[PnP] Thanks Scott

[Scott Adams]

At 01:56 PM 4/6/2012, you wrote:
>Thanks Scott, the comment you tried to post on my blog is long and 
>quite interesting, please post it again, i just disabled the word 
>verification on my blog, now it should be much easier for you to 
>copy and paste your comment! I'm asking you to do so in order to 
>give everyone the chance to read your point of view, which i deem 
>interesting- as i already said.
Doesn't seem to like it may be the length.  I get this msg -
Your HTML cannot be accepted: Must be at most 4,096 characters
You can use some HTML tags, such as <b>, <i>, <a>


Don't want to cut it down into 4-5 posts (just no time).

Its pure text.  At first figured it was line length but not that as 
made less than 80 columns.
Oh well.  Feel free to post it yourself.  Cut/past the below (this is 
the edited spell checked version :)).

-----------
P&P is as stated obviously not a system for the simple player or
  GM.  It does require some level of brain power than say a pot smoker
  who could easily play the vast majority of other games.  Not that all
  simple gamers are that way.  But the vast majority of all rps tend to
  have the six-pack-Joe type that can cookie-place the game.  Give some
  teen a pair of dice and majority will play the most popular systems
  out there in no time.  But on the other hand there are some systems
  that are a bit more complex that require thought and patience.  For
  example some board games or miniature games require more than just
  tossing some dice.  P&P is the same but for the rpg industry.  BUT
  with a good skilled GM even the confused players can have a good time.
   I run about 26 rpgs of various genres.  Probably countless board
   games.  Miniature games maybe a dozen. It is in the skill set of a
   person to learn the game for themselves.  Back in mid'80s when we
   got the game at some Con we enjoyed it in hours not weeks.  Two 
years later at a con I ran a 8 player game in on session teaching new
players who never even played it how to use the system.  Course I did
have tons of prepared things like cheat sheets and such.  But if a new
group can enjoy it in a few hours then I think anyone can with the
right patience.

Some consider the system just another hack.  This can be debated.
We can go back to Shakespeare and find only a few story lines in
history.  Does that mean some unique movie is not worth watching
cause it was just a 'typical murder' movie?  The problem is this
system is a love or hate it game.  GM and player will either love
it or hate it on that awful first impression likely the first hour.
But is that the fault of the game?  The complex rules?  The bias of
the player?  The bad GM who can only read some adventure text and
not come up with his own original idea?

Given the chance 99% of my friends/players have enjoyed the game.
  Only one player didn't seem to like the math.  Another player
  refused to play team player and created havoc because he didn't
  like the game.  Two out of hundreds.

The math is complex for some who don't like simple math.  They need
a calculator to figure out the things needed done.  But then these
are the same people who work at a fast food place and can't make
change from a 5$ bill on a meal of 2$.  They need a cash register
to figure out for them.  This isn't the fault of the game but of
the person who decides to be just lazy or give a brass bit.

There are much more complex games out there.  Chartmaster a certain
name we give to a X-Master game I'll not name that is so full of
chart flipping that a typical combat takes a full hour for one round.
  Sometimes details can be overwhelming and it is up o the GM to
  decide what is needed in their game.  This is why this game works
  so well it was designed on purpose to give that flexibility.
  Frankly many other games out there do not have that flex nature.

I've done the system for almost 3 decades.  I've run a game constantly
for the last 17 years.  Before that off and on for a decade or two.

I am biased I bit but aren't we all?

RPGs adapt and change.  We've seen it go from that certain dungeon
style to complex visions of worlds.  We've seen rpgs rise and fall.
Now kids consider Magic or those other systems to be 'rpgs'.  But
P&P to me has stayed the same for the last 3 decades.  We've seen
this version and the Xth version of this game come out - even to
the point of stupid changes or just a new trick to spend money on.
Yet you can get P&P in 2 boxes and that's it.  No suitcase of just
side supplements to cover one aspect or a briefcase of rule bonks
that debate on one rule.

To me this game has stayed in my heart for that.  I'll still play
the other games but I prefer to RUN and play in P&P.  It is tied
to another game system (fantasy genre) which I like and nothing
else really compares to it in the scope of creativity.  This doesn't
mean P&P is BETTER than X or Y system.  Been there done that debate.
This is only my view.

Given enough brain energy and time anyone can learn the game and
ENJOY it.

Don't want the game to allow one to have the Hand to Hand skill -
much rather add a martial arts skill?  So be it!  Do it.

Sadly many other systems do not have that a good flex ability as
this system.

Some say it takes a player 3 hours at least to generate a player.
In the first few months I could do that in minutes.  Now I could do
a dozen full players in a flash.

Again this is just how one learns and handles the system.  Come in
without a open mind then you will just see another hack.

I rarely get to play the game myself due to time.  In the last
decade we did have 2 GMs run pbem games.  As with the vast majority
of PBEMs out there they failed shortly after.  But I have done a
pbem (still so - on my 5th adventure) since mid-90s.  Some with the
same players.

Another aspect I like about the game is the fans. While we aren't
as diverse as certain dungeon fans we have a tight enough group
that allows us to just have fun.  None of the "well the spell says
it can do this but the 3rd edition said the movement was changed
and the physics of the spell mechanics..." blah blah.  Debate to
no end.

How many do you get to deal with the author personally over the
years and help create a entirely new version/update as we did for
version 2?

To think that I'm a 100% fan of the game isn't right either.  Sure
there are issues.  Minor ones which I simply ignore or change.  NO
game is perfect.  IF you believe that then you are in your own
fantasy world and no need to play in another fantasy world.


My 2 Brass Bits.

Scott Adams
http:/nrgcomputers.com/pbem/