Author Topic: Nox's Podcast Reviews [0.5/12]  (Read 3192 times)

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Nox_Noctis

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Nox's Podcast Reviews [0.5/12]
« on: May 18, 2008, 02:17:45 PM »
Okay, so I told Josh I'd go through the podcasts and give my feedback on them too (since I gave my feedback on The Cohort). I'll add much more once I listen to them all, but I just wanted to say this: I was so glad that someone made the record album scratch sound ("wiki, wiki, wiki") when they were talking about the Wiki Wiki. I made that sound in my head a second or two before I heard that. It was a wonderful moment.  :D

Episode 1: Gameology
« Last Edit: May 20, 2008, 10:54:07 PM by Nox_Noctis »
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Nox_Noctis

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Re: Nox's Podcast Reviews [Will Be Edited]
« Reply #1 on: May 18, 2008, 02:17:56 PM »
Episode 2:
Nox: You might consider mentioning the website when you mention the name of the show, BrilliantGameologists, at the beginning.

Part 1: What is Dungeons and Dragons?
There are three types of people who play the game: players, dungeon masters, and dungeon master-haters (who takes on both roles and is always irritated by the person on the other "side" of the table).
Nox: Perhaps you could go into more detail on the characteristics of such people. For instance, why do certain people prefer certain roles? What is attractive about these roles? Do Dungeon Masters like writing a story more than players do? Do they like having more control? Why do the Dungeon Master-Haters "hate?" Do they think that the other person isn't doing as good a job as they could? Also, does the Dungeon Master-Hater "hate" his fellow players when he is a player or does he only "hate" the Dungeon Master?

The Standard Dungeons and Dragons Game: what it is and what it isn't.
  • The rules as a whole including supplements with the exception of variants in Unearthed Arcana.
Nox: This is a good definition since, even if people do not use all of these supplements and rules, the game should be balanced within all of its parts. You should be able to use all of the supplements together without worrying because they are all part of the same rules system (game).
  • Action-Adventure: While this is true to some extent, and is true for the majority of Dungeons and Dragons games, Dungeons and Dragons can be made into horror (Unearthed Arcana introduces taint, sanity, facing, et cetera; Heroes of Horror expands on the horror applications) or pure action (Heroes of Battle, Miniatures Handbook in particular add to the available options for such campaigns). I do agree, however, that it is primarily action-adventure. I just don't agree that it is always action-adventure.
  • Win or Lose: this is the core mechanic. Your dice rolls are either high enough or too low. Consequences change based on whether you "win" or "lose."
  • Task Resolution: players make progress step-by-step rather than by beating entire events or conflicts at once; it can be time-consuming but it can also be quick if the players know all of the rules.
Nox: Where does play-by-post fit into this? Even if you know all of the rules, it is typically very slow. Play-by-post is still Dungeons and Dragons if it uses those rules (since the game is defined by the rules).
Nox: You went off on a huge tangent before actually returning to the "problem" too (having to say everything they do). For a while I actually thought you all had actually moved on without answering it before you came back to talking about task resolution. Tangents aren't bad, but they should be closely related (as per the definition of tangents) and should not detract from the conversation (the "argument") as a whole.
  • Requires a Well-Rounded Party: typically this includes a fighter, wizard, cleric, and rogue (or similar classes).
Nox: As you note, exceptions can exist. For instance, four clerics or four wizards can completely trash most campaigns. Four Druids can usually do the same. And then when you get into specific campaigns, other homogeneous groups become viable as well (all martial characters). Perhaps you could explore why some of these homogeneous groups can be viable (which campaigns enable them).
  • Quick, Template Characters:
Nox: I think this is debatable. The game of Dungeons and Dragons is neither for or against making characters in such a manner. That is left entirely up to the players and Dungeon Masters. The rules do not say, "make your character in thirty minutes."
  • Group-Process Character Creation:
Nox: This is generally true. Even in online groups, this is simulated by the fact that the Dungeon Master generally picks the group of characters that he or she thinks will work well together (and so the Dungeon Master compensates for the lack of group-process character creation). This is not part of what Dungeons and Dragons is, however, and is part of how people play the game. It is not part of the rules themselves. It is a reaction of people who play the game to try to "win" in the game. To "win," they realize they must be able to deal with a variety of different challenges. This is why party coordination usually exists.
  • Position-Based Tactical Combat:
Nox: I actually waited for the exact words "relative position" and was a little disappointed when I did not hear them. That's more a personal preference for that term though and less a criticism of the show. I did notice that when facing was mentioned, no one brought up the fact that it is an available variant in Unearthed Arcana. So while it is not part of Dungeons and Dragons by default, it can be done in Dungeons and Dragons just as other games use it, making the game even more about tactical combat than it is already.
  • Dice-Resolved Events:
Nox: This was a good point. If you play a game without rolling dice, you're simply role-playing, not playing Dungeons and Dragons since the core mechanic of Dungeons and Dragons is the use of dice.
  • Adventures: players must buy-in to some extent and take the bait that the Dungeon Master provides.
Nox: I think it could be more clear that, as it was briefly pointed out, taking the bait does not always mean rescuing the princess. This is where character personalities and alignment come in. Characters might actually openly disagree to do anything rather than even making it look as if the princess died. Perhaps they engage in an argument with the King and tell him to his face that they will not go on this mission. This creates a drama in itself that may lead to its own miniature "adventure." The player might be imprisoned and have to escape a deep labyrinth or jail cell, for instance. What is crucial is that players do not entirely ignore the plot elements that the Dungeon Master establishes, even if they do not answer them in the expected manner (saving the princess or pretending to or the like).
  • Resource Management: players must keep track of food, arrows, spell slots, et cetera.
Nox: This is true that this is part of a game. While some groups choose to ignore this to some extent (ignoring rations, the necessity for sleep when characters are constantly on the move, et cetera), those choices are actually house rules.
  • Balanced Characters: level x characters will be balanced against other level x characters.
Nox: I wholly disagree. Perhaps 4E will see this happen, but this is quite untrue in 3.X where casters are almost entirely supreme after the early-middle levels. Also, even among martial characters, there is not necessarily balance. For instance, a properly made Iaijutsu character can deal close to 500,000 damage at level 24, whereas most other well-built characters can accomplish no such thing simply because their combat mechanics don't scale at such a rapid pace. Certain attack and combat options grow exponentially, other geometrically, and some even arithmetically. There are a rare few that even grow faster than exponentially out there probably, but the point is that the rate at which a character's chosen method of dealing damage grows greatly impacts his or her comparative balance relative to other characters.
Nox: At the same time, as it was pointed out, balance helps maintain the fun the players have. I think this is true at the same time that balance is not entirely existent in Dungeons and Dragons (particularly at higher levels). I think this is an important reason why the middle levels are referred to as the golden levels. Not only is the party generally still somewhat balanced (with each other and with encounters), but this balance, in turn, makes the game remain fun for the people involved.
  • A Game!: players need to accept that some things won't make sense.
Nox: Again, a matter of preferring specific terminology, I wanted to hear the words "suspension of disbelief." You all allude to it by saying that the players need to accept that it's a game and not everything will make sense (and here I wanted to hear "logically" or "realistically"), but you never explicitly use the words, "suspension of disbelief."[/list]

