The Forge Archives

Dust Devils:  It forced me to loosen my grip on the game and realize that it is our game and not my game that is at the table due to its shared narrator mechanic.

Sorcerer:  It has given me great respect for the glory of the slow burning, careful pre-game set-up, putting forth situations that the players must react to (bangs) and driving my game hard.

The Riddle of Steel: I've had to think about violence in games and what it means and ways for the players to tell the GM what they want in a game ala Spiritual Attributes.  It also inspired thought about how the player is the one to hook and the character is nothing but a fiction.

Dogs in the Vineyard:  Pacing, baby, pacing.  I don't fuck around when I run this game.  I put the problems directly on the players' plate and watch them deal with it.  No mystery, no muss, no fuss.  Here is the trouble, deal with it...oh, and it is getting WORSE by the minute.

Dogs has given me serious reflection on my game's pacing and how hard I drive a game forward toward the player's Divine Judgement.  I hope to take that crisp, one town a session style of GMing to my other games.

Universalis:  I have not played this game yet but reading it has made me really think about collaborative world-building and how it can work.  My copy of this game has become MIA since a move and I hope to buy a new copy sooner rather than later.

Monkeywrench:  Dude, monkeys are fun.

EDIT: Burning Wheel:   This game has made me reconsider crunchy game systems and how character creation in games can subtly spell out the world in which the game happens.  I never thought I would play a crunchy system again before BW.

What have you taken and learned from different games?

BW:The joy of a long running campaign rediscovered. The narrative aid given by lifepath generation. First active use of player tools for narrative control. Great insight into monster design philosophy through the Monster Burner. Basicly the testing ground for the forgite ideas borrowed from the indie games below.

TROS:What is worth dying for. Putting meaning into massacre. Also the kernel that later grew into asking the players what they want. First brush with Narrativism. I really got to hand it to Jake, he reawoke a passion that was slowly dying.

Great Orc Gods:Don't drink and game. Competetive(intra group) roleplaying actually is fun.

Exemplar:That my group is not yet ready for such free form control. The flow of creative juice stemming from freedom todescribe coolness is invigorating.

Sorcerer:Do not have it yet due to FLGS being slow. The idea of Kickers and Bangs as discussed here on the Forge. Influential to great extent.

And I have to add:

Vampire:TM:Changing the expected setting rules really gives great creep out factor. Aka when to ignore endorsed setting for max game fun.