Posted by Stargazer | Posted on 01-03-2010
Category : Ask The Readers, Feature, News, Reviews & Culture, RPG
We all know that the game that started it all in 1974 was firmly set into the fantasy genre and without doubt tolkienesque fantasy is still the favorite genre for most roleplayers. But I am interested in what other genres are high up on your list. What’s your favorite genre and why?
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Please vote in the poll above and let your voices be heard in the comments. You are allowed to select up to three genres in the poll. If you feel that the categories are too broad, you can always specifiy you favorite sub-genre in a comment.
9 people like this post.
Posted by Stargazer | Posted on 27-01-2010
Category : Ask The Readers, Feature, Legacy D&D, RPG, Random musings
From what I’ve heard the majority of gamers started playing with a variation of D&D, may it be the original D&D from 1974, AD&D 2nd Edition or the more recent D&D 3rd Edition (or any other edition). A lot of German roleplayers were introduced to the roleplaying hobby by “Das Schwarze Auge” (known as “The Dark Eye” in the US).
As I already described in my “Confessions of a Gamer: In the Beginning“ post, I started with TORG. Actually I played the game only once on a small gaming convention near Bonn and didn’t even understand half of the rules, but I was instantly hit by the RPG bug. Later I joined a Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay game. To this day, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay is one of my favorite games and obviously one of the games that influenced me most. So you could consider WHFRP 1st Edition my true first game.
So, what was your first game? Please share a few of your earliest roleplaying experiences with us. If you are a RPG blogger yourself, why not write a post about this subject on your blog? A trackback to this post would be appreciated though.
P.S.: Thanks to Roberto Micheri, who inspired me to write this post!
3 people like this post.
As a lot of ideas these days, the idea to this post developed on Twitter. Zachary from RPG Blog 2 tweeted about being interested to find out more about gamers’ music tastes. The idea developed over a couple of tweets, Michael Brewer from Mad Brew Labs and I joined the discussion. Finally we decided it would be best, if Zachary created a short survey. It basically just asks about your favorite rock band and about your preferences when it comes to music in gaming. It would be great if you could take a minute to check out the survey.
Roleplaying music
I usually use orchestral movie or video game soundtracks or music especially created for roleplaying games in my gaming sessions. Sometimes I use the music I later want to use in the game session while preparation to get me into the right mood. Especially when I am planning a horror game, creepy music is playing all day. 
If you want to learn more about my preferences when it comes to music in gaming, please check out some of my other posts on that topic as well:
Rock music
In some occasions I have used rock music during game sessions. I remember that I often used rock music while running Shadowrun and I used metal music in some D&D combats. Especially when I want to use rock music in D&D I prefer bands who use fantasy elements in their songs. Bands like Manowar, Blind Guardian and Rhapsody of Fire come to mind. But I am pretty sure there are dozens more.
When asked about my favorite rock band, I usually can’t give a definitive answer. I have been a fan of Genesis, Pink Floyd and Dire Straits for a long time, but recently I’ve started to listen to bands like Nickelback, Theory of a Dead Man, Evanescence and 30 Seconds to Mars, too. But I think my all-time favorite is still Dire Strait’s “Brothers in Arms”.
2 people like this post.
Posted by Stargazer | Posted on 07-12-2009
Category : Advice, Ask The Readers, RPG, RPG tools
Recently I have been thinking about whether I should buy a netbook or not. As you probably all know I love all kinds of technical toys and I am still missing a netbook in my collection. But of course I don’t want to just put it into a display cabinet.
If possible I want to put it to good use at the game table. Aside the obvious uses like using it as a PDF reader or music jukebox, what have you used your netbook for? Are there any must have programs that come in handy at the game table? Have you read any good articles about this topic that you can recommend? What are your experiences with netbooks at the gaming table?
As always I would love to read your comments, so feel free to post your thoughts below. Any comment is appreciated!
4 people like this post.
Posted by Stargazer | Posted on 02-12-2009
Category : Ask The Readers, Just my two cents, News, Reviews & Culture, RPG
A lot of RPG books contain artwork of lightly clad females, the chainmail biki is a common trope of most fantasy games and especially a lot of game book covers were obviously made with the sentence “sex sells” in mind. But aside from the artwork roleplaying games usually don’t deal with sexual themes. In most cases the artwork is just a clever ploy to make the mostly male audience interested open their wallets. I have to admit, as long as it’s tasteful and not too blatant, I don’t mind that much.
But when it comes to eroticism or even sex in actual gameplay, we are talking about a totally different beast. The games I run (and have played in) don’t usually deal with such matters. I don’t think I am a prude but in my opinion these topics don’t belong into roleplaying games. It’s just not what I want out of a roleplaying game. Your mileage may vary of course. And that’s actually what I wanted to find out. What are your thoughts on sex in gaming?
As with all “Ask The Readers” posts I want to know more about your thoughts on the matter at hand. So, please don’t be shy and post your opinion in the comments below! Every comment is much appreciated!
5 people like this post.
Posted by Stargazer | Posted on 03-11-2009
Category : Ask The Readers, News, Reviews & Culture, RPG
Roleplaying games are still a niche hobby. Most people probably know computer and video games. A lot of people enjoy board and card games but there’s only a minority of people who list roleplaying games as one of their hobbies. The funny thing is that probably nobody would lie about playing poker, a lot of people actually hide being a roleplaying game fan.
Why is that the case? First the RPG hobby is not widely known. Most people who hear the word roleplay think about French maids and cop uniforms or believe you’re talking about your last session at the psychotherapist’s.
And a few people who know what you are talking about, think you must be an evil Satanist. Thanks to Patricia Pulling and her group BADD (Bothered About Dungeons and Dragons) a lot of people still believe today that roleplaying game enthusiasts are evil devil worshippers. *sigh*
So, a lot of people keep their hobby a secret because they fear these misconceptions may get them in trouble with friends, family and coworkers. I have to admit it’s not as bad in Germany. From what I know the Anti-D&D craze hasn’t been as bad in Europe, and I can openly talk about my hobby without someone freaking out about it. I even wear my geek t-shirts at work. Of course I have to explain what these games are about quite often. But I have never got any negative reactions as far I can remember.
Do you keep your hobby a secret? Or can you talk about RPGs with your friends, family and perhaps even coworkers openly?
