My son wants to play Rifts...

[Big Red]

It's been years since I've regularly played/GM'ed, but now my son is really getting interested in the game. I like the idea of playing again, and I'm more than willing to GM for him and his friends, but they don't like my initial rule, which is that anyone who plays has to read the main book first. My son is being extremely stubborn about this, and is positive that reading doesn't really go hand-in-hand with role playing, as I've been telling him for the last week or so. I explained to him that, back in college, I required anyone who wanted to be part of my gaming group to not only read the main book, but take notes as well. Once the entire group had done this, we got together and had a 4-5 hour long question and answer session. It was only then that I let everyone really read through the other books (Atlantis, of course, being the unanimous favorite), and start to think about picking a character. The following two weeks were spent creating everyone's characters, and we finally had our first actual gaming session a week later--I think a good six weeks after we initially decided to play.

My son doesn't believe any of this for a second. He wants me to sit down with him and tell him the basics while he picks a character (he didn't understand that you actually had to roll up a character until a couple nights ago--he thought every character in the book was a set, predetermined character and you just chose the one you wanted), and figures that will leave him completely ready to play. He's even more opposed to the idea of actually taking notes on the book, and looked at me like I was crazy when I first told him that the first thing he needed before reading the book or playing the game was a pen, pencil and notebook. I haven't yet told him about the one group I had where, after borrowing my main book for almost three weeks, one guy showed up with two binders (alphabatized and indexed) and a full notebook, with nothing but the notes he'd taken on the game, and on the characters he was considering playing. I told my son we'd sit down and go through everything, but only after he'd read and taken notes on it. I keep explaining that that's something I've always required of everyone I've ever played with, but he's sure there's an easy way out, or a shortcut to all this.

Since my son thinks I'm insane, and doesnt' believe that any actual work should go into this, I told him I'd post on here and ask the opinions of people who are clearly more in the know and smarter than his old man (he's 15, and naturally thinks anyone with a pulse is smarter than Dad). As it stands, he feels he's ready to play, and has mastered all the important terms like Mega Damage and SCD, yet has no clue what the unimportant, insignificant stuff like melee and initiative means, and has no idea what attribute bonuses are, or what a d20 is used for. Any input would be appreciated.

[KLM]

Hmm... 15 years old.

I think a good start for them would be playing
themselves (this of course leaves you with the
task of making up the characters and "crunchin all
the numbers") - Rifted into PA103 or so.

If you dare, pull a joke on them and let them become
CS citizens... After all, the Dead Boys share their beliefs
about reading books
And then there is a place for Erin Tarn in the story...
(the cheapest thing is let the players READ all the
books).

Good luck with it - you will need it.

Adios
KLM

[Braden Campbell]

One parent to another...

Just get the kids together and start the campaign. Once they see how cool the setting is, and figure out how the system (and role playing in general) works, they will read the books of their own accord.

You will never be able to force them to do it, and doing so will only send them back to the X-Box.

[sHaka]

err.. I'd say ease off mate!

Playing RPGs is meant to be about having a laugh, not like swotting up for an exam.

Just knock up some characters, get the story going and the rules (which aren't really that important) get learnt on the way.

[Dustin Fireblade]

One parent to another...

Just get the kids together and start the campaign. Once they see how cool the setting is, and figure out how the system (and role playing in general) works, they will read the books of their own accord.

You will never be able to force them to do it, and doing so will only send them back to the X-Box.

Agree 100%. Explain the basic background and create some character's to let them select from.

[Killer Cyborg]

A good game-master should be able to run for complete newbs who know practically nothing about the system.

[Ridley]

I say start with a different game. Rifts is kinda complex and can be a turn off for a noob to gaming.

[Spark]

Well I started Rifts out without a complete knowledge of the game and it did slow me and another player who was starting out. You can have them start off without reading the books, but you got the keep in simple for the first campaign, as unless they hit the books big time they're going to be giving themselves' a big learning curve.

You can start them out on something that's SDC environment. Heros is one that we played a little, and there isn't so much need for the books outside knowing super powers. There is the deal about AR but that easily understood.

