Comments on: Stupid Monsters of D&D http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2008/07/30/stupid-monsters-of-dd/ Utterly random, incoherent and disjointed rants and ramblings... Fri, 09 Jan 2009 03:05:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.5 by: Tormod Haugen http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2008/07/30/stupid-monsters-of-dd/#comment-9780 Tue, 05 Aug 2008 16:04:33 +0000 http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2008/07/30/stupid-monsters-of-dd/#comment-9780 Yep, we're 6 people in 5 different Norwegian cities- We're playing live over Skype (almost) every Wednesday evening, as long as at least four of us can "get there". Ars Magica revolves around a troupe of characters, each player controlling one Mage - and possibly a companion (Hero) and/or a group of "normal" people. Not every character is in every story; those who are not in the action is updated between play sessions. Mages study, others train, work or otherwise occupies themselves. This also yield experience. I'll try and elaborate in a blog post :) Yep, we’re 6 people in 5 different Norwegian cities- We’re playing live over Skype (almost) every Wednesday evening, as long as at least four of us can “get there”.

Ars Magica revolves around a troupe of characters, each player controlling one Mage - and possibly a companion (Hero) and/or a group of “normal” people.

Not every character is in every story; those who are not in the action is updated between play sessions. Mages study, others train, work or otherwise occupies themselves. This also yield experience.

I’ll try and elaborate in a blog post )

]]> by: Luke Maciak http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2008/07/30/stupid-monsters-of-dd/#comment-9778 Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:15:42 +0000 http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2008/07/30/stupid-monsters-of-dd/#comment-9778 I keep hearing praise being heaped on Ars Magica. I will need to try it at some point. :) I'm amazed the online thing works for you. I've been in a few groups that broke up due to logistics (people moved, spawned offspring or simply could not commit to a weekly or bi-weekly sessions). Every time we tried to move the game online, in some sort of play by mail/forum format and each time we have failed miserably. Do you actually use the voice chat feature of Skype and play it "live"? I keep hearing praise being heaped on Ars Magica. I will need to try it at some point. )

I’m amazed the online thing works for you. I’ve been in a few groups that broke up due to logistics (people moved, spawned offspring or simply could not commit to a weekly or bi-weekly sessions). Every time we tried to move the game online, in some sort of play by mail/forum format and each time we have failed miserably.

Do you actually use the voice chat feature of Skype and play it “live”?

]]> by: Tormod Haugen http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2008/07/30/stupid-monsters-of-dd/#comment-9772 Tue, 05 Aug 2008 08:13:51 +0000 http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2008/07/30/stupid-monsters-of-dd/#comment-9772 Well, I don't... OK, I do. I started with AD&D 2nd ed.(English) back in 92 or 93 or something. I've been through a lot of systems since then, but the highlights are the real Star Wars (D6 system), GURPS and Ars Magica (By Atlas Games) - since around 95 or so. I'm still playing Ars Magica - 5th ed. now. It is great for role-playing, stories and continuity. We're mostly playing in the same group, using Skype and a wiki, sharing the role of Storyteller. Well, I don’t… OK, I do. I started with AD&D 2nd ed.(English) back in 92 or 93 or something. I’ve been through a lot of systems since then, but the highlights are the real Star Wars (D6 system), GURPS and Ars Magica (By Atlas Games) - since around 95 or so.

I’m still playing Ars Magica - 5th ed. now. It is great for role-playing, stories and continuity. We’re mostly playing in the same group, using Skype and a wiki, sharing the role of Storyteller.

]]> by: Luke Maciak http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2008/07/30/stupid-monsters-of-dd/#comment-9760 Thu, 31 Jul 2008 19:03:48 +0000 http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2008/07/30/stupid-monsters-of-dd/#comment-9760 Great to hear that. The site does seem speedier, but I don't think this is anything that I did. Perhaps Dreamhost finally got their shit together. Great to hear that. The site does seem speedier, but I don’t think this is anything that I did. Perhaps Dreamhost finally got their shit together.

]]> by: freelancer http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2008/07/30/stupid-monsters-of-dd/#comment-9758 Thu, 31 Jul 2008 18:53:20 +0000 http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2008/07/30/stupid-monsters-of-dd/#comment-9758 I disagree about the front page. While it is still a bit slow, it's nowhere near as slow as it used to be. It used to take at least a minute to load, now it takes 12 seconds (I timed it :P) I disagree about the front page. While it is still a bit slow, it’s nowhere near as slow as it used to be. It used to take at least a minute to load, now it takes 12 seconds (I timed it P )

]]> by: Luke Maciak http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2008/07/30/stupid-monsters-of-dd/#comment-9747 Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:40:55 +0000 http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2008/07/30/stupid-monsters-of-dd/#comment-9747 Also, I have no clue about the speed increase. My guess is that Dreamhost rebooted the server and the load didn't skyrocket yet or something. Or maybe they did something to improve their infrastructure/load balancing. The front page still loads pretty slow, but individual post pages seem a tiny bit faster. Go figure. Also, I have no clue about the speed increase. My guess is that Dreamhost rebooted the server and the load didn’t skyrocket yet or something.

