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| Anxiety Cat is obviously suffering from System Shock. |
For a lot of folks, as games change and our focus moves from one system to another, it can get really hard to remember which rule goes in which game...and recently talking with a few members it's obvious this is still an issue for some of us. This phenomenon (which I affectionately call "system shock") is neither new or uncommon. Yet, the worst part is that it can discourage players from trying new games, and that's anathema to the Wargate's philosophy.
Today, I want to talk about ways we as a gaming community can combat this system shock, and enjoy the myriad gaming opportunities your club offers. For myself, I've moved beyond this particular issue and I think I can help others do the same. You see, the issue lies not in the amount of rules to be used or the conventions to be represented. Likewise, it's not an issue of how many rules are structurally similar (such as the difference between different versions of the same rule in different editions) or how many rulebooks are on the table. The problem is simply one of mentality.
As a disclaimer, I'm not attacking anyone for being stupid. Far from it, everyone I know is exceptionally intelligent, and I don't want anyone to think I believe them to be less than clever. However, everyone can stand to hear a new idea, especially when the acceptance of that idea could make their Game Day better. In this case, I find that even folks who are deep into several games get queasy at the idea of learning or implementing a new system.
The mentality that rules take up space in your brain and you only have so much brain space is erroneous. It's true that as you change focus, you may forget or remember rules from one game when playing the other. That's natural, and it's not an issue when all parties are versed in the rules from the get go. Yet it's also true that a good portion of players don't read all the material involved and learn from other players the new conventions used in whatever the current game is.
Even if a player has read the material for a new game, it's likely he hasn't retained it all. This is totally natural and is entirely acceptable - no one expects you to be able to quote from the book verbatim with an unerring eidetic memory. That's not feasible to ask of someone, and it's more than a little asinine to expect that of yourself. Instead, the mentality of how we approach multiple game systems has to be changed from: "I play Warhammer 40,000 and I don't have time for that other stuff" to "I play Warhammer 40,000 and I can apply what I know from it to other games".
In wargames and RPG's, if you read and play enough of them you'll eventually see that it's all pretty much the same. Yeah, the details are different from one game to another but that's why we have rulebooks - learn where to look in one rules manual and if the next one has a good index or table of contents you can find any exact rule you need pronto. All these games use a version of the same over-arching conventions, such as using a D6 to shoot someone or make a save.
Look at the similarities between Warhammer 40,000 and Flames of War if you want a compelling example. Yeah, individual troops need different scores to hit and one of them uses to-hit modifiers. Other than that, it's the same D6 roll, often needing the same exact score. If you've played these games before, applying whatever modifier might apply is easy to deduce since there aren't that many to begin with. The rules we use from game to game are simply slightly modified to fit that milieu. However, once you've played a few campaigns you'll get the swing of it - the rules will fall right into place.
So the crux of this diatribe is thus: learn to use the manual to reference rules during play, instead of attempting to memorize the letter of the rules.
We have several folks jockeying the manuals around here on every Game Day, but good ol' Skim comes through more than most by reading almost every wargames manual we have. Not only that, but once you put your mind to it, it's pretty easy to deduce how these rulebooks are put together and where the designers hide certain rules. Captain Video is great on RPG games, and recently got the new AD&D 1e reprints to better reference tables and spells during the game. I've repeatedly stated that this is the way to go as a Dungeon Master - having dedicated players who know their game and can find what we're looking for in the rulebooks as quickly as possible to keep play moving forward.
The club has recently focused on our most popular games by moving to a three month campaign schedule (again??). Yes, again. We moved from the six month model because interest dropped off after the first three months. So, we can play more games - but we won't be running a second campaign for fully half the year. During Season 2 and Season 4, there will be secondary campaigns running pretty much from now on, but more on those later. The point is: there are now even LESS rules to be caught up on, and you'll find that playing more games and using more manuals in practice actually helps keep your gaming tight, rather than scattered with a lot of downtime looking up rules - or the scorned GM handwave/fiat.
Honestly, I worry about Campaign Setting Shock than I do Rules System Shock. However, with the amount of time we're spending in Greyhawk, I doubt many folks will get Oerth confused with Toril or Krynn. Yet, you never know. All those gods, kingdoms and cities might eventually meld together in some folks' brains. Of course, Paladine won't answer you if you're in Waterdeep. In order to stop this, I'll be focusing on special conventions, mood and presentation during the adventures in these classic settings in order to keep everyone "in the correct world".
Thanks again to all the Gate Keepers, who keep my fingers tapping away on this blog bringing you news from our game club. The site has become an important part of our game routine, and the way we use it will help curb the System Shock from now on. We've never had a site run this long, but we've never had a group this awesome or dedicated to gaming. I'll be here as long as you guys are.
See you on Game Day!