Hour-Gaming [Archive] - Wizards Community

Hour-Gaming [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Araciel
11-15-03, 05:48 PM If you haven't figured it out, it's the opposite of Power-gaming, that's right, Hour-Gaming!

I was initiated into D&D by players who are veterans of the game, who spent many sessions in someone's basement back in the early eighties eating Chee-tos and drinking Mountain Dew and saying things like "I got an ogre-slaying knife, it's got a plus nine against ogres!"

for those of you who don't get what i just said, we all feel sorry for you!

anyways, they all had their fun killing stuff really good. then, they wanted more, they matured and became writers and story-tellers and actors. and only THEN did i find out what D&D is.

i perhaps have no had the same experience as many gamers have, starting to play D&D with a group of my teen-aged friends, laughing when someone says "codpiece"

though deep-imersion style is fun, it can be boring if not done correctly, D&D is about balance, and my group has found a balance, though it seems to be this: "If we powergame for 15 years, we should Hourgame for the next 15 years"

it would be good for a mix...why am i posting this??? just felt like getting it out, power-gaming is bad, but so is hour-gaming
Evil O
11-19-03, 06:00 PM If you haven't figured it out, it's the opposite of Power-gaming, that's right, Hour-Gaming!
:confused:
I might be an idiot, yes it could be so, but what exactly do you meen by "opposite"??

Is it to roleplay? is it to not meta-game? Or is it only getting better stories/plotlines?

Evil O
Kethka
11-19-03, 06:16 PM I dunno if this is right, but I took it to mean gaming for hours with little or no combat (Lots of character development)

Correct me if I misunderstood, though.
Araciel
11-20-03, 06:12 PM the answer is YES

you're both right. the group i play with has a very specific taste to their gaming, in that they like to act. the game is dungeons and dragons, with probably one combat session per month. (we play every weekend) On the upside, there is GREAT character development, the downside of course is that it's not action adventure at all, it's just....play acting.

Now many people, who play with adolescents or somewhat less-seasoned gamers may think thst is what they want. we have had some very interesting adventures, yes, but they would benefit from more action. it's not as though ONLY combat is excluded, either. there are seldom any rolls, uses of spells, or anything to do with the game rules at all.

there is NO metagame, on penalty of xp deduction by the dm, and xps are very few and far between, as the dm sets up adventures in a chapter system, and we only get xp at the end of chapters....which usually last two months of play time.

When i first played, i did not understand why we used the rulebooks at all, and then i read them thoroughly and foujnd out that we truly didn't need them.
Bubba
11-20-03, 11:12 PM So you're basically getting together for some interactive story telling. Sounds great. Really. But ... why is on this board?
Araciel
11-21-03, 12:14 AM well, as i said before, it's pretty much a rant. it's a great way to play for those veterans of the game who have had enough of the sword and sorcery, and who want almost exculsively, character interaction and intrigue.

However, I am relatively new to the game, and am interested in the action-adventure aspect. while i know that i am lucky to be involved with such a character-driven game, i also want to use some of the numbers i have recorded!

in short, this thread was put here as a type of therapy to myself, and to see if anyone is having the same sort of dilemma. where often i find that the game is GREAT, it is sometimes lacking excitement.
Shaftiel
12-02-03, 06:39 AM Ah, sounds like the game I'm currently running. I didn't plan it this way, but the players all made social characters. A social rogue, a bard, and a monk who spends all his time begging. Last game was 8 hours with about 30 minutes of combat. Took me a couple of games to sort it out, but you know what? Its GREAT. Everyone in my old group that I've mentioned it to wishes that they could be in it.

The three things I've learned: 1) D&D can serve well for social games. Diplomacy, Bluff, Charisma, Perform, Sense Motive, Gather Information... they're all there for a reason. A key Bluff check can be just as suspenseful as a key attack roll. And a failed roll will get you killed just as fast, provided that you realize that... 2) A 2nd level min-maxed social bard is an appropriate social challenge for a 16th level fighter. No joke, this took me a bit to figure out, but it's true. There is an amazing opportunity for low level social characters to mix it up with high-level non-social characters and it can lead to all sorts of great adventures, you just need to... 3) Give out XP at the same rate as you would if they were fighting in normal adventures. This isn't very hard, provided that you have a healthy amount of DMing experience, and it seems to work best if you give out arbitrary xp now and then by saying "you level." No joke.

Ah well, I'm sorry your group isn't handling it as well but you should know that it can be suspenseful, exciting and interesting to play in a game with little or no combat provided that there is still risk and challenge.

