Re: Twenty Years Ago

From: innerworlder2000 <innerworlder2000_at_BSke68EvKy8NpNl1fqfW0i1RaIVhM84KxUY975yYY5WdG2oXI86xw8DrXCZ>
Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2007 22:06:17 -0000


I didn't understand the initials MGF, but I am listing the original reference (I believe) for those who are like me and are new to the concept.

http://glorantha.temppeli.org/digest/ndaily/1994.08/5445.html

I just want to point out that I shared that little experience so that you could see that I understand the problems that face a writer/designer. Sometimes you just muddle along as best you can. Something doesn't balance out and you have to change it. The players that were benefitting from the rule lose out, and they get frustrated.

However, I found out a long time ago that gamers in my groups did not like me changing things around on them. It was fun for me, the GM (the world stayed fresh and alive and it was a challenge to make new changes mesh with old ideas),but my players hated it. After it was called to my attention, I stopped changing things around, and my players had a good time.

To me, maximum fun from a gaming world is a world I can rely on and explain to my players fairly easily. It's hard enough to get a grasp on Glorantha (its a complex world), but it makes it even harder if things keep changing. I understand that things might change and make things difficult for me, but it is not maximum fun.

That said, I enjoy Glorantha enough to put up with the 'gregging.' But it is very, very difficult anymore to get players interested in anything other than the d20 system (at least in the Northwest). It would greatly help to have gaming supplements in which complex details are thoroughly explained and easy to understand for a broad group of people. I really enjoyed Pendragon, because it seemed to be formatted this way. However, because of the subject material I could never get anyone interested in it. I tried to get a group interested in HeroQuest which seemed very interesting and easy in principle, but which quickly bogged down figuring out modifiers and augments. Players didn't like choosing their own skills because they either didn't have enough of them or because some more clever player wrote his abilities more wisely. Players weren't really interested in designing their own magic paradigm or spells, either. (I thought they would). I know that  the experience of many groups is positive. But, sometimes what seems innovative and fun doesn't turn out that way in practice.

I really do like your world. It is different. It is complex. But trying to understand it is very frustrating sometimes. I'm just saying that it would help sometimes to have a bit more definition and clarity at a basic level. I am certainly not begrudging you your creative license.

I know this probably won't make any difference in how things are done, but I thought I would voice my opinion anyway.            

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