Introduction of the Members

[tamsyn]

Hsssssss VTR. It's VTM or nothing!

Seriously, hello! Some other great games there.

I've always liked A Scream of Swifts.

[Murder-of-Crows]

Welcome MoC (I hope you don't mind the acronym!).

I don't mind at all. Others have used it before

And phew, games I have actually heard about and, in several cases, played! Actually, I'm rather curious; I've heard a little about Lamentations of the Flame Princess, and I was wondering how the game was. Care to give your opinion on the subject?

Well, Lamentations is rather straight old school fantasy gaming with a few twists and a few nice simplifications. I like the feel of the game. But in the end it is lacking in "fiddly bits" as a player put it. Let's face it: D&D 3rd and Vampire have spoiled us. We are now used to make decisions about the way a character develops, which feats to take, which skill points to spend, which weapons to learn. LotFP takes most of that away. Fighters, Halfings and Dwarfs don't get to make any decisions about their character abilities. Specialists (thieves) can spend two skill points per level, and magic users, clerics and elves have the whole game within a game open to them (spells, their acquisition and their usage). Today that's not enough for most gamers. That sums up my experience with the game and it fell a little flat for my gaming group. Still, I created some homebrew material for the game which you can find on my blog Beyond the Drowning Woods.

@tamsyn: Have you ever played Requiem? I like both versions of Vampire. For me Requiem breathed a lot of life back into the game. In 2004 I've started my current Requiem game and it is still ongoing in its 9th year.

[Clovis]

Well, Lamentations is rather straight old school fantasy gaming with a few twists and a few nice simplifications. I like the feel of the game. But in the end it is lacking in "fiddly bits" as a player put it. Let's face it: D&D 3rd and Vampire have spoiled us. We are now used to make decisions about the way a character develops, which feats to take, which skill points to spend, which weapons to learn. LotFP takes most of that away. Fighters, Halfings and Dwarfs don't get to make any decisions about their character abilities. Specialists (thieves) can spend two skill points per level, and magic users, clerics and elves have the whole game within a game open to them (spells, their acquisition and their usage). Today that's not enough for most gamers. That sums up my experience with the game and it fell a little flat for my gaming group. Still, I created some homebrew material for the game which you can find on my blog Beyond the Drowning Woods.

Sounds like an old-school PnP indeed; feels like it's back to First Edition D&D! I agree that it makes things a little bland, however excellent the game's setting may be, and I admit I'm not very interested in the game... but if I delve deeper in it that the first glance I've given it so far, I'll make sure to take a look at your tweakings and additions! as things are right now, however, I'm good with classics such as VtR or Exalted, and of course Esteren as well!

@tamsyn: Have you ever played Requiem? I like both versions of Vampire. For me Requiem breathed a lot of life back into the game. In 2004 I've started my current Requiem game and it is still ongoing in its 9th year.

I've heard a lot of bad press about VtR, and I agree some things feel dumbed-down compared to VtM, but still, the system at least works pretty well, so that's okay by my standards!

[tamsyn]

@moc never played it, I have hundreds (thousands?) of pounds of VTM books that won't let me!

[Nelyhann]

Welcome everyone!

Murder of Crows, glad to see you around here, welcome

[Murder-of-Crows]

I'm good with classics such as VtR or Exalted, and of course Esteren as well!

That's a first. I've never heard VtR or even VtM and Exalted called a "classic".

I've heard a lot of bad press about VtR, and I agree some things feel dumbed-down compared to VtM, but still, the system at least works pretty well, so that's okay by my standards!

Yes, they've reduced the overall power in order to be different from VtM. More localized, more open for a GM/storyteller to do his own thing. For me it works wonderfully. I've also heard a lot of bad press, but usually by people who never played. Gamers who actually have played both systems usually say that Requiem handles a lot of things better than VtM.

For me, both games are equally valid. Two different flavors of Vampire. Like chocolate ice cream and lemon ice cream. One about world-spanning global conspiracy, the other about local conflicts.

@moc never played it, I have hundreds (thousands?) of pounds of VTM books that won't let me!

I know that feeling. I've got lots of VtM, VtDA, DAV, VAV and VtR books on my bookshelf. Sometimes it is interesting to take VtM stuff and put in VtR and vice versa.

But this forum is all about Esteren. Which I enjoy more and more as I continue reading book 1. It is an interesting read, the rather lengthy background reads a lot more interesting than I thought. The first person narratives really help to get you into the mood of the game and make the first 3 chapters a lot less boring compared to other rulebooks.

Also, thanks everyone for welcoming me!

[Clovis]

I'm good with classics such as VtR or Exalted, and of course Esteren as well!

That's a first. I've never heard VtR or even VtM and Exalted called a "classic".

Well, VtM/VtR have been around for quite a long time now (this is especially true for the first one, of course), and although Exalted is more recent, it has become a widely known game. That's what makes me think of them as classics.

But this forum is all about Esteren. Which I enjoy more and more as I continue reading book 1. It is an interesting read, the rather lengthy background reads a lot more interesting than I thought. The first person narratives really help to get you into the mood of the game and make the first 3 chapters a lot less boring compared to other rulebooks.

Yeah, I also enjoy this way of describing the universe: it really stresses the human aspect of the universe, and takes off the academic feel that you sometimes get when you have to read through a whole book of various data to understand the setting of a game.

Anyway, I'll stop posting answers now, or this will become the "Murder of Crows" thread instead of the "Introduction of the Members" one! Once more, welcome; I hope you'll stick around!

[Dragoslav]

For me, both games are equally valid. Two different flavors of Vampire. Like chocolate ice cream and lemon ice cream.

Yeah... wait, what? Lemon ice cream? Must be a German thing.

[tamsyn]

Lemon meringue ice cream - now you're talking!

[McShane]

Hello all,

McShane here. I've been gaming away down here in sunny Melbourne, Australia, for nearly three decades. Played too many systems to count. I'm lucky to have a had a really solid core group to play with, and Melbourne seems blessed with lots of roleplayers, so I've always found someone to play or run games with.

I got switched on to SoE by the first Kickstarter. I loved the art, the solid background and the verisimilitude they evoked, so I got copies for my whole group. Unfortunately, being a teacher, time to finish reading the book is hard to find, so actually playing it will have to wait until post-holidays.

Thanks.