Nero Update
I decided to post a few happenings in the land of Nero.
I play Nero. I bring my nephews to play Nero. I was very enchanted with Nero but now after the first few months, I am relaxing into a more mello mood. I would describe Nero as enjoyable. Fun.
I would recommend the game to others.
I have however, decided to look at NERO in a critical light. I wanted to decide what made me like or dislike NERO. After deep contemplation and much thinking, I will give my review.
The rules are abyssmal. Horrible really. Imbalanced. Not really worth a damn. It can be from the fact that Magic is more versatile and you get more bang for the buck than non magic skills (except a fighter into one weapon) to the lack of any real difference between a HalfOgre and HalfOrc race. I could go on. You could post your opinion. It wouldn't really matter. I know what I am talking about and if you really possess such a keen intellect and conviction about how good the rules are, I would be happy to treat you to dinner and discuss the issue. It would provide me hours of fun to discussing it and then more hours laughing at you.
Anyway, the rules are a big downer.
Costumes... The costumes are a bonus. I like to play dress up. It adds something to the live action experience. I lack a lot of costumes but it adds to the game when it happens.
Cost... The game costs a bit to play. I think I like it on one hand in that it does get rid of perhaps 20% of the annoying roleplayers that I would meet within a Vamp larp or at a free Con game.
Plot... There seems to be some issues within the storytelling/plot staff that is having a negative affect on the game. Lack of active plot members running mods or something. It is hard to tell for sure from the outside. There are rumors even of Graham leaving plot because of personal needs. Which would suck but I would rather have Graham focusing on his personal needs than our needs. I hope he doesn't martyr himself on the cause to keep people happy but makes himself happy first.
People... This really is the core of it. NEROWest has good people. The NPCs are fun to interact with on the most part. The plot guys have good hearts. The owners mean well. The other PCs are people I would make friends with for the most part.
It's the most entertaining part that is the most disappointing part. Maybe I should be more tolerant but I am not. There are some really obnoxious people at Nero as well as good people. Unfortunate.
I guess 'What makes NeroWest worth it?' is people. I wonder if that is not true for any game though. I have played systems I despise because I liked the DM/GM/ST. The most rewarding was Werewolf with Ron Levy. The next most rewarding was Ars Magica with Brian Hague.
What makes me stay? Graham Ramsey Charles Hallie Chris TC as logistical/game running types. Matt Scott Sarah Justin Ron Joe etc... etc... as players...
But what would make me leave? Like today when I realized the initial contentment wore off, I tried to think of the future... It made me think of all games...
I have talked to a lot of players. It seems like there are stages to any game we play. Values we assign to the game that is based universally on the people...
First the phases:
-Discovery: This is the enchanted phase of just being introduced to the game. It makes us see everything in perhaps a little rosy colored glass kinda way.
-Contentment: This is where we have read the rules, we feel comfortable and we like the game (or can begin to dislike it). This is the long haul phase.
-Disenchantment: Something breaks the bubble. The itch phase. Some small things that detract from the game. Makes us irritated. Grows us out of the Contentment phase.
-Re-vamp/re-negotiation/re-cover: This is where we deal with the issues. We either resolve them, change something or quit. Depends on the person. I have noticed in the Nero game there are a lot of hystrionics. Where players shout, scream and beat chests about the drama (that they help create) and how it is ruining their world. Anyway in this phase we deal with the issues.
-Re contentment: If we deal with the problems then we can go back to the good days when the game was fun.
There are other phases in this great wheel above... We constantly grow and change so our perception and enjoyment of the game changes. We change, they change and it changes so there is constant renegotiation and power exchange as we struggle with new issues.
Couldn't we say this game concept is allegorical to any relationship. Then we could also say within the greater cycle of our game contentment is the contentment we have with each person. How we deal with them affects how we feel about the game.
Anyway, I guess the rules, plot and people would be the unfortunate turnoffs. Things I will need to figure out how I will become content with. How will I renegotiate those points to make them tolerable.
Rules: Perhaps I should realize that we all suffer together. And when I see something that bends the rule, I could try to fix it. I tried that for years in the Cam but I realized that people like cheese. Give them acceptable amounts of cheese and they are happier. I think instead I will strive to find a comfortable spot within the rules so that I am not bothered as much by the rules. Where I learn them well enough and strive enough to find the NICHE. The niche is that point where you can fend off annoying plot and pc assholes who bend the rule to suit them (or are too ignorant to know what disempowerment looks and feels like).
People: Well, I could take a friends approach and reset the players characters. That usually destroys a game over time. IT degrades it to the point that no one strives because the risk of offending is to great. It is a game killer. Kinda like the Camarila. The STs squick the players so much that no one will try the national game because it's too risky. Players like to invest time and energy into their characters. IF you deny them this they leave. I could just disassociate but that usually causes the player to feel unwanted and creates a click based game (clic, click, cliche?). I think it will have to be fear and respect. If someone annoys them scare them away. Not too much or they come after you and resent you. Enough fear that they respect you.
Plot: Hmm... Without an ST, a game is listliss, conflict light (unless you have a large enough PC base to do PC vs PC conflict) and arbitrary. Could be a game killer this one. Will think on it.