One last thing keep them for making a magic character. I'm still learning how to properly use a magic character, I've almost got psionics down. So get them to learn the basic setup by having standard non-magic. That way they learn how this stuff works, and after that they can learn magic, and maybe roll up a dragon as their second/third character.

[Esckey]

Every player needs to know what he's getting himself into. He should know the basic rules front to back and back again. And it might be a good idea for him to know that certain weapons are high damage weapons, IE back down don't go and pick a fight with a Rahu-Man with 4 NG-E12 Plasma Rifles.


Having said that though, my first RPG was literally decades ago(which is kinda sad) in it we were given random high level characters and sent off to kill Takhisis. It was 'interesting' but it perked my curiosity enough to read the books front to back and get into a regular rythem of playign and dieing and making new characters. Same thing happend when my brother picked up TMNT, and again when my friend grabed the RMB and Triax.

[Preacher]

One parent to another...

Just get the kids together and start the campaign. Once they see how cool the setting is, and figure out how the system (and role playing in general) works, they will read the books of their own accord.

You will never be able to force them to do it, and doing so will only send them back to the X-Box.

I agree with Mr. GMPHD. My Daughter and my Nephew joined our Rifts Game in October of 2006. I helped them roll up a character flesh it out a bit and dumped them into a game. My friend Ben has taken my daughter under his wing and my nephew is being coached along by his father, his other uncle and my friend Kurt.

I talked with Ben (Who is the most team oriented and devoted player at my table as well as a hell of a rollplayer and asked him his opinion on whether or not I should do lots of drilling with the kids before the game. His response was an emphatic "NO" he said they should learn Rifts Earth the same way he did starting like 14 years ago through experience and encounters that I showed him. He believes that is the best way for the kids to learn about the inhabitants and dangers of the Game.

Now over 15 months later my daughter is progressing into a decent role player who gets a kick out of just jumping into whatever adventure I throw at them. Kevin my nephew is doing well too but has been wanting to read more and more books and I think he might have a touch of the GM in him in a few years.

That is my long winded way of saying give them the basics and get them started and make it fun. If they like it then they will want to learn more.

[maasenstodt]

err.. I'd say ease off mate!

Playing RPGs is meant to be about having a laugh, not like swotting up for an exam.

Just knock up some characters, get the story going and the rules (which aren't really that important) get learnt on the way.

Preach it!

[Library Ogre]

I'd also agree with the people say back off on reading the entire book before the game starts. Instead, boil it down significantly... write a 1 page summary of the game world (from the point of view YOU want them to have), and a couple pages of the rules so they know how to play, and can look up things in-game. Get them interested in it.

Crack dealers know that you give away the first hit, after all.

As others suggested, you get them playing something that will get them interested and provide structure... Coalition soldiers would be good, because it provides you with a good way of introducing them to the world and some moral choices ("Do I kill the D-Bee women and children, or let them escape? My character is good, after all...") Make characters like this is a con game... everyone has a character with a background, with one person being the corporal for their squad.

They play a few games. You leave the books out. Your son looks at them, they look at them when they come over (Palladium books are great for cool art and neat descriptions). I guarentee that someone is going to ask "Why can't I play a dragon?" ... especially after you have one of the D-Bee women and children they "let go" turn into a dragon and attack them (about the 3rd time they let them go... or the 2nd time they shoot them).

It's a much faster way of getting them involved. Check out the Megaversal Ambassador's program up top; they may already have such a thing available.

[Spark]

Look I know that you should have to read the whole book. However you do need to read the sections about rolling up a character, combat and save throws vs magic/psionics/poison/ect. If you don't know that stuff you're just going to slow everything down when you're brought up to speed, something that will take away from everyone's fun for whatever time it takes for you to get or understand what's being said.

At least when they read about all that stuff first they can argue about this and that, and house rules can be lai out before a stupid argument is started up at he table and it stops the game. Avoiding all the confusion on rules first hand helps to have the players better play and keeps the game from having hiccups about things the players in all rights should know.

If you're still about just sitting them down and letting them learn as they go, bookmark sections in the book. Sections like combat, bonuses, magic, psionics, and if your a CS nut some CS PA stats.

