Boardgames and RPGs
I don’t go to cons or spend much time with gamers I’m not already friends with so I can’t say I’ve noticed this but according to two seperate industry figures boardgames are making major roads into RPG circles.
One’s a throw away comment by designer Ken Hite in a con review:
boardgaming boomed this weekend as it seems to be doing all over.
And the other is a longer, more considered piece by Steve Darlington, known for his work on the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay line, amongst other things:
In short, for what people want out of an RPG – to move through something like a plot, to have a character of their own design, to make meaningful choices about goals and combat, to roll dice and produce random events, to make choices IN character even if they work against what might be best for winning the game…all of these are being met, more and more, in board games.
(as a side note, Steve’s a fan of this blog)
I’m not sure about this myself, but my experience of boardgames is that they are too directed in their story – one of my signle favourite RPG-things is that the GM can’t predict what the hell the players will do. I don’t miss the box set games of the past – big maps annoy me and I don’t need more crap in my life, just good ideas.
Do any of you feel that there’s an increasing convergence between RPGs and board games?
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