Hype Control

Yesterday, I posted a fairly-gushy post about how much I love tremulus, including the controversial notion that it's my personal favorite Apocalypse Engine RPG. A few people out there on the Interwebs were so shocked that I could like this game that they felt they had to explain to me why, essentially, I'm wrong. I deleted these comments. I have no intention of addressing them. Any attempts to resucitate them on my blog will get them deleted again.

The reason for this is two-fold. First is the title of this post, something I call "Hype Control." I like to get myself and my players psyched for my games. I want them to believe that they are about to play the greatest RPG they have ever played, and I want to believe that, too. No matter how far from the truth it could be, I want every game I host to rock the khazbah. It's hard to rock khazbahs when people are questioning the game. Had these criticisms appeared weeks later, after the game had come and gone, I probably would not have deleted them. But I don't want anyone coming into my game thinking "Well, Ed, some people were saying this-and-that about this game. Is that true?" Likewise, as I prep for the game, I don't want to be wondering if I'm wrong about my thoughts on the game. I've posted the event, I've read the book, and that, for now, will be that.

Secondly, I have this odd belief that RPGs have no floor. What I mean by that is an RPG can be good, excellent, better than another similar RPG, but it can't be bad. In my mind, there are no bad RPGs, just game groups that don't want to deal with a given RPG's bullshit. I'll admit, there are a lot of RPGs out there that seem to be so stuffed with bullshit I can't imagine anyone enjoying them, but I'll be the first to admit that that's my thought, not some indictment on the game. I lose a lot of respect immediately for anyone who says an RPG is bad. How do you know? How many games of it have you played (and I am NOT at all an advocate of the "I haven't played it, but I've read the book and that's essentially the same thing" line of thought). However, if someone likes an RPG they haven't played, or calls it a great game, I'll listen, at least a little. It's asymetrical, hypocritical, and maybe even unfair, but it all goes to the Hype Control I mentioned earlier. Quite frankly, I think the hobby is just too small to get snobby about games. If someone is trying to get together a group for Vampire: Undeath, best of luck to them. Like them all, whenever you can, and simply ignore the ones you can't. Don't be hatin'.

As a simple "house rule" for my blog, if I want discussion, dissent, and criticism, I'll ask for it. Otherwise, a simple +1, or a question, or a suggestion on how to make the blog entry better are really all I want to see. It's not that I have a problem with people disagreeing with my opin....oh, fuck it; I have a problem with people disagreeing with my opinion. This is my blog, not Oprah's Book Club. If you don't like what I'm saying, don't read it. If I've provoked something in your own brain that you want to discuss, then write your own blog. My ego is fragile enough at the thought of maintaining a blog about role-playing games; I just don't have it in me to host debates on here, too!