[LostOne]

I would suggest relaxing your rules, they are going to lose interest if it feels like school or homework.

I've played RPGs for about 13 years, covering many different systems. I never went into one of those systems having read a book. The GM or an experienced player helped me create a character according to their house rules, then I started playing. Once I'm sufficiently interested in the setting I'll either borrow the key books or go out and buy them, and then I will read them cover to cover.

But if the GM says I can't play until I read the book? Well no thanks, where's my motivation? I have other groups I can go play a system I already know or that are willing to teach me.

I've also GMed about 8 years, and I never made my players read the books before hand. Some did on their own, most didn't. It's fun to introduce them to the game by using information they don't know against them, plus it helps them learn the setting and they're constantly surprised (in and out of character).

If you have 4 new people wanting to play, you, as the GM, make up 6-8 characters and let them pick what sounds interesting based on a brief description of each. You can introduce them to the game in this way and once they get some experience with the setting then they can make new characters as their current one either dies off, retires, or for some other reason leaves the group. Also in this way you control the beginning group power level and still give them enough choices that everyone should have a character they are happy with.

[Giant2005]

I was around the age of 10 when I begun playing Rifts and being 10 and obviously allergic to reading, I never bothered reading the books either. To pick my class I just looked at all the pictures and picked who I thought looked the coolest (consequently I was never willing to play as a Techno Wizard ).
The point is, after playing a while I begun to enjoy it a lot and on my own accord I wanted to read all the books and learn everything I can. I suggest you let things develop naturally, let him pick a class and help him make his character, then let him do the rest on his own.

[LostOne]

Or go one step farther.

"You wake up, you don't remember who you are, where you are, or how you got here."

Start them with amnesia, maybe they'll one day remember their past.

I did this with a group where no one had played Rifts before, worked great. Basically it was amnesia that wiped their memories, but left them with their skills and limited knowledge of the world (which I filled in as needed in game).

[LostOne]

That works well, my first Rifts game I was a newly hatched dragon hatchling, but you're not going to want to have them all be hatchlings.

[KLM]

Oh, and please let us know how it went.

Adios
KLM

[Ravenwing]

One parent to another...

Just get the kids together and start the campaign. Once they see how cool the setting is, and figure out how the system (and role playing in general) works, they will read the books of their own accord.

You will never be able to force them to do it, and doing so will only send them back to the X-Box.

Agree 100%. Explain the basic background and create some character's to let them select from.

Agree again.
The best approach is to just make a few simply characters and let them run with it, keep dice rolls to a min, hell even fake it( welp, your juicer makes the leap, no roll required) After they get hooked,( and they will) you'll have to go looking for your books. I run a game for my daughter( 12) and 8 of her friends on friday night. Before we played they wouldn't read a book to save there life, in fact I'm sure that if a book fell outta the sky and hit them in the head, they'd had no ideal what it was. Now I have to ask my daughter where my book is. Oh and patiance, is the greatest advice. Think of it as a bonding experiance, make it fun, and you'll enjoy hours of fun where Dad is cool again. That feeling alone makes all the headaches and hair-pulling worth it. But make it like home work and they'll run away screaming.

[Big Red]

Part of the problem I'm running into is that my son and his best friend (the two who will be playing the most at first) have both decided that, just from looking at the pictures, they not only know everything they need to know, but that I'm wrong about most of what I've told them. I explained to them that, at least until summer gets here, my time for any gaming will be very limited, so they'll have to do their part to get us ready for the game. A couple character ideas I've had to veto already for my son are the Xiticix Glitterboy and the main god from South America. At this point, I'm tempted to restrict them to City Rats, or something smilar, just to get them into the basics.

I brought up the idea of starting with a less complicated game, whether it be TMNT, Heroes Unlimited, or even Marvel Superheroes, but they're insisting on Rifts. I don't mind so much the idea of going into a game with people who are clueless yet willing to learn. My son and his friend, until a few days ago, at least, have been revelling in their stubborn ignorance. I finally got tired of them scoffing at my answers to questions like, "What do you mean, I can't be a power armor-wearing Hundred Handed One?!?", and, "Well if that guy [the human with the spiked helmet in the Dog Pack picture from the main book] isn't the CS Dog Pack soldier, what is?!?", so I told them we had to go by the rules I set down back in college--which is where the reading requirement came from. They both got a little upset about this at first, but after I explained just how much work I'll be putting into it as GM, they settled down a bit.

