Castles & Crusades is the SHIZ-NIGHT!
Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2015 2:08 am
(That means awesome for you 40+ year olds.)
Anyway, there are a lot of discussions up here on the Troll Boards about edition influences, rules clarity versus ambiguity, intent versus writing style, etc. There are people who have been playing C&C since the very beginning, and new Crusaders coming to the forums from time to time to gather data and just check this $#!4 out!
It's important to realize that the C&C game is really made playable by its easily malleable rules that conform to the Castle Keeper, and group for which the players gather. This fact alone has gathered new players and old from across the spectrum of D&D to play. This truly makes C&C the Rosetta Stone of fantasy RPing. I play with or run hardcore v3.X players who have been so critical of the game for 5+ years... yet they still play. There are a few old-school guys who played Basic, 1E, or 2E and came to C&C for the adventure and camaraderie... now they all own C&C books and prefer to play C&C over the older games. One of those guys sold off all of his old D&D rulebooks! I have been lucky enough to bring in two new RPGers into my personal game. Now one of them, a 17 year old kid, runs his own C&C campaign for his friends and family!
When the idea of a new campaign comes up, there is usually a little discussion on about which system we are going to play or run. For over 5 years now (maybe six or more), it's the only game we all play. Different Castle Keepers, applying their own ideas and assets to their games. That's pretty awesome.
I play or run 3 C&C groups comprised of about 18-19 different people. Aside from me, only one has ever come to these message boards to post their thoughts. For these participants, it has always been about the game. Coming to the table and playing with a simple (or stepped up complexity version, depending upon your CK) D&D paper and pencil RPG emulator is what it is ultimately all about. We are all here for the same things; a fun time playing the type of game we love. You don't have to love C&C, but you love the style of game. You know you do.
I have never seen another game do what C&C does... bring people to the table to do what they love. Sure, there are tons of editions, versions, and other fantasy RPGs out there, but whether you are a detractor or a supporter, you know C&C brings people to the table.
A lot of the discussions on this message board come from people who do it THEIR way. And that is OK. With C&C, there is very little that is the right way or the wrong way. Sometimes you may have to take a step back and look at the game you play. Do you want cleaner rules? Sure, go ahead and ask a question on the message boards. Or, like me, go ahead and write your own version of the rules. Neither one of those are the wrong way to do things with C&C.
C&C is not perfect game of white-washed, cold clean rules that are designed for the purpose of having perfect rules. The C&C game, more so than probably many games in the past 20 years is about giving you a framework from which to make the game you want. Can you play C&C by the letter of the written work in the Player's Handbook? Probably, but not a single one of us does that.
I have myself leveled a few harsh critcisms of C&C over the past 14 or so years of which I was involved with it. Yet I still play, and have more players then ever before. It's not perfect that I am looking for, it's playability (subjective) and bringing people to the stories and type of game we love. C&C does that so well.
Respect the game for what it does, and realize that the way you play is not the only way. Whence you embrace that notion, your mind is free to create.
To the Crusade!
~O
Anyway, there are a lot of discussions up here on the Troll Boards about edition influences, rules clarity versus ambiguity, intent versus writing style, etc. There are people who have been playing C&C since the very beginning, and new Crusaders coming to the forums from time to time to gather data and just check this $#!4 out!
It's important to realize that the C&C game is really made playable by its easily malleable rules that conform to the Castle Keeper, and group for which the players gather. This fact alone has gathered new players and old from across the spectrum of D&D to play. This truly makes C&C the Rosetta Stone of fantasy RPing. I play with or run hardcore v3.X players who have been so critical of the game for 5+ years... yet they still play. There are a few old-school guys who played Basic, 1E, or 2E and came to C&C for the adventure and camaraderie... now they all own C&C books and prefer to play C&C over the older games. One of those guys sold off all of his old D&D rulebooks! I have been lucky enough to bring in two new RPGers into my personal game. Now one of them, a 17 year old kid, runs his own C&C campaign for his friends and family!
When the idea of a new campaign comes up, there is usually a little discussion on about which system we are going to play or run. For over 5 years now (maybe six or more), it's the only game we all play. Different Castle Keepers, applying their own ideas and assets to their games. That's pretty awesome.
I play or run 3 C&C groups comprised of about 18-19 different people. Aside from me, only one has ever come to these message boards to post their thoughts. For these participants, it has always been about the game. Coming to the table and playing with a simple (or stepped up complexity version, depending upon your CK) D&D paper and pencil RPG emulator is what it is ultimately all about. We are all here for the same things; a fun time playing the type of game we love. You don't have to love C&C, but you love the style of game. You know you do.
I have never seen another game do what C&C does... bring people to the table to do what they love. Sure, there are tons of editions, versions, and other fantasy RPGs out there, but whether you are a detractor or a supporter, you know C&C brings people to the table.
A lot of the discussions on this message board come from people who do it THEIR way. And that is OK. With C&C, there is very little that is the right way or the wrong way. Sometimes you may have to take a step back and look at the game you play. Do you want cleaner rules? Sure, go ahead and ask a question on the message boards. Or, like me, go ahead and write your own version of the rules. Neither one of those are the wrong way to do things with C&C.
C&C is not perfect game of white-washed, cold clean rules that are designed for the purpose of having perfect rules. The C&C game, more so than probably many games in the past 20 years is about giving you a framework from which to make the game you want. Can you play C&C by the letter of the written work in the Player's Handbook? Probably, but not a single one of us does that.
I have myself leveled a few harsh critcisms of C&C over the past 14 or so years of which I was involved with it. Yet I still play, and have more players then ever before. It's not perfect that I am looking for, it's playability (subjective) and bringing people to the stories and type of game we love. C&C does that so well.
Respect the game for what it does, and realize that the way you play is not the only way. Whence you embrace that notion, your mind is free to create.
To the Crusade!
~O