[A Thousand And One Nights] and [InSpectres] Indie Sunday 22/10/06

[muddlepud]

I'm starting up a regular game day I'm calling Indie Sunday to try our numerous rpgs that Jye and myself brought back from GenCon earlier this year.

This time around we tried out A Thousand And One Nights and InSpectres.

Both of these games were a little tricky to get the hang of from the start. I find it difficult to read the rules of a game and instantly know them all. So, I had to keep referencing the book to help everyone understand what was going on.

InSpectres was probably the easiest of the the two. The players created their business - Goblin-B-Gone, a group of self funded exterminators that go after gremlins that are plaguing the city of late. We have a short set up where a local newspaper sends someone around to interview the new business (to roleplay out getting a few details of the characters and business), when suddenly the interview is interrupted by a new client. The reporter is sent scampering and the exterminators take up the job. It's for a new swimming pool to be opened in a month - very important for the face of the city. The electrical cables kept getting chewed up and the builders didn't know what to do. They found the foot of a strange creature in a trap left by one of the workers and so decided to seek professionals.

With the team on the case, they start exploring the pool. Soon enough, with the gremlin detectors whipped up by the team's tech guy, they find themselves in the thick of things. The lesser spotted gremlins are using the saunas to modify themselves (grow bigger with heat), but they're susceptible to salt which the team have prepared in abundance. The team quickly set up the buildings sprinkler system with saltwater to hose down the lesser spotted gremlins. With that success, they think they've got the job done, but unbeknownst to them the greater spotted gremlin are near and they're not happy. The team are attacked, one is dragged off to be eaten, another stumbles into the pool with one attached to his face. Stress rolls all around! But the team are experienced enough to overcome the gremlins and clear the greater spotted gremlins in short order.

So the session was short and fun. It took a little while to get the hang of things. I probably didn't call enough Stress rolls through the game, since no one was using many of the Franchise dice scattered across Gym, Credit Card and Library. There were some serious negatives by the end of the game though from the Stress rolls I did call - most of the Franchise dice at the end of the mission were used for Vacations. Now that I've got the gist of the game, I'd love to run a few sessions for a group and see how the characters play out and the franchise develops. Its a simple and intuitive system - just that nice random element to it combined with narrative style.

A Thousand And One Nights was a bit tricker to handle. We set up the Courtiers, the court and delved into our first story. The group managed to get two stories in before one player achieved their Ambition. The first story was a little stunted as the players were a little unsure of how to tackle the game and we looked back and forth between rules. But when we got onto the second story, things went much smoother. The players were picking out points of interest all over the place and the story became a bit more dynamic and richer for it. I like this game a lot. It would work a lot better with a group who all have an understanding of the rules (reading the book or trying a few games beforehand). I was trying to explain it to the other players and not playing myself, and I really wanted to get in on the action and show my points of interest.

[droog]

You neglected to mention that we also played Jungle Speed two or three times, that card game with the supervillains, and Mexican Standoff.

This was the first time I'd played with these guys (apart from Scott). We had five for the first bit (Jungle Speed, InSpectres); after which two left and a new one joined for the supervillains game and 1001 Nights. A veritable whirlwind of new people and games for me.

InSpectres is a laugh, and I would like to try it again. But I really like 1001 Nights.

[Emily Care]

Hi Scott,

Awesome! You're meeting weekly? It can be feel a bit rocky to run a game for the first time, but it will smooth out over time as you said. Sounds like you'll have the opportunity to have repeat play. Maybe it would be good to do another session of 1001 Nights, now that you've got it. What else are you thinking about playing next time?

best,
Emily

[timfire]

How was Mexican Standoff? I think you guys might be the first group that wasn't led by me to play the game.

[droog]

Mexican Standoff was a hoot, and I for one will be playing it again. I've already drawn the attention of a friend in Perth to it, and it's on my mental list of 'games-to-pull-out-for-neophytes'.

Nobody tried a stand down, possibly because hiding your hand under your other hand looked a bit tricky. I've been practising it at home....

[timfire]

Nobody tried a stand down, possibly because hiding your hand under your other hand looked a bit tricky. I've been practising it at home....

Someone suggested a better solution:

--You keep your gun-hand pointing.
--Then, you take a token (& your free hand) and place it under the table.
--If you want to STAND DOWN, you

palm the token in you fist. If you want to SHOOT, you leave the token under the table. This choice should remain hidden.
--You then make a fist (with or without the token) and bring it above the table, palm down.
--When whoever yells SHOW IT, you open you fist. If a token falls, that person shoots. If nothing falls, they don't shoot.[/list]

I like that alot. It's a bit more dramatic, and the falling token is reminisent of a falling bullet-shell. 

[muddlepud]

Hi Scott,

Awesome! You're meeting weekly? It can be feel a bit rocky to run a game for the first time, but it will smooth out over time as you said. Sounds like you'll have the opportunity to have repeat play. Maybe it would be good to do another session of 1001 Nights, now that you've got it. What else are you thinking about playing next time?

best,
Emily

Hey Emily!

Not meeting weekly. It's been more like every 3 - 4 weeks at this point. I've ran two previously so far. Managed to try out a proper session of Primetime Adventures, My Life With Master and Best Friends. All interspersed with Jungle Speed! I blame you Luke Crane for that wherever you are!

I'm trying to get through all the games we got at GenCon (and have picked up online since) so next on the books is Cat, Carry, Shooting the Moon, Mortal Coil, With Great Power and Capes. I think Carry and Shooting the Moon are itching the back of my head.

And yes I definitely think another 1001 Nights will be needed. I realy want to play it myself next time.
Scott

[muddlepud]

How was Mexican Standoff? I think you guys might be the first group that wasn't led by me to play the game.

Mexican Standoff was a lot of fun. One of those neat games inbetween sessions of something else. Intense!