Re: [DL] only a little OT, or not even, really.

[Abdullah Oblongota <toadpooka@juno.com>]

In it's day, Vampire wasn't a "Substance-over-system" game, it was a
"style-over-substance-over-system" game, which is far more obnoxious. 
With such a hands-off rules approach, the game becomes almost entirely
dependant on the person running it, which is not at all the hallmark of a
good RPG.  Hell, I could run a fun game of Rifts with a lot of heavy
rule-retooling, but I'd rather spend that time writing a good scenario.
Besides which, the non-system system encourages munchkinism a lot more
than a game like Deadlands does.  Compare the Deadlands groups you know
to your average Vampire groups.  You'll find far better roleplaying at a
Deadlands game, since the rules can be used to rein in the more
outlandixh players.
And I really can't figure out where the slamming of Changeling is
justified.  Everything anyone's ever said in Vampire's favor should count
doubly so for Changeling (even moreso for Wraith, but I won't delve into
that today).  There is a game that actually has enough  substance to
overcome the lack of a system, and style to boot.

On Wed, 26 Jul 2000 09:35:04 +1200 "Leybourne, Brian"
<Brian.Leybourne@airnz.co.nz> writes:
> > I was just wondering what everyone's Top Five RPGs of all 
> > time might be (in order or not).
> 
> 2. Deadlands (Although the system can get intrusive (there are so 
> many dice to roll, especially in combat) the rest of the system is very
cool 
> and topical (especially the cards and poker chips) and the setting and
> background (and future, in HOE) are brilliant. Plus the writers and
> producers are cool guys who spend (probably way too much) time 
> getting personal with the fans, which is a massive plus in my books.
> 
> 3. Vampire (Now hear me out - it's very vogue to slam Vampire as a 
> poser goth "I'm in such despair" game, and maybe it has headed that
way, 
> but in its day, Vampire was a revolutionary game that literally changed
the 
> face of RPG's. More than any game before it (IMO), Vampire promoted 
> substance over system and encouraged true into-my-character
roleplaying. It was 
> (again IMO) one of the first roleplaying games that de-emphasised
combat and 
> used it's stats for other things. Be honest - in most RPG's, even
Deadlands, 
> the entire system is geared *around* or at least *towards* combat, but 
> Vampire was different.)
 

From Whom It May Concern,
Rich A Ranallo

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