Mouse Guard boxed set...

[Treebore]

Is "tentatively" scheduled for March or April, WOOT!

[Omote]

While the artwork and feel of Mouseguard is really awesome, I'm just not a fan of the different style of mechanics. With the right amount of work, any game could be awesome, but I find myself not being able to get around the innovative, but uncomfortable rules.

The book sure does look good though.

~O

[Joe]

Omote...can you elaborate about the rules your can't get behind?

I know absolutely zero about "Indie games" except that Mouse Guard is labelled as Indie.
I loved Harvesters for the setting and theme but felt like the author could have "deviated" more.
it almost sounds like you think MG may be too much of a deviant.

When I looked up some random forum for Indie games I got the feeling "Indie" was an eclectic group similar in vein to the WOD crowd or ren faire types. Nothing wrong with any of that...just not my cup o tea.

So the rules? Whats your beef?

[Treebore]

Mouse Guard is FATE based, I can only assume D hasn't played any FATE games, because I am pretty sure D would love a lot about FATE. Once you understand how to use Aspects the rest is pretty straight forward, 2d6, one positive, one negative, so you get a number range of 0 to 5, add modifiers, and you know your results.

You can look at details it what is the FATE SRD:

http://www.faterpg.com/dl/sotc_srd.pdf

[Joe]

We have a guy at the office that knows everything about whatever admin thing you could want to know and some you don't.

He took another job and now we can't even figure out how to replace toner.

Not sure what this forum...and others would do without Treebore.
I can't imagine how one person could possibly play so many games and buy even that many more...but I value the fact that I can get information vicariously without having to spend a fortune on games.

Of course, I still think he is a pinko color glossy fanboy when "real" gamers stick to grognard soup but I accept and respect your vast knowledge in the genre also!

[Treebore]

I buy them for as cheap a price as I can find, whether Amazon, eBay, used books stores, or someone selling their collections off on various message boards.

I have still spent many thousands on my RPG hobby over the last 25+ years, but I would have spent many thousands more if I didn't shop so carefully, or just be patient and wait until the RPG becomes out dated, etc...

So I rarely buy an RPG at full price, I usually get it for 30% off or more.

As to why I get to play so many? Scheduling and conventions.

I'm busy like everyone else, wife, kids, farm, run a charity, kids in college, etc... So it really comes down to scheduling, scheduling, scheduling...

[Treebore]

For example, this is where I am buying Mouse Guard:

http://www.amazon.com/Mouse-Guard-Rolep ... 363&sr=8-2

[Treebore]

and according to Paizo the actual price is $78.50, so with Amazon's pre order price guarantee I will be saving about $35 on this. Not accounting for taxes, etc...

[Joe]

I sum it up like this:

Those that truly want to do something find a way to get it done.

Those that don't never really wanted it enough.

[Omote]

Treebeard is right, I have not played any FATE based games before. I haven't played Mouseguard either, but would like to. The best way for me to describe my feelings on the Mouseguard rules is, that it doesn't seem to have a hands-on approach to playing your character as, say, D&D or C&C would. Many aspects of the story are generated, solely by the GM it seems. If definitely seems like you need a good, inventive GM to run this game.

~O

[Treebore]

Treebeard is right, I have not played any FATE based games before. I haven't played Moueguard either, but would like to. The best was for me to describe my feelings on the Mouseguard rules is, that it doesn't seem to have a hands-on approach to playing your character as, say, D&D or C&C would. Many aspects of the story are generated, solely by the GM it seems. If definitely seems like you need a good, inventive GM to run this game.

~O

One thing I think you would like about the FATE system is their Aspects. You come up with a number of them and they are based on your character concept. Such as "Player X's character is my sibling", or "Is very goal oriented", or "never gives up"or anything else that the player thinks fits their character concept, but you want to be reasonably general with them too. This is because you "invoke" them during the course of play, and if you relate it to what is going on with regards to the game event the GM ill give you a +2 bonus to your related die roll, or even get to do a reroll, which also usually requires you to spend what are called FATE points.

The GM can then use your aspects to place obstacles or give penalties to you, which pays you for dealing with these obstacles with allowing you to earn FATE points.

You really should give it a try and see how it all comes together. These FATE games were games I really thought I would not like, but when I played and saw how it all came together I became a fan.

Plus Aspects, FATE points, and Talents are all rules easy to use in other games, like C&C or Warhammer.

[Omote]

I only know of one other person I know who is interested in this game, which makes it hard to get a game going. I used to be very hardcore anti-anthorpomorphism, and I think that sunk into some of the players that I game with. Yikes! Now, nobody I game with seems to like the idea of RPing animals. I gained my hatred towards the Disney-styled antho that permeated my childhood when the first Narnia movie was released though.

One thing I bet you don't know about me TB, I actually don't like Feats/Talents/Advantages/Adjuncts in my RPGs. I use them, because players like them, but otherwise I'm fine without them. The Aspects feature of Mouseguard is a little different as it is intended to drive roleplaying, which is nice touch... unless you play with the powerZ-gamers that I sometimes do.

~O

[serleran]

Perhaps I will look at it further, but I find, like Omote, to not care much for the underlying rules. But that may be because I am rather not liking much of "one system for XYZ games." Some exclusions perhaps, but I dunno... guess its just part of my ass nature.

[Treebore]

Perhaps I will look at it further, but I find, like Omote, to not care much for the underlying rules. But that may be because I am rather not liking much of "one system for XYZ games." Some exclusions perhaps, but I dunno... guess its just part of my ass nature.

You can at least read the rules, in particular the Aspects are the biggest thing, in this on line SRD (actually bookmarked PDF) for FATE:

http://www.faterpg.com/dl/sotc_srd.pdf

[Treebore]

Seems that I was wrong about what the default rules for Mouse Guard are. IT is based on Spirit of the Century's D6 pool system.

Apparently the game I played at Neon Con was based on the FATE rules and I didn't catch that the GM had switched the rules system.

Still, FATE is easy enough for me to use instead, but still a bit disappointing that it isn't the default system. who knows? Maybe I will like its dice pool system? I do like Shadowrun's.

[Eisenmann]

This is on my list along with the Castle Keeper Guide. We've had some really great fun with Burning Wheel's cousin, Mouse Guard. The default system is excellent. The GM doesn't create everything. He just creates the adversity which isn't really all that different from other games but as presented it cuts to the chase.

Here's a short actual play report using Realm Guard the Ranger Hack set in Middle Earth:

http://platonicsolid.blogspot.com/searc ... se%20Guard


Spirit of the Century uses 4DF (Fudge Dice)

Plus Aspects, FATE points, and Talents are all rules easy to use in other games, like C&C or Warhammer.

Indeed!

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