The Giant in your game

[MikelaC1]

We all know this would never happen, so please don't discuss the .00001% chance of it happening...but if it ever did happen, would you as a DM want The Giant in your play-by-post game?
Now, before you shout yes, consider a few things. I imagine there would be a huge amount of pressure to produce an outstanding game, because your game would have more lurkers than any other PbP game, due to his presence. And I would also imagine there would be a pressure to make a game that at least in the smallest part measured up to OOTS in terms of its story line. You might even find that other board members might end up discussing your game, trying to speculate on where it was headed. Would your other players feel just a bit intimidated by his presence? And honestly, how would you feel, killing The Giant?

[Thunderfist12]

Personally, I don't see the big deal. It's just another role-player looking for a PbP game, in my opinion. I don't see anything to be scared about really. In fact, I'd be honored to have the Giant in a PbP game I was running.

But, really, just because he's the Giant doesn't mean you have to get freaked out if he's in your game. Just GM like he's any other player, because, really, that's all he is.

Thunderfist12

[Kalmageddon]

Well, he's good at what he does, but I'm not part of the crowd that's constantly in awe at him, so I guess it would be nice in a "hey look, I got the Giant as a player" kind of way, but I wouldn't feel pressured or anything.
As far as I'm concerned he's just a normal guy that just so happens to have made a pretty successful webcomic.

With that said, I don't get fandoms in general, so this thread is probably not aimed at me.

[Drakeburn]

Well, he's good at what he does, but I'm not part of the crowd that's constantly in awe at him, so I guess it would be nice in a "hey look, I got the Giant as a player" kind of way, but I wouldn't feel pressured or anything.
As far as I'm concerned he's just a normal guy that just so happens to have made a pretty successful webcomic.

With that said, I don't get fandoms in general, so this thread is probably not aimed at me.

Well, if he simply wants to play, I don't see why I should go "fan-boy" mode all over the place for that.

But the odds of that happening are very, very, very, very unlikely. He has real life and work with the OOTS comic to attend to, and I find it very hard to believe that he would have spare time to play a PBP RPG here in the playground.

[Hiro Protagonest]

Roland has been in PbP (although I'm guessing he joined before he was a mod, or at least before admin, because that game has been running for a long time). He's at least as intimidating.

[Anarion]

I'd be pretty happy. The Giant is a great writer and has turned his efforts towards thinking and writing about how to be a good player in an RPG, so I'd expect him to contribute quite a bit and probably help the other players have a good time as well.

[Drakeburn]

Now that I think about it, wouldn't be cool if the Giant posted a recruitment thread for a campaign where HE is the DM. With the writer he is, I'm sure he could come up with a good game. The issue is determining which candidates he'll accept among gosh-knows-how-many. :smalltongue:

[TaiLiu]

Now that I think about it, wouldn't be cool if the Giant posted a recruitment thread for a campaign where HE is the DM. With the writer he is, I'm sure he could come up with a good game. The issue is determining which candidates he'll accept among gosh-knows-how-many. :smalltongue:
"The Giant, pick me! I'm a big fan of your comic!"
"No, pick me! I like your comic better!"
"No, me! Me!"

[Jay R]

Yes, but he'll have to be a lot more precise about the rules than he is in the comic. :smallwink:

And for the record, I always feel "a huge amount of pressure to produce an outstanding game". Doesn't everyone?

Having said that, I've never run a PbP game, so it really doesn't apply to me.

[MikelaC1]

And for the record, I always feel "a huge amount of pressure to produce an outstanding game". Doesn't everyone?

Theres a difference between making an outstanding game and being under pressure to produce one.

[Crow]

I don't think I would want The Giant in my game. That is, unless he decided to step up to the ballsiest game on his boards, The GitP Cup.

I doubt I'm good enough a DM for him to enjoy one of my games otherwise. :smallfrown:

[Jay R]

Theres a difference between making an outstanding game and being under pressure to produce one.

Of course there is. I'm always under pressure to produce one; I don't always succeed.

[valadil]

I've never hung out with the guy. I imagine he'd be cool to have in a game, but you can't really know how you click with something until you actually meet them.

[SiuiS]

We all know this would never happen, so please don't discuss the .00001% chance of it happening...but if it ever did happen, would you as a DM want The Giant in your play-by-post game?
Now, before you shout yes, consider a few things. I imagine there would be a huge amount of pressure to produce an outstanding game, because your game would have more lurkers than any other PbP game, due to his presence. And I would also imagine there would be a pressure to make a game that at least in the smallest part measured up to OOTS in terms of its story line. You might even find that other board members might end up discussing your game, trying to speculate on where it was headed. Would your other players feel just a bit intimidated by his presence? And honestly, how would you feel, killing The Giant?

Good goddess, No.

