From: lmollett@lunatix.uucp (Laura Mollett)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: META: Game Mechanics vs. Background
Date: 22 Dec 92 21:52:41 GMT
Organization: Lexington Public Access Unix. -KY- (606) 255-9121

In article <21DEC199219481650@vaxa.weeg.uiowa.edu> gwaddell@vaxa.weeg.uiowa.edu (The Quantum Duck) writes:
[original question deleted]>
>Well Steffan, I would say that I have to agree with you.  I have not played 
>D&D (any versions), but from talking with my friends that have, it has been 
>ruled to death.  I began playing with Car Wars, a game that gave you 
>mechanics, a history, and let you create the rest.
>  I now play Warhammer FRP, and it is very similar, smooth simple mechanics 
>(well, the Car Wars mechanics were not that smooth or simple but...) that do 
>not intrude on the game very much at all, and the maps have the major cities 
>marked with lots of blank space on the map.
>  I can create the background myself, sometimes borrowing from books or 
>other sources, but if I do not like the mechanics, what is the point of 
>playing.
>  Sign me up to your minority.
>Glenn

Hi there,
	I'm glad to see someone mention Warhammer, as we have recently become
interested in this game.
	My husband and I run in (basically) two major games a week.  One is
the "adult" game (us and our friends) and the other is a game for our children
and their friends (GM'd by one of us "sorta adults" and played in by 2 others).
In any case, we started the children off on Hero (the system we were using
at the time), switched them off to AD&D (we found they really needed the
vocabulary and basic role-playing experience found in *D&D, and needed a 
chance to hack -n- slash.  They're between 6 and 12, and too much role-play
and too little fight and fun, just loses their attention), but still weren't
happy with it.     
	Moving (slowly :) right along, we bought my son the game HeroQuest
for his birthday.  (He can GM is himself for his friends, and it is complex
enough that we all enjoy playing with him.  Highly recommended for anyone
who wants a role-playing board game to play with the youngsters.)  We
noticed right away (bright <grin>) that this is really just a Warhammer
game modified.  So, we dug out the Warhammer rules and considered switching
the kids game over.  Well, my husband liked the rules so much that he's
considering running the game for the adults as well (we switch off GM's).
However, the game doesn't seem to be supported by the company at all anymore.
(Talking about the role-playing game, not the miniatures, mind you).  White
Dwarf is all miniatures and doesn't even seem to mention the RPG.  We found
two module-type suppliments, both old, and can't seem to find any mention of
anything new or upcoming.  Do you or anyone else in netland know anything
else about more support?
	The rules (I agree) seem simple and smooth, from what I've gotten so
far (I haven't really read them as I'm not GMing and we haven't started playing
yet, but my husband likes them) and it seems like it wouldn't be too hard
to come up with similar rules for cyber, scifi, straight horror (as opposed 
to dark fantasy) or any other genre suppliments, but I haven't seen anything
like this.  There's Warhammer 40k, of course, but isn't that really just
moving the same heros forward in time (dwarves in space and all) (not too
sure, please don't flame me)?  We have a desire for "generic" systems (as I
mentioned in another post) and like this one, but I'd like to see more
company support.
	As an aside, does anyone else role-play with their children, or help
their youngsters run?  We enjoy it, as it gives us an opportunity to do
something we enjoy doing and spend time with them.  I guess if I liked football,
I'd take them to football games, but I'd rather role-play <grin>.
	Enough rambling, I suppose.
			Laura
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc