Forum: Public Forum

I will be travelling back from Holiday this day, with a few other members.
Ash, Ben, Dan, Becky, Alan, and I may well make the session some time. We will be returning from a week of gaming and general fun in a cottage in Wales, so it is possible we will be played out, but it is also entirely possible we will be ready to see other human beings too.

That means I really am a maybe for all three things, the social, afternoon, and evening sessions. It also means the others are just as maybe as I am. The chances are if one of us turns up we all will.

Len

I have now set up the Meetup.com events for the August 2010 Big Meet.
As you will most probably notice, the description is Spartan. After all I believe I have spent enough time preparing the pages on this site. There is no need to register your RSVP there if you register for a game here.

The Meetup.com events are provided with links to this site. This to ensure that people become aware of it. Members coming to the Big Meet tend to be active members, thus they should be transitioned as soon as possible.
The messages on the Meetup.com events are a bit blunt and slightly strong-arm people into looking at the new site.

It is probable that some members will decide not to move to the new site, so they can still drop their RSVP on the Meetup.com event if they so wish.

I have been told that August is likely to be a quiet month, so we shall see.
Quiet or not, we need more games as I would like not to have to run a game during the Afternoon Session if possible.

So... potential GMs, please make yourselves known!

Laurent,

Let them eat cake?
I must say that setting up and perfecting those pages has taken us a little while.

I was still working on the backend when you arrived at the BBQ.

On the up side, now that there is a convention and we have the ability to simply copy August to create September, that month will become easier and every month thereafter will be easiier still.

Len

Len,

Yes, the setting up of all the cross linked pages took me longer than I thought it would, but whoever gets to set-up the September Big Meet should have a slightly easier run indeed. Links would still need to be updated though, so this is not going to be the same piece of cake as it is on Meetup.com with the "basic" event set-up.
I have left "Game 2" for display so as to show to potential GMs that we need games to fill the two sessions. I obviously expect people to add themselves to an unnamed/undefined game, so I will have a look at removing them from the trackers lists when this happen.

Let them eat cake?

I guess you have had a look at those events over at the "other place" then. The terse description indirectly leads one to read: "We know you moron, get in line or get lost".
Ironically, if they use the comment facility on the Meetup.com event pages to voice their opposition (as the wording also hints at), they will identify themselves and/or confirm their identity.

Talking about the set-up, i should have mentioned that on Sunday, this is not really a bug but:
When changing the event from planning to "whole group", the location drop down menu does not get updated, only "Len's place" shows-up. If one tries to add another location (I tried to add the Brunswick), the system crashes when trying to post the event.

One solution is as follow:

• Change the event from planning to "whole group".
• Submit.
• Edit the new "Whole Group" event.
• The drop down list for the location is now magically populated and the Brunswick Inn becomes available.
• Fill in the text as desired.

Laurent,

We need some games for the August meetup, some more players would be welcome to sign-in too.

GMs

Please present and discuss your game here.
I can always create the game pages and events for you if you need some help doing so.

Players

Tough luck so far for the choice I must admit, but please do not register for an undefined game. There is no "Game 2", this is merely a template to tell GMs that more than one slot is available.

I will show-up for the Big Meet, even if only a couple of people are signed in, just in case others merely decide to show up unnannounced. So, if you feel a bit shy or fear to show up there alone, do not fret and register now.

As pointed out on the event page itself, if you plan to be around for a session but are not interested in the games on offer, you can still add yourself to the listof attendees at the bottom of the event page.

Laurent,

I can make it, Hurrah!!

as there is footie & therefore a late-ish start to actually playing, I may just run one long adventure

do we list them on the old site.
Still trying to fathom this one?

No much to fathom really. The old site is being allowed to run down naturally. DM/GMs are requested to bring players across as and when they are seen in person.

By all means post on the old site calendar for the moment, but link to this site when you do, and make sure it is obvious that this site exists and is where RSVPs are wanted.

Len

John,

Glad you can make it and run something.
More games should attract more players. If not, I will happily cancel my afternoon one and play in whatever you decide to run.

To be fair it is slightly more complicated to post on this site, but I know you have an academic degree , so you have no excuse!

As mentioned above, get a game page (TikiWiki page) running, you can keep the same all the time an merely edit its contents if you want.

Tell me the name of that page and I will linkify it on the "Afternoon Session" and/or "Evening Session" if you want a marathon.

This will give you a slot and a sign-in form for your players, as part of the "advanced" format now in place.

Laurent,

is there a second game at this meetup, as i really cant tell

plus are there more than 4 people turning up!!

John,

There is only one game.
I have left the "Game 2" as a placeholder. Granted, seeing Bruce and Len signed-up could lead to confusion.
I have now removed them.

Very few people have signed-up indeed. Len had warned me that August, like July has a commonly a low turnout. The fact that Len and most of the regular attendees will be away, and only potentially able to attend the Big Meet removes a lot of people too.

We need GAMES so if you can make it, it would be nice if you could run something. Send me the details and I will enter your game on the events (they need to be scripted sort of). As explained above, you could also create a page for your game to describe it in length.

If there are only less than a dozen of us, I would cancel my afternoon game and play in yours. "Hollow's Chronicles" could run in the evening if Len and the other bunch drop by the Brunswick Inn on their way back home.

Laurent,

Hi Folks,

Is this a monthly meet-up? If so I would be interested in coming along after August, if there is room for a near complete newbie (not played since being disappointed by AD&D 2e).

What systems do you play? I have been looking for a 4e game but it isn't too popular around here!

Cheers

Bob

The group meets on the second Saturday of every month at the Brunswick in Derby.

There are usually several games on offer in each of the two slots. We have an afternoon slot (2pm till 6pm) and an evening slot (6pm till finish) and also a social time beforehand. (1pm till 2 pm.)

August is unusual in several ways. There is always a lot of uncertainty in July and August because of holidays. Many gamers are students, and are not at uni at this time. So their time is spent persuading mom to do the washing that has accumulated over the previous months and other family related stuff. Others are on holiday, so may or may not be able to attend.

August sees some of the regular attendees (including me) on holiday together, so there WILL be a 4th Ed game in play but it will be played in Wales. 4th Ed is something the group does play quite regularly actually.

Is it popular? Yes with some folks, No with others. Some hate it, some love it, others say Meh!

Len

Thanks, that sounds excellent. I'll wait for the September thread and sign up then. It will give me some time to unlearn everything that I memorised about 1e and learn a bit about 4e.

I have no idea what to run at the meetup!!

... but there is AD&D, 2nd Ed AD&D, 3rd Ed, 3.5, and (as I am sure Laurent will tell you) Pathfinder which some claim is like 3.75. as well as 4th. And all of these are still played by their own fans.
and that is only games calling themselves D&D.

So many games, so little time. I am sure you will be made welcome if you can turn up in August, even If there is not the usual glut of games and attendees.

Len

Bob,

First welcome to the group.

From the edition list seen above, there was a 3rd edition before the 4th appeared of course.

• D&D 3rd edition was solid and one of its principal requirements was to "taste like D&D".
• D&D 3.5 was meant as a revision, at first it was slightly vilified and seen as a way for Wizards of the Coast to make some cash. However it quickly asserted itself and indeed solved some problems. Overall it was a move in the right direction, even if they introduced slightly annoying things with it too.
• The greatest thing about 3rd edition was the Open Gaming Licence. In short it allowed companies other than the licence holder (WotC) to make "D20" products. A lot of awful crap was produced but it also allowed for some gems to appear.

4th edition decided to remove the OGL, or severely restrict its replacement, basically putting all the cards back into WotC's hands. The requirements for 4th edition were to develop a faster paced game and a game open to new gamers. 4th edition is a shining example of a product optimised for its market. The design is based roughly on "Magic the Gathering": a limited, robust and easy to grasp set of rules, followed by "exception design" for the rest of the books... and they have been many already.

If you have only played D&D before, you will notice that a 4th edition book has "D&D" on its over, this is true.

Thanks to the fact that the OGL was given away for perpetuity, a publishing company named Paizo - they used to have the licence for the now defunct "Dragon Magazine" and "Dungeon Magazine" paper versions - decided to create the "Pathfinder RPG", this is 95% D&D 3.5 with some slight rule change and is fully compatible with 3.5 (this was the number one requirement). Again the positive changes far outweigh the negative ones in my view.

The Pathfinder RPG core rulebook does not have "D&D" on its cover, this is true.

I intend to run a pretty regular Pathfinder RPG game on the afternoon session of our monthly Big Meet, same format as the one presently advertised, hopefully different adventure.
So once you have tasted 4e, you will be welcome to play a PRPG game the following month.

I have been running a regular D&D 3.5 evening game at the Big Meet for nearly a year now. Attentive players may have noticed that I no longer bring my D&D 3.5 Player's Handbook, but use my PRPG Core rulebook. I keep the game 3.5 because most of my players are usually 4ed players in the afternoon session, players who used to play 3.5 before, thus may not be interested in buying even more books.

As for the edition war I shall say nothing except that it is common knowledge that people who play 4e have webbed feet with six toes, doubtful personal hygiene, do things with their dogs the RSPCA would not approve of, cannot hold their drinks, tend to be communists, or fascists, or both, and possess a myriad of other socially reprehensible mores and habits.

Pathfinder RPG or D&D 3rd Edition players tend to be attractive, athletic, academically qualified and display other socially enhancing qualities such as a touch that cures cancer and many other ailments.

Laurent,

I wondered what Pathfinder was, sounds like it's worth a punt. I have the core rulebooks for 1e, 2e and 3e but I skipped 3.5 for some reason. I only felt the urge to get back into D&D when someone recently offered me a 4e PHB1 in return for a couple of painted minis.

Cheers

Bob.

As Len has said, he might be there and for the exact same reasons I might be there too. I'm rather hoping to be there actually but we'll see how things pan out. I should have at least some board/card games that could be used to help while away the time if I'm there but it is pretty unlikely I'll be up for running anything.

TBH the one big difference about PF and 4e are the published scenarios

the majority of WOTC published 4e are just dull and lacking in any kind of originality, plot-twist or surprise

many of the paizo produced mods are excellent and good plot et al within. As PF authors are heavily influenced by lovecraft, wells and other classic authors their is a lot of grim and dark in there and not neccessarily written for shiny heroes