[Monkeywrench] Solo Space Monkey

[Judd]

Today I ran a 4th grader on my maiden run of Zak Arnston's Monkeywrench.

On Friday the kids are allowed to bring in their Gameboys.  A gaggle of usually imaginative, active boys were sitting around a table staring into their hand-held consoles.

Student D sat apart, half-heartedly strumming on a musical instrument.  I remembered him from my first day when we went to the gym and played dodge-ball.  I asked him why he wasn't more aggressive and he replied, "I just like watching.  People are interesting when they are playing this game."

I liked him on the spot.

"Student D, I've got a role-playing game called Monkeywrench that I downloaded and printed out today.  In it you are a monkey who has to escape from a space station.  Wanna play?"

He looked interested and said, "Sure, let's go."

Rock on.

We used a six sided die laying around and went at it.

He rolled five 6's in a row.  He was an unstoppable monkey!  He avoided the escaped panther, ran between the conscious guard's legs, tried to fiddle with the bridge controls, fed the guard to an alien and then ran off into space in the alien's flying saucer.

Kids were drifting towards us, seeing what we were doing.  I asked them if they wanted to play but they turned me down, but they hovered about, watching.  One of the kids who plays his freeform style D&D, Kid X, sat nearby while playing his Gameboy, unwilling to put it down in order to play.

It was awesome.  As soon as we were done he asked if we could play again.  He followed me around all day asking if we could play again.

Interesting aside:

At one point he had a conversation with the alien.

I said, "The alien speaks monkey and says-"

Kid X interrupted, "No one can speak monkey."

Student D replied, "Its an alien."

Great fun.  Can't wait to play again.

Now I have a gamer in the fold, someone who can be a positive role-model for the other kids in the group.  I'm psyched.

[Keith Senkowski]

Hey,

This great.  Where were these kids when I was a wee lad?

Now I have a gamer in the fold, someone who can be a positive role-model for the other kids in the group. I'm psyched.

Question though.  Is this kid the kind that leads or does he sit by and observes?  I noticed in my attempts to teach my nieces and nephews games, the one who is most into them isn't really a leader and has trouble getting the others to play.  He therefore bugs me every time I see him.

"Uncle Keith can we role-play again?"
"First let me actually walk in the door, okay..."

Keith

[Judd]

Another thing Student D did was when I mentioned a UFO in the satellite's hangar, he said that he wanted to pick up the laser gun.

But I had not mentioned the laser gun.  He just intuited the mechanic, in place in the game's rules, for dramatic editing.

Fantastic.

I'm not sure that he is someone who will get up and lead but he will at least continue to be creative and that could be enough to get the ball rolling.

[Callan S.]

Another thing Student D did was when I mentioned a UFO in the satellite's hangar, he said that he wanted to pick up the laser gun.

But I had not mentioned the laser gun.  He just intuited the mechanic, in place in the game's rules, for dramatic editing.

*cough* Are you sure he intuited the mechanic? Or just did what he thought was best and the rules assist that natural urge rather than hack at it with a chainsaw?

[Judd]

*cough* Are you sure he intuited the mechanic? Or just did what he thought was best and the rules assist that natural urge rather than hack at it with a chainsaw?

No, he didn't intuit the mechanic per se but he thought there should be a laser gun there and made it up.

You've gotta take your victories where you can find 'em here.

The game was great and I'm just excited, is all.

[Callan S.]

I just seem to be on a paranoid streak here. But student D sounds like simulationism is as enjoyable for him as observing real life is enjoyable, while kid X is gamist and didn't want to put down his gameboy because he enjoys GM'ing more (many adults do as well).

But student D is the positive role-model. I'm just sensing creative agenda preference and that kid X and those others who played with him should get on board with simulationism.

It's great (not), how I'm seeing your enthusiasm and just dropping this negative post in. Horay for me whinging input. But I am worried...am I reading your account wrong?

[Judd]

Kid X is not the gamemaster of the other group.  There were plenty of kids cautiously circling us, seeing what the new adult-person was playing with Student D.  When I asked them if they wanted to play they all said no thanks.

Student D is the possible positive role-model for future gaming excursions because he has gamed with me before and did a fantastic job at it.

Kid X isn't negative for not putting down his gameboy.  I don't believe I attributed any negative attribute towards him at all, although I feel a knee-jerk reaction against those easy-to-carry console games because I have seen my friend's children turned into rabid zombies who crave their next hit of GAmeboy.

Kid X isn't negative for being gamist.  I have never seen him game but know he tends to hang out with the kids who play "D&D" with their Monster Manual and Final Fantasy book.  I have no idea what Kid X's style is, as I haven't seen him game.

I think you were reading my input wrong but maybe not.  You tell me.

[Callan S.]

Heya Judd,

Kid X isn't negative for not putting down his gameboy. I don't believe I attributed any negative attribute towards him at all,

Eh, I'm probably just reading something into him being called kid X while the other is student D. Aren't they both students there?

Student D is the possible positive role-model for future gaming excursions because he has gamed with me before and did a fantastic job at it.

I guess it's this. I'm wondering if the other kids will see that he did a good job, and assume that whatever CA you roughly used is the one way to roleplay. I'm wondering if student D might even think this and will promote it that way himself, unwittingly. I think I was talking to you in the other thread about how easy it is to teach kids a way, rather than mingle your preferences with theirs.

[Zak Arntson]

Nice! I think I'll have to add some kind of ending-the-game mechanic. Like the GM starts with a bunch of bananas (or something). Everytime you roll a 6, you get to take a banana. As soon as the GM runs out of bananas, the monkeys can escape. That way there's a definite end rather than GM fiat.

I hope you get to play the thing with more than one player. The whole token spending and card-giving schtick screams for a group!

Oh, and "No one can speak monkey." Priceless.