Mac Moyer ([info]macmoyer) wrote,
@ 2007-05-23 09:56:00
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Thinkin' 'bout Go Play Northwest

I'm building up Go Play Northwest in my mind as absolutely the best thing ever. It's a weekend con, Saturday, June 23rd, and Sunday, June 24th, dedicated to indy RPGs, in relatively-near-me Seattle.

I have mixed feelings about indy RPGs. I'm fascinated right now by the innovation, originality, and ultra-focused mojo they bring to the game table, but I have yet to find one that offers a well-rounded, balanced (in terms of welcoming and rewarding a wide spectrum of player types), sustainable RPG experience. Most of them seem to be amazing for one to five sessions, but they generally don't support campaign play, and don't stand up well to aggressive player experimentation. Even Dogs in the Vineyard, which I thought would make an outstanding long-term campaign, crumbled under the weight of character advancement after four or six sessions (I may write more about this later).

So a con dedicated to indy RPGs would be perfect. An opportunity to experience lots and lots of indy RPGs in their natural environment, the con one-shot, sounds like the perfect way to squeeze out their juicy goodness.

Unfortunately, the timing isn't going to work out. Wee Riley will be at full term by June 23rd, and I won't want to leave Joellen by herself, especially since we live half an hour from town. Therefore, my brain is turning Go Play Northwest into the coolest thing ever, and working hard to convince me that I'm missing out on the opportunity of a lifetime.

Stupid brain.


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[info]biomekanic
2007-05-23 05:44 pm UTC (link)
Since this is the first I have heard of Wee Riley, uber-gratz!

I understand your pain, since every Ambercon I miss is the Coolest One EVAR!

Indy Games... how about Prime Time Adventures? Or Truth and Justice?

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[info]macmoyer
2007-05-23 07:17 pm UTC (link)
Thank you! We're very excited.

I haven't played T&J, so I have no comment.

PTA definitely qualifies as ultra-focused, which I think is a Good Thing and a Bad Thing. It pushes the Storyteller button better than any game I've ever played, giving players unprecedented ability to participate in and define the story, which is awesome. But it fails -- or, more accurately, doesn't even try -- to push any other buttons. If you have players who just want the Storyteller button pushed for a whole campaign, it's the ultimate choice. As the anti-d20, it's perfect.

It's supposed to be sustainable over the long term, and system-wise I don't see why it wouldn't be.

But, unfortunately, I don't want Primetime Adventures to be my staple game. For me, the Storyteller button is a big deal, but I also have a fair amount of Tactician in me. That makes me kind of picky about games, because I'm more-or-less equally at totally opposite ends of the structure spectrum. I tend to crave GM-imposed structure in my games (like a typical Storyteller), but I want a clear, clever system that lets me have some control over outcomes, but makes me feel like I have to work for it (like a typical Tactician).

Moreover, I have to pick my games with a whole group of players in mind. PTA is a little intimidating for the Casual Gamer, it offers no rewards for the Tactician, Power Gamer, or the Specialist, and precious little for the Butt Kicker. Theoretically, it should be good for Method Actors, but in practice I think it's a little weak there; because the system is so intertwined with social interaction scenes, it has to pop in and out of character too much.

I have a lot to say about indy RPGs, and how they're failing to meet my needs and why, but I think I'll save that for a new post. To make a long story short, Primetime Adventures, to me, is like a fantastic bakery. They have the most amazing desserts I've ever tasted, complex and crafted with a master's understanding of how the human tongue works, and their selection is incredible. But, the fact is, I can't eat desert all the time. I need more. I've enjoyed my experiences with Primetime Adventures, and I will definitely go there for dessert again and again, but I need to find a restaurant that serves good entrees.

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[info]macmoyer
2007-05-23 07:29 pm UTC (link)
The list of indy RPGs I've played would probably give some context to my comments:
  • Primetime Adventures
  • Dogs in the Vineyard
  • The Shab-al-Hiri Roach
  • Burning Empires
I know I'm missing out some major titles in the indy RPG movement, like The Mountain Witch, Sorcerer, and My Life with Master. But I don't really feel like being a "collector" when it comes to indy RPGs, because I've ultimately been a little unsatisfied, somehow, with my experiences so far.

Which, again, was why I really want to go to Go Play NW, so I can sample a bunch of indy RPGs without committing to purchasing all of them.

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[info]biomekanic
2007-05-23 08:01 pm UTC (link)
As someone more on the method actor/storyteller axis, I've been pretty happy with PTA. [info]chadu has on his LJ (or maybe it's on the Truth and Justice community...) a link to a mashup of PTA and his PDQ system, it adds some more Tactician elements to PTA and gives some more room for advancement rules... here actually. Chad's the author of Truth and Justice, Dead Inside ( the anti-D&D IMO), the Zorceror of Zoz, and the forth coming Swashbucklers of the Seven Skies.

I get a lot of my Tactician urges out playing City of Heroes/Villains ( and depending on the group, actual RP as well ).

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[info]pjack
2007-05-24 08:19 am UTC (link)
I'd love to go to Go Play NW this year, but I don't think that I can swing it, money-wise. It will, of course, be the Best Thing Ever.

What really sucks is that there will be people there that I know from AmberCon NW, who I'd love to see and game with.

Hmm. Maybe I should look at that budget one more time...

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