Or maybe they did something to improve their infrastructure/load balancing. The front page still loads pretty slow, but individual post pages seem a tiny bit faster. Go figure.

]]> by: Luke Maciak http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2008/07/30/stupid-monsters-of-dd/#comment-9746 Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:38:33 +0000 http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2008/07/30/stupid-monsters-of-dd/#comment-9746 Heh, in Polish neither Dungeons (Lochy) nor Dragons (Smoki) start with a D so I believe the original name was kept in in the Polish D&D related releases. :P Heh, in Polish neither Dungeons (Lochy) nor Dragons (Smoki) start with a D so I believe the original name was kept in in the Polish D&D related releases. P

]]> by: freelancer http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2008/07/30/stupid-monsters-of-dd/#comment-9745 Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:09:37 +0000 http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2008/07/30/stupid-monsters-of-dd/#comment-9745 Interesting sidenote; D&D translated to Swedish is actually Dragons&Demons, because Dungeons doesn't start with a D in Swedish. Also, Luke, has your site gotten faster? Used to take about a minute or two to load, now it takes ten seconds. Interesting sidenote; D&D translated to Swedish is actually Dragons&Demons, because Dungeons doesn’t start with a D in Swedish.

Also, Luke, has your site gotten faster? Used to take about a minute or two to load, now it takes ten seconds.

]]> by: Luke Maciak http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2008/07/30/stupid-monsters-of-dd/#comment-9744 Thu, 31 Jul 2008 13:56:39 +0000 http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2008/07/30/stupid-monsters-of-dd/#comment-9744 Wow, interesting. I guess it is fair to say that most of Europe was playing WFRP then. I believe it was big in Germany too (or so I've heard) and England of course (where it was created). Interestingly enough in US it was never anything more than a tiny blip on the radar. D&D seems to still be dominant and it never seemed to "go out of style". Go figure. Chthulhu and Shadowrun were also huge in Poland. So was most of the World of Darkness line - especially Warewolf for some reason. Earthdawn was becoming popular around the time I was leaving the country - possibly because of the huge marketing push and hype that preceded it's Polish release. Wow, interesting. I guess it is fair to say that most of Europe was playing WFRP then. I believe it was big in Germany too (or so I’ve heard) and England of course (where it was created).

Interestingly enough in US it was never anything more than a tiny blip on the radar. D&D seems to still be dominant and it never seemed to “go out of style”. Go figure.

Chthulhu and Shadowrun were also huge in Poland. So was most of the World of Darkness line - especially Warewolf for some reason.

Earthdawn was becoming popular around the time I was leaving the country - possibly because of the huge marketing push and hype that preceded it’s Polish release.

]]> by: Alphast http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2008/07/30/stupid-monsters-of-dd/#comment-9740 Thu, 31 Jul 2008 08:49:34 +0000 http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2008/07/30/stupid-monsters-of-dd/#comment-9740 Interesting to see that in France too, Warhammer RPG was very popular. The fact that the set up was neatly translated in French and had beautiful hard cover books as well as a coherent universe was probably helping. It is not to say that D&D was unpopular, but it was seen as already out of fashion. In 1988 and 1989 (when I began playing RPG's), the main games in France were Call of Chthulhu, Warhammer, Cyberpunk and locally developed Mega. Mega was actually made in 1987, by the journalists of French RPG magazine Casus Belli. I think it precedes by one year the first fully French independent RPG: Légendes Celtiques (Celtic Legends), which later evolved in Legends of the Thousand and One Nights, First Legends, etc. Anyway, I am still playing Warhammer RPG, as well as various other "table" RPGs (Das Schwarze Auge, Star Trek), with my Dutch group of players. We mainly play more recent games though: Legends of the Five Rings, Deadlands, Shadowrun and so on. Interesting to see that in France too, Warhammer RPG was very popular. The fact that the set up was neatly translated in French and had beautiful hard cover books as well as a coherent universe was probably helping. It is not to say that D&D was unpopular, but it was seen as already out of fashion. In 1988 and 1989 (when I began playing RPG’s), the main games in France were Call of Chthulhu, Warhammer, Cyberpunk and locally developed Mega. Mega was actually made in 1987, by the journalists of French RPG magazine Casus Belli. I think it precedes by one year the first fully French independent RPG: Légendes Celtiques (Celtic Legends), which later evolved in Legends of the Thousand and One Nights, First Legends, etc.

Anyway, I am still playing Warhammer RPG, as well as various other “table” RPGs (Das Schwarze Auge, Star Trek), with my Dutch group of players. We mainly play more recent games though: Legends of the Five Rings, Deadlands, Shadowrun and so on.

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