RPGnet Columns
01-03-2002, 01:48 PM
Post originally by Jeb Boyt at 2002-01-03 12:48:13
Converted from Phorums BB System
This is an intriguing premise, but it doesn't address that the shopping scenes are some of the most dreaded and dull moments of roleplaying. While some roleplayers love to play out the search and haggling over the price of goods, others sit around the table and role their eyes (Feng Shui includes a very good description of how to deal with this situation.).
Yes, you could make an abstract roleplaying game about shopping, but why would you want to? Shopping is largely about the sensory appeal of the items perused. A GM could work with a player to provide a descriptive dialogue of such an experience, working out their joint fascinations with gear and fashion, but what would be the point? The shopping experience could be the whole point of a session of Toon or Dying Earth, but the shopping itself would only be a setting for the action of the game (mayhem and pedantry).
In a CRPG, shopping has a more prominent role (1) because there is a visual component and (2) due to the solitary nature of the game/interface. The shopping, or armoring up, is actually a major part of the beginning of many games. Also, a game like the Sims is largely about shopping (The developer of the Sims is apparently is discussions with various consumer product manufactures about including product placements in future versions of the game).
Are we on to something, or did we all just spend too much time at the mall over the last two weeks?
Jeb
Converted from Phorums BB System
This is an intriguing premise, but it doesn't address that the shopping scenes are some of the most dreaded and dull moments of roleplaying. While some roleplayers love to play out the search and haggling over the price of goods, others sit around the table and role their eyes (Feng Shui includes a very good description of how to deal with this situation.).
Yes, you could make an abstract roleplaying game about shopping, but why would you want to? Shopping is largely about the sensory appeal of the items perused. A GM could work with a player to provide a descriptive dialogue of such an experience, working out their joint fascinations with gear and fashion, but what would be the point? The shopping experience could be the whole point of a session of Toon or Dying Earth, but the shopping itself would only be a setting for the action of the game (mayhem and pedantry).
In a CRPG, shopping has a more prominent role (1) because there is a visual component and (2) due to the solitary nature of the game/interface. The shopping, or armoring up, is actually a major part of the beginning of many games. Also, a game like the Sims is largely about shopping (The developer of the Sims is apparently is discussions with various consumer product manufactures about including product placements in future versions of the game).
Are we on to something, or did we all just spend too much time at the mall over the last two weeks?
Jeb