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You know what's the funniest part about statting oneselves? INT arms race.
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Dec 9, 2014 10:29
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| # ? May 24, 2024 03:37 |
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I feel there's two entirely different discussions here, because when I think of "playing myself" in a game where you become rad superheroes or get teleported into a fantasy land to become an acrobat, I don't think of literally stating out intelligence or whatever, I think of "Ok I have these sweet superpowers or whatever but I still think like me." Like what sort of physical or mental stats I would have never even enters the equation. I'm this superhero who's super strong or super fast, or I'm this cool thief who can steal anything, but with "Cirno" as their personality. That's what I was trying to get out; trying to stat yourself out is a thing I probably a game I wouldn't want to play. But that's not the only way to play yourself. Playing myself as this awesome protagonist who's also still totally me? That's a whole different story.
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Dec 9, 2014 13:47
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The longer this argument goes on, the more I'm seeing an underlying attempt to justify hiding away your life in a bubble. Like, I look back on the people I've gamed with, and I could absolutely see them as at least a group of Hunter: The Reckoning characters: we've had a doctor, a lawyer, gun nuts, survivalists, techies, Ren Fair groupies, ex-military, jack-of-all-trades, librarians, teachers, belted martial artists...just a big ol' mess of skillsets and personalities, like you encounter when interacting with other people in the world. I've been in sessions where 3/4 of the group was knitting while gaming, myself included.  Upset about your group being a bunch of pasty IT guys? Go do something about it. Learn a skill, go camping, whatever you want. It shouldn't even be a hard sell, just dress it up in some kind of "zombie apocalypse" justification; nerds eat that poo poo right up.
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Dec 9, 2014 15:10
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AmiYumi posted:Upset about your group being a bunch of pasty IT guys? Go do something about it. Learn a skill, go camping, whatever you want. It shouldn't even be a hard sell, just dress it up in some kind of "zombie apocalypse" justification; nerds eat that poo poo right up.
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Dec 9, 2014 17:41
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dwarf74 posted:Just so I'm clear, I should go camping so next time I stat myself up in an RPG, I have a camping skill? There are dumber reasons to go camping I suppose. Everyone should go camping, it's really fun.
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Dec 9, 2014 17:45
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Doodmons posted:There are dumber reasons to go camping I suppose. But no, there aren't many dumber reasons to go camping, I'm afraid.
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Dec 9, 2014 17:49
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As someone who loves the outdoors and going camping every so often, there aren't many good reasons to go camping. Here. Let me ignore 15,000 years of humanity trying to get the gently caress away from nature and spend time outdoors in inclement weather with a thin sheet in between me and the elements.
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Dec 9, 2014 17:53
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I've always hated the "getting back to nature" thing. The whole point of civilization is to get away from bloody nature! I'm a firm believer we invented the car so we wouldn't have to ride around on cantankerous smell horses any more. Of course, we've not quite adapted to the whole city thing yet, but I'm sure evolution will get there.
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Dec 9, 2014 17:55
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I want to go camping because I spent most of this year working in an office with no windows, in a city that was basically a concrete jungle comprised of nothing but apartments, shopping malls, and offices. You have no idea how badly I want to see a tree and feral animals.
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Dec 9, 2014 18:00
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To steal from Jim Gaffigan: Camping was a tradition in everyone's family, then we invented "indoors". Edit: However, I don't think I could live in a city that didn't have trees and lakes scattered throughout it.
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Dec 9, 2014 18:25
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AmiYumi posted:The longer this argument goes on, the more I'm seeing an underlying attempt to justify hiding away your life in a bubble. Tell me more of this strange world outside the bubble. 
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Dec 9, 2014 18:51
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I like my bubble. All my stuff is in here.
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Dec 9, 2014 19:02
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i love the concrete jungle
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Dec 9, 2014 19:24
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I spent my whole life constructing this beautifully intricate glassblown bubble, and now you're telling me there's a better way...?