As it stands, it will probably be another 3-4 weeks before we're anywhere near being ready to play. I haven't even begun to think about what sort of campaign I'll throw together for them, but it will most likely have a ton of mutant animals thrown in (most of my games do). I've warned them that, regardless of what rules they read, I'm in charge of the universe, so I could very easily throw something at them that strays from the rules, whether it's fudging on a roll, or bringing out a power armor-wearing Hundred Handed One.

[Tigermuppetcut]

Wow, I've never had anyone ask me to do that and I certainly wouldn't comply either unless it was something I was dying to play.

Normally a GM or anyone else who knows the system / setting lays down the basics and any other questions get answered as they pop up.

Once underway I'll often read sections of the book on things that are most relevant to my character / interests. If I really like it and it's a regular thing I'll buy the book.

I think you've really got the wrong approach there, also if I ever saw anyone coming to a gaming table other than the GM with binders and pages of notes I'd run the other way they are probably a rules lawyer or are going to be unhappy with any GM on the fly decision making etc.

[Big Red]

Thought I'd post a bit of an update on this. As I worked on getting my son to get a better idea of what to expect from the game, I also started working through how to introduce him to Rifts & RPG'ing properly. He wasn't making any progress at all, so I told him I wanted him to just read the section on combat, and on the Glitter Boy (he's most interested in being a GB right now). He's still refusing to do either. The bulk of his "reading" is looking at pictures, then giving me scoffing at me in disbelief and exasperation when I tell him that the assumptions he makes on a character or piece of equipment based on the pictures are totally wrong. He also told me that the game must actually suck since it doesn't have the option of nuking all the vampires, and won't let him be a full conversion Borg super-powered mutant animal Glitter Boy Pilot with magic weapons and the Armor of the Sun. I told him to just wait until we're playing, and that he'll understand better then.

I've decided to start out on a much smaller scale, both to ease myself back into things, and to ease everyone else into RPG'ing (my wife said she wants to play, too). Much to my son's chagrin, instead of letting him be Viracocha in a Tarantula Glitter Boy, I'm having everyone roll up mutant animals. We'll be starting in a modern setting, doing a TMNT-style adventure. This will let everyone learn the basics, and should get them to start learning how to roleplay, and play strategically from the get-go, instead of just haivng a big hack-n-slash session. My plan is to eventually segue into Rifts. I plan on centering this on 9-11 (or a 9-11 size event). After the attack, the characters will run into a wild-eyed mystick who talks about what a wonderful thing it was, and how it really amped up the ley lines locally (or, as my son calls them, "key" lines). He will then set about trying to bring on a world-wide cataclysm, and the characters will have to stop him. Eventually, he'll cause something so major to happen, that it will open up a Rift, and the characters will find themselves having their showdown in a post-apocalyptic world, which they'll think was brought on by their failure to stop the villain.

I'm not sure where I'll take it from there, and I have a lot of planning to do to get us from point A to point B (and I'm nowhere near point A yet), but that, along with the preliminary adventures we'll have to get everyone into it, should last us a while. I may drag out my old standby, Dr. Feral, to kick things off. My earliest games always centered around him, and he was always someone I could throw into a campaign to make things interesting (my friends who recognized him always hated him).

[KLM]

Hmm... Maybe you can introduce him some RPG based
computer game. You know, let him be familiar with
the "engine" - class, level, attributes, etc.

It saves a lot of breath

Adios
KLM

[MASTERMIND]

Study for Rifts? I do it because I am a GM but I can't see myself asking my players to do the same thing. I've had players who dug in like Rifts was a new religion to them and some who read only enough to roll up their first character. I even had one player who gave me a general idea what he wanted to play and then asked if I would roll the character up for him. And these were college kids at the time. Fifteen year olds? Jeez DAD! Lol, I admit I am jealous. I can't wait until my kids are that old.

