Risus

[Paganini]

It seems like more & more people are talking about Risus for no good reason IMO.

Just wondering about this. I have to say up front that I don't get along with S. John Ross [1], but Risus is, IMO, one of the most well designed games I've seen. So, I sort of feel like I disagree with Jack. However, I don't know what he was getting at when he wrote the above, so I'd like to hear more. Who here has played / read Risus, what do you think about it, and why?

[1] Well actually, I *really* dislike him because of the way he acts, but that's neither here nor there. :)

[Kenway]

When I first investigated Fudge, I found it a little overwhelming.  Then I read Risus, which was *alot* simpler.
 Like just everybody else who tried to run an SF Risus campgain, I tinkered with the rules to add a more gritty combat system, which in retrospect probably defeated the purpose of the game system.

 As Balbinus nicely explained in http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2660, Risus isn't as simplistic as it may seem at first.

 I've used Risus as an introduction into the whole Narrativist game mindset.

[Balbinus]

One thing in fact which has put me off using Risus is the extent to which it does have narrativist tendencies.

As GM, I don't want to decide what it means when a character loses a contest, I'd rather the game did that.  I have no issue with pointless character death, which of course Risus avoids.  OtE is good for simulationists who want to try something a little more freeform.  Risus, as you correctly note, is at heart a narrativist system.

[Ron Edwards]

Hey,

For some reason, as soon as GNS gets invoked in the course of a game like Risus, The Window, or Fudge, all the concepts go right off the rails. Blake, I don't see why you're tagging the "GM decides what happens" element of Risus as Narrativist. Narrativism is not equivalent to "arbitrary improvisation." Are you basing this call on play experience? If so, why does this feature of Risus actually carry story-generating power, which, on the face of it, would seem unlikely?

My other concern is the purpose of this thread. Nathan called for some feedback about actual play (appropriately, for the forum). If no one can provide that information, then we need to close the thread. A whole bunch of chit-chat about Risus would be more appropriate in the Theory forum.

Best,
Ron

[Kenway]

Okay, real actual play:
 I played a contemporary assassins campaign once.
 -My main complaint with combat was this:  when 2 evenly matched persons (say, guns 5 and guns 5) fought each other, if one person got ahead, winning 2 rounds in a row (guns 5 to guns 3), the rest of the combat seemed a little pointless.  I don't know the actual statistics, though.
 -I also found it almost useless to have a skill of 1.  Granted, having a small chance at succeeding at something is better than no chance.

 I'll mention that my campaign was done seriously.  Using inappropriate skills in a "humourous manner" would alleviate most of my complaints.