What can I say about focus? Much like yesterday's entry the focus should be on the fun--for everybody in the group; those running the game and those playing. That aside, I've played quite a few games over the years and while combat is almost always going to ultimately be the focus of every game, there are a few that tried a slightly different focus. I'm going to talk about two of them.
1. Ryuutama--I am always proselytizing for this game any chance I get. The focus is on traveling--battling the elements, managing resources, and setting up camp--throughout a long journey. The game has its origins in Japan and has often been called "Miyazaki's Oregon Trail" because you get the whimsical feels of a Miyazaki film and the deadly travel of the old Oregon Trail computer game. Another unique aspect of the game is the Ryuujin character for the GM to run. I am a voice in the wilderness but I can't say enough good things about this game.
2. Seventh Sea--I backed the KickStarter for 2nd edition and at one point it was the most successfully funded table top game. The company is having a little trouble right now, but they are ironing out the problems. Several books were produced for the for the project and are readily available now. The focus for this game is player agency and over the top swashbuckling action. It definitely has a different feel than the average game of D&D.
I was actually planning to talk about a few other games with non-combat focus--but I haven't played too many of them. World of Darkness--old and new as far as I can gather--always focused more on the storytelling. It was sort of their selling point back in the old days. I want to play the "Dread" RPG which uses a Jenga tower for its resolutions--I'm sure tension is the focus there--but I've never had the opportunity. I still use the tower to play regular Jenga from time to time though.
What's next? Examine. That implies a close look at something...I'll have to think about it.
1. Ryuutama--I am always proselytizing for this game any chance I get. The focus is on traveling--battling the elements, managing resources, and setting up camp--throughout a long journey. The game has its origins in Japan and has often been called "Miyazaki's Oregon Trail" because you get the whimsical feels of a Miyazaki film and the deadly travel of the old Oregon Trail computer game. Another unique aspect of the game is the Ryuujin character for the GM to run. I am a voice in the wilderness but I can't say enough good things about this game.
2. Seventh Sea--I backed the KickStarter for 2nd edition and at one point it was the most successfully funded table top game. The company is having a little trouble right now, but they are ironing out the problems. Several books were produced for the for the project and are readily available now. The focus for this game is player agency and over the top swashbuckling action. It definitely has a different feel than the average game of D&D.
I was actually planning to talk about a few other games with non-combat focus--but I haven't played too many of them. World of Darkness--old and new as far as I can gather--always focused more on the storytelling. It was sort of their selling point back in the old days. I want to play the "Dread" RPG which uses a Jenga tower for its resolutions--I'm sure tension is the focus there--but I've never had the opportunity. I still use the tower to play regular Jenga from time to time though.
What's next? Examine. That implies a close look at something...I'll have to think about it.
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