View Single Post
Old 12-07-2017, 01:32 PM   #144
Kromm
GURPS Line Editor
 
Kromm's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Montréal, Québec
Default Re: What will you not allow?

Quote:
Originally Posted by trooper6 View Post

I do not approach PCs as archetypes, rather as people.
Of course, and you're right to do so! The final character absolutely has to be a person; archetype is merely a starting point. But elements of this discussion were veering in the direction of suggesting that even reusing an archetype is at best marginally acceptable. My belief is that consciously or subconsciously, all PCs start as archetypes. I've yet to see a PC – and I've seen thousands – that coined an archetype I'd never previously encountered in fiction. I've seen a few that blended archetypes, but none that drilled a whole new pigeonhole. While I've seen plenty of PCs who were off-the-wall unique as people, I could always assign them to archetypes.

Quote:
Originally Posted by whswhs View Post

Kromm discussed the idea that there are players who play one or a few archetypes. I have had players who were like that. But I've also had players who did what I do, which is to make a point of trying to come up with something different for each new campaign, to extend their own range and test their own limits. And that's something I really like in a player.
To be very GURPS-geeky (but I think that's allowed here!), it comes down to whether you want to be somebody who's gradually increasing the optional Acting (Roleplaying) specialty – which is different from the Games skill, I think – at 4 points per +1, or somebody who's putting those same points into a putative Persona technique for that skill, at 4 points per +4.

If you play a lot of different, short-term campaigns in a variety of settings with rotating GMs, you'll appreciate the generally skilled roleplayer much more. If your gaming group tends toward long-run campaigns which have a specific flavor set by the predilections of a go-to GM and go-to genre, you'll probably favor the specialist.

My experiences have largely been with gamers who appreciate a well-played character, but whose definition of "well-played" includes "portrays an essential type really well, and for a long time." That you could roleplay any 10 characters in any 10 campaigns competently (say, at skill 12) isn't relevant in the open-ended fantasy campaign where people expect you to play "gruff warrior" or "dutiful healer" consistently every week for years – for hundreds of game sessions, thousands of hours – and keep it expertly entertaining the whole time (say, at skill 16).

Perhaps it's just my general life biases showing, but while I appreciate the effort that goes into being a jack of all trades or renaissance man, I don't seek out such people when I want something done. I seek out the master or the specialist. For instance, my landlord's handyman who's merely an adequate carpenter, electrician, glazier, mason, plumber, roofer, etc. scares me . . . I'd never contract a person like that. But maybe if I were the HR director of a company that needed someone to wear 10 hats, I'd see it differently.
__________________
Sean "Dr. Kromm" Punch <kromm@sjgames.com>
GURPS Line Editor, Steve Jackson Games
My DreamWidth [Just GURPS News]
Kromm is offline   Reply With Quote