In a message dated 1/16/02 1:25:00 PM Pacific Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
<< Because the war's not over yet. What happens when you're halfway through having the PC hunts Osama in Somalia, and he turns up in Uzbekistan? >> I assume this is a rhetorical question. if not, it's a darned silly one for someone who's been involved in the RPG hobby for any length of time. << Further, the potential for new terrorist acts to occur in the real world during the timeline of a fictional campaign may impose some serious psychological issues on the PCs. If a team of PCs manages to, in the game, stop a fictional terrorist attack, only to have a real one occur the next morning, I'd find the fictional victory to be more than a little soured. >> And the same can be said of *any* game set in modern day, from superheroes to military, espionage, etc. << One reason RPGs are popular is because they allow us to strike back at evils which are impossible to confront in the real world; having the reality of our individual helplessness thrust back at us makes the game much less appealing. >> I disagree. In the game, the PCs can "win." Every time, if you so desire. << In a World War II game, for example, you can rest secure in the knowledge the Nazis ultimately lose, even if the plot of the game is "If we don't intercept that messenger, the Nazis will win!" >> I disagree that most players would be unable to enjoy an "alternate hsitory" in any game. << You can play with history easily. Playing with current events is much more difficult. Either your game quickly deviates from reality, losing the appeal of playing a "real world" game, or you have two GMs -- you, and the world, and the world is going to trump your plot every time.>> I seriously doubt that anyone interprets "a real world game" as being literally that. Mark Arsenault President, Gold Rush Games | http://www.goldrushgames.com Executive Director, Game Publishers Association | http://www.thegpa.org ------------------------------------------------------- Action! System Beta rules! - http://www.action-system.com _______________________________________________ Ogf-l mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mail.opengamingfoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/ogf-l
