Running Burning Wheel at Gameday this weekend reminded me that I have a tendency to try and cram complex, long-form games into four-hour one-shots. And I was just catching up on Paul Beakley’s post about his notes for running The One Ring, and, like a dog to kibble, I was immediately thinking about doing similar research so that maybe I could try running TOR at Gameday again someday. Which, of course, is insane.
What’s funny is that I am more than happy to play tight, simple, short-form games at cons, but when it comes to time for me to choose a game to run, I zip right past digestible options like Best Friends or Fiasco and go straight for “Oh, I’ll just read all 29 titles for GURPS Transhuman Space and condense it into a tight little con event.”
I am nuts.
Yes.
< ![CDATA[Yes.]]>
How did Burning Wheel go?
< ![CDATA[How did Burning Wheel go?]]>
Bret Gillan It went well! I think it was the best one I’ve created so far. I’m going to do a full write-up in another post.
< ![CDATA[Bret Gillan It went well! I think it was the best one I've created so far. I'm going to do a full write-up in another post.]]>
I have a theory about this. Do you like entertaining others and being in the spotlight?
< ![CDATA[I have a theory about this. Do you like entertaining others and being in the spotlight?]]>
Jesse Coombs I want to hear your theory but for the life of me I can’t disentangle those things.
< ![CDATA[Jesse Coombs I want to hear your theory but for the life of me I can't disentangle those things.]]>
Those words aren’t the best for describing it. Maybe “show off” is better? I mean this with the most positive of connotations.
I totally do this.
< ![CDATA[Those words aren't the best for describing it. Maybe "show off" is better? I mean this with the most positive of connotations. I totally do this.]]>
I read it that way too! I still can’t disentangle them. When I’m entertaining I’m also showing off. It’s about me but it’s also like look how deliriously player-centered I am.
< ![CDATA[I read it that way too! I still can't disentangle them. When I'm entertaining I'm also showing off. It's about me but it's also like look how deliriously player-centered I am.]]>
Why do you need to disentangle?
< ![CDATA[Why do you need to disentangle?]]>
Because you ask “or.”
< ![CDATA[Because you ask "or."]]>
I did?
< ![CDATA[I did?]]>
😛
< ![CDATA[:P]]>
Dude
< ![CDATA[Dude]]>
Jesse Coombs I’m not sure how to answer that. I would not say that I like to show off or that I crave attention, but obviously I am human and so enjoy it if the players are having a good time and crediting me as the source. And I’m generally pretty quiet and retiring, so the chance to be in a position where I am in a position to speak and be heard doing something at which I am competent is one of the things I love about gaming.
But no way would I enjoy the spotlight if it meant that others were having a bad time.
I dunno. The simplest answer might just be that I tend to like “big” games, but my main outlet for them is the Gameday I organize, which is all one-shots. So I have to get my fix where I can.
< ![CDATA[Jesse Coombs I'm not sure how to answer that. I would not say that I like to show off or that I crave attention, but obviously I am human and so enjoy it if the players are having a good time and crediting me as the source. And I'm generally pretty quiet and retiring, so the chance to be in a position where I am in a position to speak and be heard doing something at which I am competent is one of the things I love about gaming. But no way would I enjoy the spotlight if it meant that others were having a bad time. I dunno. The simplest answer might just be that I tend to like "big" games, but my main outlet for them is the Gameday I organize, which is all one-shots. So I have to get my fix where I can.]]>
There’s also the challenge of trying to distill a complex game into a one-shot experience. Can I find the essential bits that convey the game without overwhelming the players? Can I “sell” the game, or will it just seem intimidating?
< ![CDATA[There's also the challenge of trying to distill a complex game into a one-shot experience. Can I find the essential bits that convey the game without overwhelming the players? Can I "sell" the game, or will it just seem intimidating?]]>
Mark Delsing all these considerations are why I’m giving up on BW for convention play.
I’m starting to develop, like you, separate home and con game sets (and tastes).
< ![CDATA[Mark Delsing all these considerations are why I'm giving up on BW for convention play. I'm starting to develop, like you, separate home and con game sets (and tastes).]]>