Simon Smith wrote:
> In a deadly scenario, characters have to use every trick in the book in
> order to survive. That includes dirty tricks.
I'm uncertain what exactly counts as "dirty tricks" in your view.
Using my own version of "dirty tricks" as a benchmark, I have the
following to say:
The definition for hero required them to be both brave & noble. Using
"dirty tricks" obviously fails both requirements (something you note as
well).To do so, the player would have to place greater value upon his
survival than his honor (and in Middle Earth, the long term success of
many heroic goals) and thereby fails the test of heroism in the game.
Simply put, he's not a hero.
One earns everything one has in my game, including that title.
> But in order to sustain a heroic campaign, you can't have too high a
> mortality rate.
In my campaign, not every game has heroic events. Often one just shows
up and does their job, their duty, or moves a little closer (or
farther) from a goal.
I also run at about a 40% mortality rate over what I consider an
"character adventure era", but in the long term it's close to 100% due
to the generational nature of the campaign (the presence of immortal
elves offers some chance for a "left for the west" ending, but I
consider it remote).
Most of those deaths are not heroic. Some are.
Most people would call that a highly lethal game. However it may not be
given the length of those campaigns (mine and its sister campaign) and
the length of theirs. I've read that the typical campaign is measured
in months, ours is measured indecades and that likely has a impact on
this debate.
A character may not die for 6 months, and then one might lose three or
four in row.
> > When a person I despise says something that is exactly correct, I
still
> > despise him but I have to say: hear hear.
>
> Off-topic, but - I cannot imagine any cir***stance where mentioning
> - even just in passing - that you despise someone is going to be
helpful.
> Please refrain from doing this.
Will is a very prideful individual, highly concerned with his image. I
picked up on that early and kill-filed him rather than deal with it.
He hasn't forgave me since and now has moved to not even writing my
name. Cute. And exactly why he comes across as very young to me. Most
people outgrow that stuff.
> This illustrates where /I/ think heroic tone fits into the gaming
spectrum.
> So I'd have to modify my original post and admit that I'm usually
> running a cinematic game.
>
> Is this a less contentious position, or do you still have issues with
it?
I have no problem with call it cinematic myself.
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