Go this route. Ask them what everyone wants to play. Pre-make the characters for them. Limit the scope of the story at first and expand it as they take in the setting. I garuntee after the first few, "You didn't know that? It's in the core book," moments you will have some kids digging through the books on their own. Consider this a good time to get them going on the basics and they will appreciate being RPG Bookworms later on. They have a long gaming career ahead of them and you don't want to kill it now by making it boring.

[Lord_Dalgard]

Chello!

Well, I just rolled up my kids' first PCs with them there for input when they first started gaming. But, on the flip side, they were 7 and 9 at the time and the game was Hackmaster.

If your son wants to play a glitter boy, I say that reading the combat section ad the GB description is all he really needs to do. I would run a practice session with just him...a war game or simulator exercise where he gets to fight but it's not "real" to his charcter, just a way to see how things work.

Oh, and you might want to explain to him hat nuking the vamps would cause the Rifts to surge agin causing a second Cataclysm.

I feel for you, too...my 16 yo nephew games with us sometimes and he's handful. (The other gamers are 9, 11, 24, 25, 32, and 37 (me).

Tony

[Big Red]

Oh, and you might want to explain to him hat nuking the vamps would cause the Rifts to surge agin causing a second Cataclysm.

I did, and he didn't want to hear it. He said, "That's weak!" and refused to listen to my explanation about how 1) that would wreak worldwife havoc, 2) that would bring the wrath of all those vampire intelligences he didn't kill down on his head, and 3) that would be the easy way out and eliminate the point of playing the game. We got into a pointless, circular debate, so I fell back on the answer he can't stand, which is, if he doesn't want to hear my answer, then he can just read the book. He doesn't think that's a valid answer, and he's positive that I had someone sitting over my shoulder giving me all the answers when I was his age. I keep telling him that he has the exact same resources I did, and since my answers just don't work for him, he can rely on those same resources for his answers.

Another example: He was looking at Africa the other night, and since he's hung up on Viracocha from South America (150,000 M.D.C.!!!!), he said that the Four Horsemen are all wimps, and easy to beat. This assessment was based on their pictures (Death is a "little guy"), and their stats (a paltry 16,633 M.D.C.). I explained to him that there's a lot more to a villain than their M.D.C., and that no matter how strong he thinks his 1st level character is going to be, he's not going to be able to just "grab that little guy and bash away on him until he's dead!" I told him how my group back in college decided to destroy the Horsemen, and even with the help of two Demi-God NPC's, they were nearly killed before they ran with their tails between their legs. He said that only meant my guys' characters were weak. This "discussion" went on for 3 days before he finally read more than the Horsemen's M.D.C. Now that he understands that they're actually extremely powerful, he realizes that they're not someone he wants to fight. However, he still thinks that my claim that reading will give him the answers is wrong, and that he's just going to be able to fly from North America to Africa, then to England to break some branches off the Millenium Tree, then back to Africa where he can drop some Millenium Tree-spiked nukes on the Armageddon Creature.

[The Galactus Kid]

I would love to see his character "Break Branches" from a millenium tree. The resulting explosion would probablly kill his character, and if not, the defenders of the tree would. hahaha. he needs to read a little bit.

[Dustin Fireblade]

I keep telling him that he has the exact same resources I did, and since my answers just don't work for him, he can rely on those same resources for his answers.

Your son has more. If you allow him to create a account here he can ask his own questions and he can see first hand just how little he knows about role-playing.

[Xar]

Ok, one dad to another. Also, since my boys are 9, it may color my answer a little. So, if this seems to be age-inappropriate, I'm sorry in advance.

I am 100% behind your motivations to be willing to play with your guy. It's a way cool thing. I just started with my boys. I hope you have great roleplay experiences with your son.

Now the dad thing...I may be old fashioned, but if they disagreed with me as much as you have described about how to play a game that they asked you to do, I wouldn't do it. At all. I would say, "You don't want to take the time to understand the framework of what we're doing here? I'm not doing the prep work to entertain you if you won't respect me to do a little of what I ask"

Since you son is what, 15 or 16? I would suggest you offering to play in HIS game. He's old enough. I started GMing D&D at 12. Role up a character like something he describes wanting to play (I'm thinking heavy on the defense). Let him take lead once. Hand him the book. He'll either a)be really creative and surprise you, b) not want to play again, or c) realize that it's cool, but he doesn't know how to do it. I'm hoping that he does the third choice, particularly if you lead subtley while being a player. That way, he'll either read more to learn how to do it better, or will accept your lead. Be fair about it, don't throw him curves...Just straightforward adventuring. Then be ready to answer questions.