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Dec 9, 2014 19:29
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dwarf74 posted:Just so I'm clear, I should go camping so next time I stat myself up in an RPG, I have a camping skill? All of SA, apparently posted:BUT BUT BUT I HATE CAMPING
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Dec 9, 2014 19:42
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AmiYumi posted:The longer this argument goes on, the more I'm seeing an underlying attempt to justify hiding away your life in a bubble. Like, I look back on the people I've gamed with, and I could absolutely see them as at least a group of Hunter: The Reckoning characters: we've had a doctor, a lawyer, gun nuts, survivalists, techies, Ren Fair groupies, ex-military, jack-of-all-trades, librarians, teachers, belted martial artists...just a big ol' mess of skillsets and personalities, like you encounter when interacting with other people in the world. I've been in sessions where 3/4 of the group was knitting while gaming, myself included. That's certainly one interpretation I guess. It's kind of condescending (especially that whole "well it's just self-loathing" bit) and wrong, but sure, why not. I'm technically a "belted martial artist," I actually practiced for ten years give or take. I would absolutely not, by any stretch of the imagination, ever stat myself up as any sort of RPG-equivalent martial artist because A). it's been many years since I've practiced, B). my body is in significant worse shape at this point, and C). the number of actual fights I've ever gotten into could be counted on zero fingers. Likewise I once held and fired an actual gun, I'm pretty sure that doesn't mean I know how to shoot someone, and I'm not really interested in pretending it does, nor do I really want to listen to Bob try to tell me that he would totally have Guns 6 because he's logged a hundred hours of Call of Duty and that totally counts. The people I've gamed with, and myself, are not a Hunter the Reckoning party waiting to happen unless we're talking "hear voices from God, go insane and maybe commit suicide," I could see that happening. I'm not upset about that because RPG characters are frequently like adepts from Unknown Armies...they may have the ability to do things like "walk into a knife fight unarmed and walk back out standing" or "break into secured facilities without being detected" but they frequently don't have things like "a loving family" or "a decent home and a stable job." Also they get shot at a lot more often. So frankly RPG protagonists are fun to play in the same way that a fictional character is fun to watch or read about, but actually being one is not something I particularly fantasize about being, no. I have no earthly interest in going out and learning something because it might make me a better RPG protagonist or whatever the gently caress. Yes, I'm interested in bettering myself, but the things I'm interested in learning and doing still won't make me a better zombie apocalypse survivor and I don't care, because zombie apocalypse nerd survivalist fantasies frankly get pretty insufferable after a while.
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Dec 9, 2014 19:48
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Just FYI all of you would have Driving ** or *** in old world of darkness, suck it. (Unless you are a city-slicker I guess??)
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Dec 9, 2014 20:42
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Actually just Driving *, I've never driven anything with manual transmission!
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Dec 9, 2014 20:53
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Don't know who to reply to in regards to the playing yourself scenario, but I had another thought about it. If you asked me twenty years ago if this sounded fun, then I'd probably say yes. One major difference between now and then are the social aspects of myself. I'm married, have debt and I have parents who are retired (and I occasionally have to help). If I was to play in a game where I'm myself, then I'd spend my time taking care of my wife and my family. I'd spend a lot of time worrying about their health and well being. Not to mention I'd worry about all the other issues in my life that concern me. These aren't the kind of things I'd enjoy dealing with in a RPG. Now if I was to have a different version of myself without a wife, a close family, or any other obligations; then I'd probably be up for it. At that point I'm not playing myself anymore.
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Dec 9, 2014 20:59
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Look at all you fat nerds, not having the guts to play yourselves in an RPG! Just look death in the eye, pretend you're not a fat useless rear end in a top hat and give yourself 4 dots in martial arts because you went to some karate lessons in middle school like the rest of us.
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Dec 9, 2014 21:00
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I've got Occult ***** because I used to browse the New Age section at the book store. I guess every time I play a spellcaster/mage I am playing myself!
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Dec 9, 2014 21:08
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I'd have 2 dots in some bureaucratic file management skill, so I'd argue with the GM that this can easily apply to in-game effects on post-apocalyptic resource management. The other pertinent question is, how many dots in History (Japan) do you get from watching 10 years' worth of anime?
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Dec 9, 2014 21:11
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Not to confirm AmiYumi's sentiments, but the only possible way I see myself playing myself and not turning out soul-crushingly badly is by playing games based on either FFTA (as Professor Cirno suggests) or Log Horizon/Sword Art Online/.hack, and they all have some rather "...erm..." issues. Guess it's sticking to prettyboys who are nothing like me, then! 
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Dec 9, 2014 21:20
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Libertad! posted:The other pertinent question is, how many dots in History (Japan) do you get from watching 10 years' worth of anime? None. You actually owe the game three dots.
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Dec 9, 2014 21:21
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Mormon Star Wars posted:Just FYI all of you would have Driving ** or *** in old world of darkness, suck it. I literally could not tell you which is the gas and which is the brake.
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Dec 9, 2014 21:21
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This thread, in a nutshell:All y'all posted:We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner! 
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Dec 9, 2014 21:35
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My past few posts have been needlessly hostile. Yes. It comes from a place of frustration. I spent last night dealing with a friend - who I used to game with - doing the "I hate my life, I hate my job, I hate being single, but change is scary and might not go perfectly so I'll give up in advance and wallow in self-pity" dance, with a side of "psychologists just take your money and hook you on pills, I'm smarter than them so I don't need to see one besides they're for crazy people and I'm not crazy". Basically, this:  Just without the robots or naked clone moms. Libertad! posted:The other pertinent question is, how many dots in History (Japan) do you get from watching 10 years' worth of anime? Evil Mastermind posted:None. You actually owe the game three dots.
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Dec 9, 2014 21:52
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ProfessorCirno posted:I feel there's two entirely different discussions here, because when I think of "playing myself" in a game where you become rad superheroes or get teleported into a fantasy land to become an acrobat, I don't think of literally stating out intelligence or whatever, I think of "Ok I have these sweet superpowers or whatever but I still think like me." ProfessorCirno made the reply I would have. It's a grown-up version of play pretend, just like every other RPG experience. "What would life be like if I was in an awesome fictional situation?" is an interesting diversion. Obsessing over stats in that scenario is so weird. If you really can't imagine a world where you're in shape, have useful skills, and can go on an adventure, then I don't know. That makes me really sad. I think everyone could contribute something. Also, part of the fun could be gaining those skills! Failure is at least as interesting as success, after all. Having a family to take care of or a regular life to maintain sounds like an awesome roleplaying opportunity.
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Dec 9, 2014 22:03
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Mormon Star Wars posted:Just FYI all of you would have Driving ** or *** in old world of darkness, suck it. i have smashed a car into the surface of the road 
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Dec 9, 2014 22:06
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I played in a Mutants & Masterminds game that had us stat up ourselves. It only ran a few sessionsbut we went silver age and everyone got powers based on their personal characteristic. The tall guy had elongation, the IT guy had technopathy, etc. Layering the fantastical on top of our sad ordinary lives is the right way to do it.
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Dec 9, 2014 22:10
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Zurui posted:ProfessorCirno made the reply I would have. It's a grown-up version of play pretend, just like every other RPG experience. "What would life be like if I was in an awesome fictional situation?" is an interesting diversion. Obsessing over stats in that scenario is so weird. I think it's more that it's easy to do that sort of thing when the character you make is completely separate from you. A character concept that's explicitly "like me but with all these fancy abilities" is probably going to fall into the adolescent power fantasy trap and become something that would be roundly mocked on other parts of Something Awful or this subforum.
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Dec 9, 2014 22:15
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AmiYumi posted:My past few posts have been needlessly hostile. Yes. There's a significant gulf between "I hate my life" and "I acknowledge that I am not a genre fiction protagonist" is the thing, and some people seem to conflate the latter with the former. You don't have to be consumed by self loathing to not see an RPG grade player-character when you look in the mirror. I'm sorry about your friend but that sounds like a whole different issue.
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Dec 9, 2014 22:16
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days like today i feel like i'm one small step away from being a DRYH pc
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Dec 9, 2014 22:18
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There is also a significant gulf between 'interesting, life-enriching experiences' and 'skills that would be useful if I were a character in an RPG'. I have plenty of hobbies, but I still wouldn't want to play myself in a zombie apocalypse game because I don't consider 'knows how to blow a zombie's head off' or 'can identify all edible mushrooms' to be valuable life skills.
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Dec 9, 2014 22:20
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If you wake up one day and discover you are in a world where everybody's capabilities are measured in dots, you may as well just give up. unless it's exalted in which case its time to punch a raunchy ghost or two
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Dec 9, 2014 22:26
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no i'm pretty sure waking up in exalted's world is just extra reason to roll over and die
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Dec 9, 2014 22:27
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Zurui posted:Obsessing over stats in that scenario is so weird. ...oh, right, I get it. Yes, statting yourself up as a D&D character is an awful idea that will, one way or another, end up being loving stupid. That's not how I was thinking about this at all. If that's what people are talking about then I 100% agree with everyone who hates the idea.
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Dec 9, 2014 22:32
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The 'correct' way to play I Am Myself in an RPG is to do what every action movie does with an average joe character: exaggerated competence. Of course your highschool science teacher could forensically examine a crime scene just like a firefighter has the physique necessary to fight off terrorists at a hockey game. It's a bit of robbing Peter to pay Paul because it's really not you but you-through-Van Damme or similar, of course.
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Dec 9, 2014 22:33
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Mr. Maltose posted:do what every action movie does with an average joe character: exaggerated competence. Yeah, this is more like what I've been thinking the discussion was about. Even so, writing a D&D or WoD character sheet isn't the way to go about it. You want a lighter system where you don't have to write down STR:18 Skills: Computer Repair, Longsword, Comedy Baking, Military Demolitions to make a character.
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Dec 9, 2014 22:38
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| # ? May 24, 2024 03:37 |
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Mr. Maltose posted:The 'correct' way to play I Am Myself in an RPG is to do what every action movie does with an average joe character: exaggerated competence. Of course your highschool science teacher could forensically examine a crime scene just like a firefighter has the physique necessary to fight off terrorists at a hockey game. It's a bit of robbing Peter to pay Paul because it's really not you but you-through-Van Damme or similar, of course. Yeah, this was my point from earlier. If you're playing an idealized, exaggerated version of yourself in a world that runs on action movie logic it's not like you're really playing "you" so much anymore.
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Dec 9, 2014 22:39
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