Today’s #RPGaDAY topic is “Which ‘dead’ game would you like to see reborn?”
Man, that’s a crap question because “dead game” is such a crap phrase. What’s classified as a “dead game”? Any game line that doesn’t have ongoing support or releases. All the books are out and nothing new is coming, so it’s dead. Why even bother playing?
Such bull on that.
Look, I’m doing work for John Wick Presents and we’re doing 7th Sea and we’ve got ten books in the line and as soon as that last book drops, there’s going to be gamers labeling it a dead game. Why even bother playing a game session or two? After all, there’s only convention appearances and games, a larp, a player-led game setting creation plus adventure making, and more going on. But no, we’re just looking at the main books that JWP is putting out for 7th Sea and Secret Societies is the last one, so it’s over and done, play something else.
Like you can’t play any game with multiple books whose line has been published. Like I am somehow prohibited from playing a short campaign in Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2e’s Planescape setting. Or Godlike. Or Twilight: 2000. Or Blue Planet.
Which leads me to wonder: is a game that’s just a one book thing considered dead? Fiasco. Is that a dead game? How about Primetime Adventures? Apocalypse World?
Maybe I should read that question a different way. Maybe revisit the dead and reborn parts. Maybe different meanings for those words.
Maybe “Which little-played RPG would you like to see played by more people?”
Yeah. I think I’ll slot that question, or one that’s not so clunky, into a later post this month when I come across a topic that’s blah, like the 24th’s.
Previously on #RPGaDAY…
Last year, I wrote about some games I’ve played that have shaped the gamer I am now. There were several moments in gaming “where something clicks and is so profound it changes how you run (or play) the games”, including one statement in Apocalypse World’s Master of Ceremonies chapter: Be a fan of the player’s characters.
In 2015, the topic was “Favorite RPG Writer”. I mentioned John Wick before. I mentioned Jason Corley before. Now I’m going to go with John Harper because I can’t think of anyone whose name doesn’t start with the letter J. ((Next year, probably Jason Morningstar.)) John Harper, I love for his layout work, but I’m also drawn to the writing. He gets a character concept down in half a page. He does amazing worldbuilding in one page (Lady Blackbird) or three (Ghost Lines). He has also done one of my favorite character sheets (Wildlings).
In 2014, the topic was “Weirdest RPG Owned”. It’s still John Wick’s Thirty.