RPG-a-Day: 4th through 10th

Since I posted several RPG-a-Days last week I guess I'll have to continue with it this week. So its time for 7 more RPG-a-Day entries.

Most Surprising Game

Honestly there haven't been that many games that surprise me. I have a good bead on what a game will be like. Most often it is my players who throw me for a loop, heading off in a direction I failed to see or understand. A surprise in a game is typically a downer for me because it means the game failed to live up to the hype in someway. Geist: the Sineaters for instance, despite being a well written game, failed to open any new avenues of play for me which I think was a first for White Wolf.

Most recent RPG purchase

My most recent RPG purchase was at GenCon and the last book I bought there was Dread. I didn't expect to come across a physical copy but as I was searching for a copy of Spark I ended up in the wrong booth and ran across it. I've played the horror game a few times but had yet to read the text itself. It's an okay read so far and I'll probably finish it in another couple of days. Now I just need a set of Jenga blocks.

Most recent RPG played

Since Sundays are when my online group plays this would be Apocalypse World, specifically the Climbers. It's possible that as of this posting that we've played our final session. If however we go by calendar date, the final game would be the Fate game I played at the end of GenCon where our heroic cybernetic bloggers uncovered the awakening of the Internet and its possession of people through craigslist.

Favorite Free RPG

I like to pay for my games and I don't know that I've picked up many for free. Fate however was pay what you will. So I can say I didn’t pay anything for the main book (before anyone gets uppity, I have since shelled out for a physical copy and bought supplements from Evil Hat directly). Since I've gotten significant usage out of it, I can say it's a favorite of mine.

Favorite appearance of RPGs in the Media

Honestly I don't pay much attention to how RPGs depicted on TV or in the movies. Most of the time it seems to be used mock geek culture. Sometimes it's good-natured mocking (like how not to run a D&D game), other times not so much. As someone who would like RPGs to go more mainstream, my favorite media appearances are when some celebrity reveals that they are a roleplayer. So news media primarily.

Favorite media you wish was an RPG

It seems like all my favorite media either has a dedicated RPG already (Doctor Who, Marvel) or could easily be adapted to it (X-files, Sense8). I don't see much media of any sort left that isn't already represented, let alone media that I like. All most lack is a dedicated world book. I like to make my own worlds so I don't really need stats for my favorite characters.

I suppose if we included campaigns I've played in the past as (very) limited release media then I might have some choices. In particular I'd love to explore the world of Into Darkness more with others (as a player).

Favorite RPG Publisher

Currently I have to say Onyx Path with Pelgrane Press as the runner-up. They are both producing a lot of great content right now. Onyx Path's spread is particularly impressive from all of the classic World of Darkness including anniversary edition material and Vampire 4th edition to 11 game lines (excluding blue books) for new World of Darkness to things like Exalted, Scion, and Aeon.