-Danie
I play Nero. I bring my nephews to play Nero. I was very enchanted with Nero but now after the first few months, I am relaxing into a more mello mood. I would describe Nero as enjoyable. Fun.
I would recommend the game to others.
I have however, decided to look at NERO in a critical light. I wanted to decide what made me like or dislike NERO. After deep contemplation and much thinking, I will give my review.
The rules are abyssmal. Horrible really. Imbalanced. Not really worth a damn. It can be from the fact that Magic is more versatile and you get more bang for the buck than non magic skills (except a fighter into one weapon) to the lack of any real difference between a HalfOgre and HalfOrc race. I could go on. You could post your opinion. It wouldn't really matter. I know what I am talking about and if you really possess such a keen intellect and conviction about how good the rules are, I would be happy to treat you to dinner and discuss the issue. It would provide me hours of fun to discussing it and then more hours laughing at you.
Anyway, the rules are a big downer.
Costumes... The costumes are a bonus. I like to play dress up. It adds something to the live action experience. I lack a lot of costumes but it adds to the game when it happens.
Cost... The game costs a bit to play. I think I like it on one hand in that it does get rid of perhaps 20% of the annoying roleplayers that I would meet within a Vamp larp or at a free Con game.
Plot... There seems to be some issues within the storytelling/plot staff that is having a negative affect on the game. Lack of active plot members running mods or something. It is hard to tell for sure from the outside. There are rumors even of Graham leaving plot because of personal needs. Which would suck but I would rather have Graham focusing on his personal needs than our needs. I hope he doesn't martyr himself on the cause to keep people happy but makes himself happy first.
People... This really is the core of it. NEROWest has good people. The NPCs are fun to interact with on the most part. The plot guys have good hearts. The owners mean well. The other PCs are people I would make friends with for the most part.
It's the most entertaining part that is the most disappointing part. Maybe I should be more tolerant but I am not. There are some really obnoxious people at Nero as well as good people. Unfortunate.
I guess 'What makes NeroWest worth it?' is people. I wonder if that is not true for any game though. I have played systems I despise because I liked the DM/GM/ST. The most rewarding was Werewolf with Ron Levy. The next most rewarding was Ars Magica with Brian Hague.
What makes me stay? Graham Ramsey Charles Hallie Chris TC as logistical/game running types. Matt Scott Sarah Justin Ron Joe etc... etc... as players...
But what would make me leave? Like today when I realized the initial contentment wore off, I tried to think of the future... It made me think of all games...
I have talked to a lot of players. It seems like there are stages to any game we play. Values we assign to the game that is based universally on the people...
First the phases:
-Discovery: This is the enchanted phase of just being introduced to the game. It makes us see everything in perhaps a little rosy colored glass kinda way.
-Contentment: This is where we have read the rules, we feel comfortable and we like the game (or can begin to dislike it). This is the long haul phase.
-Disenchantment: Something breaks the bubble. The itch phase. Some small things that detract from the game. Makes us irritated. Grows us out of the Contentment phase.
-Re-vamp/re-negotiation/re-cover: This is where we deal with the issues. We either resolve them, change something or quit. Depends on the person. I have noticed in the Nero game there are a lot of hystrionics. Where players shout, scream and beat chests about the drama (that they help create) and how it is ruining their world. Anyway in this phase we deal with the issues.
-Re contentment: If we deal with the problems then we can go back to the good days when the game was fun.
There are other phases in this great wheel above... We constantly grow and change so our perception and enjoyment of the game changes. We change, they change and it changes so there is constant renegotiation and power exchange as we struggle with new issues.
Couldn't we say this game concept is allegorical to any relationship. Then we could also say within the greater cycle of our game contentment is the contentment we have with each person. How we deal with them affects how we feel about the game.
Anyway, I guess the rules, plot and people would be the unfortunate turnoffs. Things I will need to figure out how I will become content with. How will I renegotiate those points to make them tolerable.
Rules: Perhaps I should realize that we all suffer together. And when I see something that bends the rule, I could try to fix it. I tried that for years in the Cam but I realized that people like cheese. Give them acceptable amounts of cheese and they are happier. I think instead I will strive to find a comfortable spot within the rules so that I am not bothered as much by the rules. Where I learn them well enough and strive enough to find the NICHE. The niche is that point where you can fend off annoying plot and pc assholes who bend the rule to suit them (or are too ignorant to know what disempowerment looks and feels like).
People: Well, I could take a friends approach and reset the players characters. That usually destroys a game over time. IT degrades it to the point that no one strives because the risk of offending is to great. It is a game killer. Kinda like the Camarila. The STs squick the players so much that no one will try the national game because it's too risky. Players like to invest time and energy into their characters. IF you deny them this they leave. I could just disassociate but that usually causes the player to feel unwanted and creates a click based game (clic, click, cliche?). I think it will have to be fear and respect. If someone annoys them scare them away. Not too much or they come after you and resent you. Enough fear that they respect you.
Plot: Hmm... Without an ST, a game is listliss, conflict light (unless you have a large enough PC base to do PC vs PC conflict) and arbitrary. Could be a game killer this one. Will think on it.
-Danie