Nobleshield

@squidlord That's interesting. The biggest issue, I think, will be getting people interested. I've tried twice to get people to look at old-school, and it's only been a few of my Warhammer friends and my wife who have shown any interest at all (we are playing Castles & Crusades now)

Frankly, if it was me, I would rotate through multiple open tables twice a month, perhaps. Do a very classic *Rules Cyclopedia* D&D, followed by an open invite post-apocalyptic *After the Horsemen*, with a bit of an adventure wargaming focus. Maybe even a *Traveler* week using *Starforged* worked in there for a fiction-forward, highly character-driven slot. Between those three, you've had a pretty serious coverage of most of the big genres and a broad selection of mechanics to show them off.

If my LGS moves stores, we might have a dedicated TTRPG game room. If that's the case, I might just try to do a full open table, whoever shows up plays campaign to make good use of it. No idea what system I'd use, but I am getting Castle Zagyg part 1 🤔🤔🤔🤔

@Nobleshield @Scow21 Sandbox style is not the absence of stories in a game it’s the absence of pre written plots (involving the players) that remove player agency. There are NPC plots and stories characters CAN influence, IF they want to, and the outcome is often not expected, see reaction tables.

@kcoppernoll @Scow21 Just checking. I've seen plenty of people who think those are the same thing.

@Nobleshield @Scow21 That’s not story gaming? That’s having a connected believable world.

People wrongly think "railroading" means "giving the PCs a plot hook or adventure". That's completely wrong. THIS is railroading (courtesy of Knights of the Dinner Table):

@Crossface02 I guess if you consider the Braunstein to be "roleplaying," then Tony Bath's stuff is the proto-Braunstein.

@Nobleshield Disagree. Players took on roles. Played them out. Had personalities. Had attributes that were unrelated to battlefield.

Players who took on the roles of the rulers of these countries would make and break alliances, go to war over disagreements that took place during roleplaying, and control the armies on the battlefield. These characters had attributes, backgrounds, and families. Sounds familiar

@kcoppernoll @Scow21 What about having points of interest that have things woven together? E.g. you find something in one area that leads you to something else, but you don't force the PCs to go there, they just have the option.

@Scow21 @Nobleshield Railroading isn’t black and white, there’s levels to it, and most story games are thinly-veiled railroading. If there’s plot points the DM wrote, I’m sorry you’re most likely being railroaded, even slightly.

@dosegenderos You were misled to think that as a female you should be working and not raising a family

@Nobleshield I have a career but no progeny this shit stupid

In 6 months I will be 29 and I still have no idea what the fuck I'm doing. Just wondering if this is normal or what. I want kids. My job is retarded. I feel deceived. I literally want to see people enjoy a Sunday meal that I have constructed. I wanna fatten up people.

@kcoppernoll @Nobleshield Story gaming isn't railroading. Railroading is when the plot points drive you down specific resolutions with no actual ability for the player to affect the story.

@dosegenderos Based and wifepilled

@Nobleshield I am. I like it. I want to care for people.

@AlysssaHazel @CarverDarkness "Beware of DAWG" "Beware of me" with a picture of moo deng biting the guy's knee

@CarverDarkness "Beware of dog"

>Be Me >Baby has been sick since Monday >Finally gets her to sleep >Doorbell rings >"Maybe they'll go away." >Doorbell rings again >I get up and open the door, carrying Squirmy, who is now awake >"Hi, do you own a cat?" >"No, but I'm about to have a cow."

@Nobleshield Flexibilty is key. Player out thinks you. Play it out & adjust the final encounter to account for the advantage. They get challenged, had free agency, got rewarded for thinking smart & you r a genius dm for all that plotting. 😁

@StoryBehind6969 Yeah but an MMORPG isn't what I want to play anymore.

@Nobleshield What do you have just described is the plot of every MMORPG

Why do none of these open world games let you make your own character and just be a traveler/adventurer/mercenary out to make a name for themselves? Why do you always have to play as So-and-so who wants to Complete-Main-Storyline?

@Nobleshield Railroading is you designed only one path to victory in that part. So instead of letting them have free agency ie they turn right and you say your suppsed go left. Or that npc will never honor his word to help because it would break whats planned.

@nugbonuggs Exactly. IMHO it's not railroading to give a plot hook (e.g., the NPC asks you to do something for them). Railroading is no choice in HOW you do that something.

The way many people online describe "old-school play" with TTRPGs makes it sound like the most boring nonsense, like a worse implementation of Diablo. If I want dungeon hack-and-slash today, a video game does it better.

@nugbonuggs lol I like that

@Nobleshield But a nudge is not railroading. Heck i even ask my players do you need a hint. If they say yes i point them to all the other hints i gave them through roleplay and player aids. Lol if they are still dense i use the whats your intelligence fake roll behind screen it ok handhold

@elvenmaidinn Wouldn't that make you a Tiefling 🤔

I am Demon King!

@BLKfeatherPress @Dungeoneerhere I think I'm spoiled having a consistent 9-5 M-F job where I know when I'm available, without having different shifts or schedules each week.

@Dungeoneerhere I dont understand scheduling issues. Even when I was working full time + it wasnt hard to take 3 or 4 hours out of a predetermined day once a week. Skill issue.

Turns out scheduling your time and letting someone know if you’ll be free at 9pm on a Wednesday in 2-3 weeks is pretty easy, my players are just LOUSY