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Did you even read the first post you responded to? Scary movies were specifically called out.
So are you arguing for your wife or something? I'm really not following where you're going with this.
If someone has "seen too many horror movies to take tension seriously" then I'm sorry, maybe she's not watching the right ones? Maybe the genre just isn't for her?
There is no one tried and true formula; what scares one person probably won't phase another.
Bad horror movies are a dime a dozen. I've been watching gruesome horror flicks since I was at least 5 years old(my mother is a fan and nobody else would watch them with her). I can't even fathom how many hundreds of horror movies I've watched. I even went to college and studied screenwriting and film in hopes of making my own. But every once in a while, a movie can still catch me off guard and give me chills. Even if I know by way of "the mythic story structure" exactly what's going to happen, a good horror movie can still get to me on occasion. THAT is the feeling I try to put in my games, and have had some success with over the years.
If someone is really that numb to a genre, then they likely wouldn't be interested in playing a horror-themed game anyway. They'd be bored to death in the first session. This style of gaming is niche for that reason; it's not for every gamer.
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Did you even read the first post you responded to? Scary movies were specifically called out.
Did you read my post?
It was pretty great. I'm not sure why there's even a discussion after how great my post was.
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Did you even read the first post you responded to? Scary movies were specifically called out.So are you arguing for your wife or something? I'm really not following where you're going with this.
He's illustrating the difficulties you may have in creating tension at the table if someone doesn't buy in.
I think we missed the point where TOZ switched from simply commenting to actively trying to portray someone who isn't invested in their character. Kind of an example-in-action.
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Then again, there are some folks who just don't get 'roleplaying games'. D&D, Pathfinder; It's just like playing Monopoly for them. I'm sad for those people.
I don't know... Maybe his wife plays just because he plays. Which is JUST one step better (maybe) than having an NPC in the party. In the heat of an awesome battle with a blue dragon, she must be thinking about what to make for tomorrow's supper... "Pork chops, or spaghetti? Hmmm... Oh it's my turn? Sixteen... Maybe hot dogs..."
Ultradan
He's illustrating the difficulties you may have in creating tension at the table if someone doesn't buy in.Did you even read the first post you responded to? Scary movies were specifically called out.So are you arguing for your wife or something? I'm really not following where you're going with this.
Would've been a lot easier if he just said that in the first place.
Some people, his wife for example, just don't buy into it. That's fine. This kind of gaming is not for those people. I've had a fair share of players who had no other interest in the game than looting dungeons and buying gear. These players didn't stick around very long.
That's why if I am running a horror-themed campaign, specifically, I spell it out in the first session what players can expect; very story heavy, less combat driven, and there could be multiple sessions with no combat at all. If someone is looking for a "beer 'n pretzels, dungeon crawl" game, I advise them against joining this.
Hee hee. Josh is so cute and clueless. :)
Not clueless, just didn't want to make assumptions.
Would've been a lot easier if he just said that in the first place.He's illustrating the difficulties you may have in creating tension at the table if someone doesn't buy in.Did you even read the first post you responded to? Scary movies were specifically called out.So are you arguing for your wife or something? I'm really not following where you're going with this.
Yeah it helps if you know him from around the boards a bit more. This kind of dichotomy shift is normal for him.
My only real memory of real, anxiety driven tension, in about 30+ years of gaming, was during a CoC game. All the characters were in a woods at night and something big was moving around us. The party was split up enough to hear each other, but couldn't see each other. Running battle with "something". End result is two friendly fire wounds, one death and never saw the creature (ended up being a bear). What made it work was that the miniatures were put away, we were only allowed to talk in character, and the lights were turned way down so we could barely see the dice. The GM had gotten a cassette of nature sounds and played it loud in the background. No snacks were allowed at the table and the phone ringer was turned off.v The GM was not especially good at knowing all the rules, but was a wizard at giving just enough description to make 6 people visualize the mood of the setting without knowing where every tree and bush was. Amazing session. We were literally sitting on the edge of our seats for two hours.
You could just mouse over my user name.
Actually, I didn't know that. Learn somethin everyday!
I just always assumed, but I've been wrong in similar instances before.
I find sci-fi and pulp settings better for horror than fantasy. I always tell players in a pathfinder game, at lv. 1 you are beter than 85% of the population. By level 10 you are better than 99.9% of the population. EVER.
-In sci-fi I can put an alien, or monster who can eat the party for dinner. They might not even see him until it is too late. Fantasy characters are heroic. Pulp and Sic-Fi characters are people too.
Yeah it helps if you know him from around the boards a bit more. This kind of dichotomy shift is normal for him.I don't think you're legally allowed to use that word in reference to me.
I do what I want! You have problem?
I always tell players in a pathfinder game, at lv. 1 you are beter than 85% of the population. By level 10 you are better than 99.9% of the population. EVER.
This amuses me as I always tell them the opposite. "No matter how strong you get, there'll always be someone out there who can kick you in the face back to Starting Town." I find it keeps them on their toes, and reins in some of the "I'm unstoppably awesome", especially from casters/martial maneuver users.
I do what I want! You have problem?Yeah it helps if you know him from around the boards a bit more. This kind of dichotomy shift is normal for him.I don't think you're legally allowed to use that word in reference to me.
Yeah, with your FACE!
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Yeah, with your FACE!I do what I want! You have problem?Yeah it helps if you know him from around the boards a bit more. This kind of dichotomy shift is normal for him.I don't think you're legally allowed to use that word in reference to me.
*shifts to TAZ's appearance* How 'bout now?
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I liked it before it became mainstream.
Dopplegangers aren't scary, just annoying.
Dopplegangers aren't scary, just annoying.
I'm not feelin' particularly scary today anyways. I'm more the type of you'll never see it comin'.
HAIL ERIS! Or don't.
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Yeah it helps if you know him from around the boards a bit more. This kind of dichotomy shift is normal for him.I don't think you're legally allowed to use that word in reference to me.
*ahem*
Tri-chotomy?
I find all of this tension terrifyingly fear-inducing, as a player.
I hear banjos.
> . >
< . <
Run!
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You gain the ability to estimate danger, if you X HP left, and you know something can only do 1/3 of X, you don't feel fear the first hit.
Dude, if you're letting the players work out how much damage the monster does before the first hit, you're going to have trouble writing horror no matter what. Knowledge is comforting, so take that knowledge away.
EDIT: Oh, right. There are still two more pages I gotta read. Aheh.
I've come to a conclusion: the shadow fey, as written in the ravenloft 3x stuff, have to be some of the most horror-appropriate creatures outside the undead. Why them other than say, aliens or demons/devils? 'Cause - they are at once human AND inhuman.
I love comments in shadow fey book about how their immortality works, or how they're like children playing w/a butterfly when it comes to humans. Best is like outsiders they die and re-spawn (since they're immortal) but unlike outsiders they don't need to be summoned back; they just ARE back when they want to be!
They're like bad b-movie slasher villains!