Comments for The Blog of Justice

Comment on To Those Who Came Before by Deb Jestus

Deb Jestus — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:23:56 +0000

I still have little moments when I wish I could travel back to Nineteen Year Old Rob and see his expression when I tell him, “See that book? The one with the rock star game developer’s name on it. Yeah, someday you’ll be friends with that guy.” I think I would have given Future Rob the finger and told him to go fuck himself. I was kind of a prick back then.
I love this comment-shows your growth. Very well written article!

Comment on To Those Who Came Before by Tobie

Tobie — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:37:13 +0000

Very informational list. Makes me wonder if I should consider tracking my own gaming bible and see who were my influences.

But yeah, John Wick definitely would be in my list too. I was astounded to discover so many things I’ve been pushing for or doing in my games which he was also talking about. In some ways, I was sharing his philosophy before I read about it.

Comment on To Those Who Came Before by Jim Ryan

Jim Ryan — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:57:04 +0000

Awesome analogy. :) I’ve only entered my “New Testament” in the last couple of years, I think, with player-narration-type games like In a Wicked Age and InSpectres. Prior to that it was mostly D&D, World of Darkness and Savage Worlds. Strangely enough, my gaming Apocalypse designer has of late turned out to be Jason Morningstar – somehow Fiasco has become one of my most favorite games EVER. I can’t seem to play enough of it. It’s like a drug, I’m tellin’ ya!! ;D

Comment on How come we start at 1st Level? by Episode 086 – 5E, sir? It’s only wafer thin. | The Sideways Tower Podcast

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 21:21:41 +0000

[...] Rob Justice’s article on starting at level 1: How come we start at 1st level? [...]

Comment on How come we start at 1st Level? by Fraser

Fraser — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 22:10:47 +0000

Totally agree. D&D—which was my “go-to” game for the vast majority of my gaming life—made it tough to start characters as competent because hit points at higher levels made them harder to kill, meaning having a competent character meant removing some of the threat, which—as JustinSmith wrote—is much of the thrill of low-level games.

In True20, with its damage save, I realized I could start my characters at 6th level, or even 10th level, and the threat remained. That freed me. I hope I’ve designed Sword Noir and Kiss My Axe so that characters are competent—much like the characters in the stories which inspired them—yet still have space to grow.

Comment on How come we start at 1st Level? by Rob Justice

Rob Justice — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 20:59:13 +0000

I think that’s a totally valid type of story. The idea I’m trying to get across is playing the character you want to play. In your case, it’s the story of the farm boy turned hero. It’s a fucking cool story and I totally don’t fault you for it.

The problem I have is that too many table-top role-playing games approach gaming as that static zero to hero mentality. Sometimes, I want to start out being a goddamn Jedi and not a Nerf Herder.

Comment on How come we start at 1st Level? by Rob Justice

Rob Justice — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 20:55:38 +0000

I think you really hit the nail on the head. To me, it’s not so much about where you start but that you evolve and change. A stagnate character is a boring character. Personally, I like to start out at a point where I already feel accomplished and evolve from there.

I’ve always thought games should be not about where Iron Man starts at but who he ends up being by the end of the story. “Advancement” as a means to evolution.

Comment on How come we start at 1st Level? by JustinSmith

JustinSmith — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 19:36:10 +0000

I hear you. But I think part of the issue is that some games don’t make the journey fun, and/or playing at highers levels IS such a different experience you might as well be playing a new game.

I used to love low-level D&D because the sense of danger, and characters had implicit motivations (you are poor, and there are rats to be slain!). However, I eventually got fed up with D&D because it was overly deadly to play low level characters, without pulling punches. I gave up, because alls I knew was D&D.

Recently I’ve rediscovered that love of “low-level” games. Currently, I am in a Burning Wheel game, with the setup being all PCs are from a backwater village. Turns out that one PC was a bastard of a baron, and has been named successor. The fur trapper is now lord of a neighboring land. his companions are a Shepard and a Magicians Apprentice, and we have a few hundred miles to go.

Part of the game is the journey, and part of it is seeing are characters evolve before we reach our esteemed friend’s Barony. Yes, I am playing a shepard, who dreams of being a warrior? Am I fairly inept now. Yes, it is made cooler by the nature of the game. This game works where others have failed because of Burning Wheel’s focus on challenging belief, the use-based advancement, and failure is a complication not a roadblock.

In this game, the journey and advancement are tedious but engaging to play and leading to an interesting story that we couldn’t do as competent characters.

Comment on How come we start at 1st Level? by Cam Banks

Cam Banks — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 19:25:44 +0000

One of my colleagues once said that tabletop gamers don’t necessarily need their characters to level up, they just want to see stuff change on their character sheet. You can extrapolate this a number of ways, but even if all that happens is that you get to pick up cool things during play that reflect the change in the story or the interaction between your character and the narrative, you get that same sense of growth or achievement.

Marvel Heroes characters don’t start at 1st level; that makes no sense given the license. And let’s be fair, the game is being designed as “pick your favorite hero, and play him in this big crossover event.” But even so, the focus is less on leveling up and more on achieving milestones and unlocking cool stuff.

Comment on How come we start at 1st Level? by Rob Justice

Rob Justice — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 18:48:07 +0000

Don’t Rest Your Head (and most of Evil Hat Products) already have a good deal of the “Start out awesome” mentality.

I think the issue of “game balance” and “power creep” is another debate all together. I just think that if a player really wants to start with a +5 Holy Avenger, I’m going to give it to him… With a whole bundle of trouble. Whatever is important to my player’s character is what rules my games and if it’s a +5 Holy Avenger that makes the character feel complete, God speed!