to the rules and the game, like cash goes on Free Parking, rolling three consecutive doubles lands you in jail, Star Trek Edition, but it's still the same game.

The conceit of oWoD Vampire is that the Camarilla has been around for 600 odd years, and that does not mean it has to change in 10 years because a bunch of gamers are bored and feel they need to have to have typhonic beast, feral claws, skin of the adder, arms of the abyss and necro to be able to go to the corner store and get a pack of smokes.

The argument could also be made that what was fun when you were 17, such as thinking that playing an undead level 30 Paladin with a lich dragon mount was cool, might not be as fun at 27, or 35.

I agree that there is run to go forward in the Sect, and we already have. There's a Gangrel Justicar again, the Assamites have become the Children of Haqim and joined the Camarilla, but it also seems that White Wolf provided an alternative for the more "PVP" minded: militant and heavily regimented armies; secret societies that like to kill Demons; jump onto alternate moralities to justify becoming a monster; and just casually murdering of whole swathes of vampires wearing the wrong jersey. It's called the Sabbat.

The Camarilla game is a social and subtle one that is occasionally marred by moments of violence, that is not celebrated, but endured.

If you change monster of the week plots to ones that explore the nature of the Kindred and it's Beast, plots where the PCs choice to retain their humanity is the reward, then you start playing the Camarilla game. Because there is PVP in the Camarilla game, and it requires smart players, which you get with smart challenges.

If just keep offering crack to crack whores to make them spend their XP welfare checks then that's what your going to get. Offer a compelling fun game in with moral dilemmas are solved by being better and not by killing it with your vorpal sword of slaying, then maybe more players may start enjoying themselves rather than watching the few high point sheets hijack games that no one is willing to deal with because those players are friends with the ST.

1 comment:

  1. If only there was some Coord who could run Org wide Gehenna Cults, or NPCs seeking Golconda, and help STs help players explore that rich vein of humanity, the beast, and religion so central to Vampire.

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