tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post5728242894520551124..comments2024-03-28T15:30:09.903-04:00Comments on GROGNARDIA: In Praise of VanillaJames Maliszewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-80167116488280530052023-10-08T13:07:05.327-04:002023-10-08T13:07:05.327-04:00So-called "vanilla" *elements* certainly...So-called "vanilla" *elements* certainly don't have to result in "vanilla" stories. If this were the case, there'd be very few good stories that took place in a recognizable world like our own, and of course this is not so.Jhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01955816276414582524noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-79428895819906052782020-10-29T09:03:22.792-04:002020-10-29T09:03:22.792-04:00I have always thought “Mystara” the best ‘vanilla-...I have always thought “Mystara” the best ‘vanilla-but-not-the-same’ worldMichael Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07821665404404434867noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-14423378632099848662020-10-26T14:36:44.736-04:002020-10-26T14:36:44.736-04:00I wholeheartedly agree, and that's why Greyhaw...I wholeheartedly agree, and that's why Greyhawk and Birthright are my favorite D&D settings.artikidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17474295473142339717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-16654577541480126952020-10-26T13:03:58.352-04:002020-10-26T13:03:58.352-04:00I've been intrigued by it for a long time, I m...I've been intrigued by it for a long time, I must admit. I've held off on picking it up simply because I already have so many games and I have a quasi-vow not to buy new ones I don't think I'll get the chance to play. James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-50547420528608889622020-10-26T13:00:39.242-04:002020-10-26T13:00:39.242-04:00It's certainly worth a read if you get the cha...It's certainly worth a read if you get the chance. A concise restatement (with some divergent design choices) of d&d that's a pleasure to run as a referee.marathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12616877519385232508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-77307550439684910942020-10-26T12:47:47.566-04:002020-10-26T12:47:47.566-04:00That's interesting, both because I have never ...That's interesting, both because I have never read <i>Whitehack</i> but also because, in a different context, Christian Mehrstam came up earlier today.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-12147859094867285362020-10-26T12:44:15.121-04:002020-10-26T12:44:15.121-04:00Christian Mehrstam, the author of Whitehack, makes...Christian Mehrstam, the author of Whitehack, makes a similar argument about "hacking your notion of normal":<br /><br />"Running a game of Whitehack means relying, to a degree, on your knowledge of the fantasy megatext and making your own decisions for things that aren't in the rules. [...] Nobody ever comes 'clean' to a game or a genre. Whitehack is embedded in the abundance of fantasy and RPG tropes in the collective consciousness of our time. So are you."<br /><br />"The expression 'normal fantasy' may sound contradictory, but it really isn't. Like many other popular genres, mainstream fantasy relies on things being familiar. Any player has a number of components -- like dwarves having beards and living below ground -- that she feels need to be in the world, or she is not getting what she came for. If you want to hack _your_ group's notion of what is normal, concentrate on a select few important aspects of the setting and leave the rest!"marathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12616877519385232508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-53162582892287242122020-10-26T12:07:35.334-04:002020-10-26T12:07:35.334-04:00Well put, James. I really enjoy your expansive sen...Well put, James. I really enjoy your expansive sense of play and enjoyment that comes through your work and words. Thank you!Millianshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05395781347546740965noreply@blogger.com