Video game genres

[Terminal]

I ran a short (and heavily combat-centric) game in which each player had a different armoured 'battle-suit', carrying a variety of rockets, lasers, mobility powers and HTH weapons. All they did was fight their way into an unmanned production facility, defeating automated defences and autonomous sentry robots, while reloading and up-arming their suits from the debris and equipment they found. None of the players realised (or they didn't say if they did), but it was tightly based on a popular platform video game of the period (late '80s I think). It collapsed in an unwieldy heap because I was trying to use the old ICE Tech Law combat system, scaled down (and sideways) for the setting.

Anyone else ever based RPGs on video games? Successfully or otherwise?

[Susano]

Re: Video game genres

 

I wrote a Digital Hero article called "First-Person Shooter Hero", if that helps any. I always thought DOOM 3 would make a great RPG mini-campaign.

[Legendsmiths]

Re: Video game genres

 

I typically run multiple games every convention season based on video games. I have run Stalker (4 adventures thus far), Fallout (2 adventures thus far), and Left4Dead. All have been well received and fun to run as well as play.

 

My secret is to focus on things that you can't do in the video game to highlight even more how cool the story/setting are. I take it based on your new status (welcome to the boards!) and your comment implies that you are using a combat system that while entertaining (I luvs me some Iron Crown crits!), might not be the best system suited, depending on your objectives.

 

I typically have 1 light combat, 1-3 optional combats (things that can be resolved, possibly, without combat), and 1 climactic fight. If people are going to play in a game based on a video game, it has to match what they would expect out of that game.

 

That said, unless you are going to play a board game (like Space Hulk), the RPG session should be more about roleplaying in that setting and less about Rocket Propelled Grenades (see what I did there?).

 

I make sure that if there is signature tech, it is in the game. If there are signature challenges (e.g. Zombie Hordes in Left4Dead) that they are present. A literal translation can be fun, but I think loses sight of what you can accomplish in a fully realized engine, whether it be Savage Worlds, d20, or *ahem* Hero System.

 

All of the games above I did using Hero and they were tons of fun, especially for me as a GM. Fallout had some comedy, VATS, and gritty survival. Stalker had environmental dangers, freaky monsters, limited resources, and deadly combat. Left4Dead was a creep fest of suspense and crazy action. They were all made better by the flexibility of Hero.

 

Example: Players had to retake Little Lamplight in Fallout. It had become a raider base of operations. In the little shack outside the main entrance were a number of guards (4 to be exact) and 1 down in front of the main cave entrance. The players timed their execution to allow for their brick, who is practically a super mutant, get up to full running speed. They then sniped the guard in front of the main entrance as the stealth guy kicked the door into the guard shack. While the guards in the shack were reacting, the brick runs straight into the clapboard wall of the shack in a classic Kool-Aid Man maneuver. He executes perfectly, and I challenge him further (since he just barely overcame the toughness of the wall) with a DEX roll to see how smooth his entrance/footing was - and he nails it. His Presence attack (mass intimidation) was rolled as successful and all 4 guards were stunned with fear.

 

Epic, and something you can't do in the video game yet something that feels very much like Fallout.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Video game genres

 

I wrote a Digital Hero article called "First-Person Shooter Hero"' date=' if that helps any. I always thought DOOM 3 would make a great RPG mini-campaign.[/quote']

 

Seeing the great job you did adapting DOOM/DOOM II to HERO gaming, that assertion doesn't surprise me : http://surbrook.devermore.net/adaptationscreatures/games/doomedhero/doomhero.html

[pinecone]

Re: Video game genres

 

I played in several "Con games" that were based on Street fighter ...more or less. They were fine games.....(they were all put on by the same GM, I figured his own games were in the same setting...)

[kahuna's bro]

Re: Video game genres

 

ninja hero 5th ed and 6thed has a video game suibgenre 5th ed hat acapaign called king of the streefighting warriors

[NuSoardGraphite]

Re: Video game genres

 

Almost all the games I run are structured like JRPG's. There is oftentimes a mixture of magic and technology and characters can have supermoves like Limit Breaks in Final Fantasy. Its a great formula that can be applied to a host of genres and my players loved it.