If I were capable of running a game he would find interesting – I may well be, at that! – I would be under enough stress with wonder that I would fail at that task. Better to meet the bloke, get to know him, and have an idea of what's going on, first. Let the celebrity run away. I cannot effectively game with someone who I do not view as a peer. The Giant, unfortunate situation that it is, is on a pedestal of authority that wouldn't wear away in time.

It should be noted that I'm constantly aware of station, perceived station, and maneuvering though. I'm in one game where I don't know someone in it well, and I'm basically just... Watching to see how I can gel with these people. So it's probably less a The Giant thing and more an A Stranger thing.

[Knaight]

And for the record, I always feel "a huge amount of pressure to produce an outstanding game". Doesn't everyone?

No. I would generally say I don't feel any pressure - I still want to produce a good game and perform well as a GM, but there's really no pressure there. That alone rules out everyone, though there is always the possibility that I'm some sort of freak outlier.

[SiuiS]

Repetition breeds confidence. (http://youtu.be/w-HYZv6HzAs) I'm 100% certain that I could crack out a 3.5 game that will deeply satisfy everyone I know who would play it. It's in pushing my bounds that I get antsy.

[Killer Angel]

I imagine there would be a huge amount of pressure to produce an outstanding game, because your game would have more lurkers than any other PbP game, due to his presence.

This would be the only part that could really annoy me.
So, i would PM him, to use a pseudonym. :smallwink:

[Kalmageddon]

I cannot effectively game with someone who I do not view as a peer. The Giant, unfortunate situation that it is, is on a pedestal of authority that wouldn't wear away in time.


It may be a bit off-topic but... why?
I mean, what has he done to deserve such awe and submission? As I said, I think he's very good at what he does, but what he does is a webcomic, which is nothing incredibly uncommon on the Internet.
I'm not trying to diminish his accomplishments or anything, I like oots, I'm just saying that I don't understand why you would see him "on a pedestal" or otherwise consider him to be worth more then yourself.
And also... Do you think he might want that? To be treated differently? And if he did, would he consequently still deserve it? My answer to all this question is "no", but ymmv.

This is something I don't understand in fandom in general, celebrity or not, no one is worth more the anyone else, except when there are strong personal feelings involved, which I don't see possibile with someone you don't actually know outside of his or her fame.
Sure, I might like a celebrity, but I wouldn't judge him as superior to me in any way except for what is obvious, like a famous actor is a better actor then I am, obviously. But otherwise, why would I feel inferior?

[MikelaC1]

It may be a bit off-topic but... why?
I mean, what has he done to deserve such awe and submission? As I said, I think he's very good at what he does, but what he does is a webcomic, which is nothing incredibly uncommon on the Internet.
I'm not trying to diminish his accomplishments or anything, I like oots, I'm just saying that I don't understand why you would see him "on a pedestal" or otherwise consider him to be worth more then yourself.
And also... Do you think he might want that? To be treated differently? And if he did, would he consequently still deserve it? My answer to all this question is "no", but ymmv.

This is something I don't understand in fandom in general, celebrity or not, no one is worth more the anyone else, except when there are strong personal feelings involved, which I don't see possibile with someone you don't actually know outside of his or her fame.
Sure, I might like a celebrity, but I wouldn't judge him as superior to me in any way except for what is obvious, like a famous actor is a better actor then I am, obviously. But otherwise, why would I feel inferior?

On any other gaming site, he would not be. However, on this, his website, he is.

[dehro]

I don't get the PBP format. then again, I've never tried it.
more importantly, despite having an over-active fantasy and plenty of plotlines stuck in my brain, I don't have a mind for numbers and rules, so I don't think I'd be a good GM
would a rules lawyer be helpful? possibly, though he might get bored in a game that relies on his knowledge to move forward.
should I gather the know how to actually run a game, any kind of halfway welbehaved player would be welcome.
The fact that he happens to be the Giant would be entirely irrelevant in this scenario.
At the most, since even at my best he knows the game a whole lot better than me, I'd be glad to know he appreciates my running of the game..should he stick around for more than a session instead of bowing out. But hey.. most players I've rubbed elbows with know more about the games mechanics than I do, so making any of them happy with me as a DM would be just as rewarding.

[Evandar]

I dunno, man, Rich seems like a total bro. I'd tot'ly game with him.

I'd tot'ly game with most Playgrounders, really. You guys seem like total bros.

[Grey Watcher]

Honestly, given his workload, I'd be most concerned about his ability to keep up with the game. Of course, given my workload these days, I'd be worried about my ability to keep up with the game.

Beyond that, sure. Given how well he writes both in the comic and his forum posts, I bet he'd be a fun player in a PbP.

[Vizzerdrix]

Sure, if he can optimize up to the rest of the group.