Re: HQ followup for kids?

From: Rob <robert_m_davis_at_...>
Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2005 22:09:24 -0000

>
> A couple of things:
>
> (Please note, I am not a parent. However, I spent 3 years working
for
> a technology company which was dedicated to assisting teachers and
> parents to educate children through new technologies. So, most of
> this stuff is based on personal research done while working for
that
> company.)
>
> I would go to great lengths to stress the things that parents are
> interested in their children being exposed to in school:
>
> 1) Reading and writing
> 2) Arithmetic (the game is simple, but does use some math, and
should
> be noted)
> 3) Social development.
> 4) Confidence-building exercises

Spot on.  

> It should definitely _not_ be, "Okay, there's some monsters over
> there. You've decided to kill them and take their stuff."

What, you mean they can't play D&D?? ;-P  

> And much as we all love it, I'd say take the focus off of
Glorantha.

why? When I started running my campaign way back when, we played for months before anyone killed anyone. Its actually very very bad mojo to kill other tribes people in Sartar. All the published (Issaries at least) works point that way. There is a whole sequence in BA where it all goes pear shaped because of inter trabal killing.

In fact, I think that this is a positive in the game. Have conflict, and show that you don't kill people, as killing is the work of bad people. If you haven't see the old western movie 'The Lawman' with Burt Lancaster, then treat yourself to a Humakti with a gun, juxtaposed with regular folk. A classic.

> Maybe set the story in a generic Fairy Tale kingdom, or Arthurian
> Britain, Middle-Earth, whatever. For people who've never played an
> RPG before, it might help them to get their footing more quickly,
and
> get into actually playing the game.

I agree that, on balance, Arthurian Britain (or Loskalm - Men of the West due soon!) would be a good setting, as for very young people, I would not feel too comfortable in pushing the whole Gloranthan religion thing (not that you really have to anyway-theres always common magic!)  

Regards
Rob (The other one)
Regards