COMING SOON: What It Is Not

COMING SOON: Part 2

Part 2: Media-Influenced Games
« Last Edit: May 20, 2008, 10:53:36 PM by Nox_Noctis »
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Nox_Noctis

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Re: Nox's Podcast Reviews [Will Be Edited]
« Reply #2 on: May 18, 2008, 02:18:06 PM »
Episode 3:
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Nox_Noctis

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Re: Nox's Podcast Reviews [Will Be Edited]
« Reply #3 on: May 18, 2008, 02:18:17 PM »
Episode 4:
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Nox_Noctis

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Re: Nox's Podcast Reviews [Will Be Edited]
« Reply #4 on: May 18, 2008, 02:18:27 PM »
Episode 5:
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Nox_Noctis

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Re: Nox's Podcast Reviews [Will Be Edited]
« Reply #5 on: May 18, 2008, 02:18:39 PM »
Episode 6:
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Nox_Noctis

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Re: Nox's Podcast Reviews [Will Be Edited]
« Reply #6 on: May 18, 2008, 02:18:51 PM »
Episode 7:
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Nox_Noctis

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Re: Nox's Podcast Reviews [Will Be Edited]
« Reply #7 on: May 18, 2008, 02:19:00 PM »
Episode 8:
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Nox_Noctis

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Re: Nox's Podcast Reviews [Will Be Edited]
« Reply #8 on: May 18, 2008, 02:19:11 PM »
Episode 9: MinMax Basics (MinMax 001)
« Last Edit: May 18, 2008, 02:25:30 PM by Nox_Noctis »
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Nox_Noctis

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Re: Nox's Podcast Reviews [Will Be Edited]
« Reply #9 on: May 18, 2008, 02:19:20 PM »
Episode 10: Who Do You Owe? (Meta 003)
« Last Edit: May 18, 2008, 02:24:31 PM by Nox_Noctis »
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Nox_Noctis

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Re: Nox's Podcast Reviews [Will Be Edited]
« Reply #10 on: May 18, 2008, 02:19:33 PM »
Episode 11: Grit (Setting 003)
« Last Edit: May 18, 2008, 02:23:57 PM by Nox_Noctis »
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Nox_Noctis

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Re: Nox's Podcast Reviews [Will Be Edited]
« Reply #11 on: May 18, 2008, 02:19:44 PM »
Episode 12: Love and Sex (GM 002)
« Last Edit: May 18, 2008, 02:24:56 PM by Nox_Noctis »
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Nox_Noctis

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Re: Nox's Podcast Reviews [Work in Progress]
« Reply #12 on: May 18, 2008, 02:22:51 PM »
Episode 13:
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