RPG thread here, so how to role play someone like Hitler? or like threat? And those who support them?
Mike On Wed, Oct 12, 2011 at 12:43 AM, Onno Meyer <[email protected]> wrote: > Hello everybody, > > don't forget that Mike asked this on GURPSnet in a roleplaying/ > wargaming context. By the way, no crossposting to other mailing > lists, please. Apart from the violation of copyrights, it makes > it impossible to follow the debate unless you're on all of them. > > So what does that mean? > > * The characters should be able to contribute to a victory, or > whatever passes for one in the setting -- sometimes it is an > accomplishment just to stay alive and free, but most players > expect a final confrontation where their side has a chance > to win. > > The problem with the virus suggestion is that the victory is > likely to come out of a lab, or not at all. "Make your NBC > roll. OK, now the physician roll. Made by 10 or more? OK, > next comes ..." > > Perhaps the adventurers were instrumental in getting the > virus sample, or blood from apparently immune people, or > whatever, but in the end it comes down to people who were > probably not part of the PCs. > > * The confrontation doesn't have to be a physical fight, but > it certainly helps. > > * The stakes should be significantly higher than what we face > in real life. It can be fun to play the wandering hero who > faces the occasional demon, or the space trader who finds > out that the competition is part of a criminal conspiracy, > but it is less interesting to have your character survive > rush hour traffic or improve the profit margin of his > employer by 0.00001% that day. > > * The enemy should be represented by a single person, or just > a few persons, and they should be memorable. > > The jilted ex fits nicely in this regard, but it is less > fun if the victory condition is "neutralize at least half > of the bureaucrats in the Department of Dreary Red Tape." > > In a wargame, it is easier to talk about lots of similar > enemies -- "stop the 1st Blitzkrieg Division short of the > railway node." > > * Many roleplaying games are as much about exploring player > characters and players as they are about problem solving > and defeating enemies. > > Is it OK to kill a hundred people to save thousands? Well, > you're the bridge crew of a starship and the reactor leak > is spreading. Close the bulkheads now? You're the command > team of the regiment. Detach a rearguard, even if they're > almost certain to die? > > That means the player character should have hard choices > on the way to victory. > > So that's my view on what the enemy shouldn't be. Let's get > constructive :-) > > I disagree with Kurt that the thread was godwinized, because > Hitler actually fits into the debate: > > * He was a significant threat to Europe. W:WW explains why > he had little chance of ultimate victory, but he got > within shouting distance of one before he ran out of > steam. > > Compare Jean Kambanda -- and if you have to google him > first, I just made my point ... > > * He managed to focus much attention on himself. Part of > that was his propaganda, part was simplification by the > Allied war propaganda, and part was post-war whitewashing > by Germans who wanted to distance themselves from his > crimes, and Allies who wanted to work with those Germans > (google Hans Globke). > > * I don't know how many WWII roleplaying campaigns actually > include a climactic battle, since the war in Europe ended > with a whimper rather than a bang, but the players would > be aware of the genocide that went on 24/7 just behind > the front lines, so there was time pressure. > > Compare the recent revival of the sci-fi series V. Do you > think it would have had the same impact if the Visitors > were all indistinguishable lizard? No, the directors have > hired Morena Baccarin for the lead role. > > Regards, > Onno > _______________________________________________ > GurpsNet-L mailing list <[email protected]> > http://mail.sjgames.com/mailman/listinfo/gurpsnet-l > -- http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Poetry-L/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Adulthumor-L/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Abrigon-World/ _______________________________________________ GurpsNet-L mailing list <[email protected]> http://mail.sjgames.com/mailman/listinfo/gurpsnet-l