-Shaftiel
Araciel
12-06-03, 09:59 PM oh i know it can be fun, but in my opinion, there is no need for rules in the game we're playing as there are no rolls whatsoever

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Araciel 11-15-03, 05:48 PM	If you haven't figured it out, it's the opposite of Power-gaming, that's right, Hour-Gaming! I was initiated into D&D by players who are veterans of the game, who spent many sessions in someone's basement back in the early eighties eating Chee-tos and drinking Mountain Dew and saying things like "I got an ogre-slaying knife, it's got a plus nine against ogres!" for those of you who don't get what i just said, we all feel sorry for you! anyways, they all had their fun killing stuff really good. then, they wanted more, they matured and became writers and story-tellers and actors. and only THEN did i find out what D&D is. i perhaps have no had the same experience as many gamers have, starting to play D&D with a group of my teen-aged friends, laughing when someone says "codpiece" though deep-imersion style is fun, it can be boring if not done correctly, D&D is about balance, and my group has found a balance, though it seems to be this: "If we powergame for 15 years, we should Hourgame for the next 15 years" it would be good for a mix...why am i posting this??? just felt like getting it out, power-gaming is bad, but so is hour-gaming
Evil O 11-19-03, 06:00 PM	If you haven't figured it out, it's the opposite of Power-gaming, that's right, Hour-Gaming! :confused: I might be an idiot, yes it could be so, but what exactly do you meen by "opposite"?? Is it to roleplay? is it to not meta-game? Or is it only getting better stories/plotlines? Evil O
Kethka 11-19-03, 06:16 PM	I dunno if this is right, but I took it to mean gaming for hours with little or no combat (Lots of character development) Correct me if I misunderstood, though.
Araciel 11-20-03, 06:12 PM	the answer is YES you're both right. the group i play with has a very specific taste to their gaming, in that they like to act. the game is dungeons and dragons, with probably one combat session per month. (we play every weekend) On the upside, there is GREAT character development, the downside of course is that it's not action adventure at all, it's just....play acting. Now many people, who play with adolescents or somewhat less-seasoned gamers may think thst is what they want. we have had some very interesting adventures, yes, but they would benefit from more action. it's not as though ONLY combat is excluded, either. there are seldom any rolls, uses of spells, or anything to do with the game rules at all. there is NO metagame, on penalty of xp deduction by the dm, and xps are very few and far between, as the dm sets up adventures in a chapter system, and we only get xp at the end of chapters....which usually last two months of play time. When i first played, i did not understand why we used the rulebooks at all, and then i read them thoroughly and foujnd out that we truly didn't need them.
Bubba 11-20-03, 11:12 PM	So you're basically getting together for some interactive story telling. Sounds great. Really. But ... why is on this board?
Araciel 11-21-03, 12:14 AM	well, as i said before, it's pretty much a rant. it's a great way to play for those veterans of the game who have had enough of the sword and sorcery, and who want almost exculsively, character interaction and intrigue. However, I am relatively new to the game, and am interested in the action-adventure aspect. while i know that i am lucky to be involved with such a character-driven game, i also want to use some of the numbers i have recorded! in short, this thread was put here as a type of therapy to myself, and to see if anyone is having the same sort of dilemma. where often i find that the game is GREAT, it is sometimes lacking excitement.
Shaftiel 12-02-03, 06:39 AM	Ah, sounds like the game I'm currently running. I didn't plan it this way, but the players all made social characters. A social rogue, a bard, and a monk who spends all his time begging. Last game was 8 hours with about 30 minutes of combat. Took me a couple of games to sort it out, but you know what? Its GREAT. Everyone in my old group that I've mentioned it to wishes that they could be in it. The three things I've learned: 1) D&D can serve well for social games. Diplomacy, Bluff, Charisma, Perform, Sense Motive, Gather Information... they're all there for a reason. A key Bluff check can be just as suspenseful as a key attack roll. And a failed roll will get you killed just as fast, provided that you realize that... 2) A 2nd level min-maxed social bard is an appropriate social challenge for a 16th level fighter. No joke, this took me a bit to figure out, but it's true. There is an amazing opportunity for low level social characters to mix it up with high-level non-social characters and it can lead to all sorts of great adventures, you just need to... 3) Give out XP at the same rate as you would if they were fighting in normal adventures. This isn't very hard, provided that you have a healthy amount of DMing experience, and it seems to work best if you give out arbitrary xp now and then by saying "you level." No joke. Ah well, I'm sorry your group isn't handling it as well but you should know that it can be suspenseful, exciting and interesting to play in a game with little or no combat provided that there is still risk and challenge. -Shaftiel
Araciel 12-06-03, 09:59 PM	oh i know it can be fun, but in my opinion, there is no need for rules in the game we're playing as there are no rolls whatsoever