That's what I'd do in your shoes. Hope this helps.

[Greyaxe]

Watch some rifts inspiring movies and then role play that movie. Terminator would be a great place to begin you could do all three stories or even just one then rift then into the future to finally face theyr nemisis. Give them a friendly NPC to guide them and voila a rifts junkie, reading will come later.

[LostOne]

It might be a bit much to have them read allthe books but i'd get them to scim over the main book and a few others based on their classes. but notes come on man this isnt english or history its a game and besides the basic they just need to have fun

Wow...way to resurrect a dead thread (last post before yours is just over 5 months old). The original poster is probably long past this now.

But I am curious, what did the original poster decide?

[Big Red]

We started rolling up characters about a month or so ago, but then ran into a few snags. We still have a bit to do before the characters are complete, and we'll be starting a TMNT-style game that will eventually segue into Rifts. I want to start with a simpler, less complicated environment to acclimate everyone to the game before letting them loose on Rifts (or Rifts loose on them). My goal is to have at least 3-4 actual gaming sessions before the end of the summer, although my son and his one friend are doing their best to make that difficult (we're currently taking a break for a week or two from having that friend over). I have the first adventure or two planned out, and once everyone has the basics down, I have some thoughts for how things will progress to Rifts. I figure once things get moving, it will all come together pretty easily.

[oni no won]

It's good to see that you are starting up a campaign with your family.

I have to agree with the others. Making your son read the book as a prerequisite to playing the game is like giving him homework when he rather just have fun. Also, we are talking about a teenager whose natural inclination is rebel against rules and question everything.

When I GM, I usually will type up a primer which tells a bit about the world and vital game rules to get them started.

[Big Red]

We had our first playing session earlier this week. It was a bit of a free-form session thanks to a bunch of things coming up. My son, his friend and my wife were the main PC's, but my 5-year-old daughter played for a short while as well. She wanted to get in on what we were doing, so I helped her make a character and let her be part of the action until she went to bed.

It went pretty good overall, although my son is still trying to get an angle on how he can "win." One of our biggest delays in getting things kicked off was because he was throwing fits over how to get more and bigger weapons than everyone else. I solved it by not letting him have any. We're starting with a TMNT-style adventure to let everyone get their feet wet. I made it up on the fly, but it went surprisingly smoothly. Once they got into it, everyone enjoyed the roleplaying aspect of it, and didn't seem to mind that the only combat they saw for the bulk of the game was the monster I threw at my daughter so she could roll some dice before going to bed. I finally threw four mousers at them at the end, and they somehow got their butts kicked. My wife--the powerhouse on the team--kept rolling natural 1's. My son and his friend figured they weren't getting anywhere pounding away on the robots' main bodies and switched tactics and aimed for the heads, not realizing that they were 1-2 hits away from beating them. They finally beat them, but it left my son's character nearly dead, which is convenient because it forces them to go back to a character they met earlier who just happens to be the only doctor they know with some familiarity with mutant animals (Doc Feral).

Everyone's eager to play again, although my son is still trying to come up with a way to top the other players and somehow beat them.

[glitterboy2098]

(he didn't understand that you actually had to roll up a character until a couple nights ago--he thought every character in the book was a set, predetermined character and you just chose the one you wanted), and figures that will leave him completely ready to play.

After the attack, the characters will run into a wild-eyed mystick who talks about what a wonderful thing it was, and how it really amped up the ley lines locally (or, as my son calls them, "key" lines).

Another example: He was looking at Africa the other night, and since he's hung up on Viracocha from South America (150,000 M.D.C.!!!!), he said that the Four Horsemen are all wimps, and easy to beat. This assessment was based on their pictures (Death is a "little guy"), and their stats (a paltry 16,633 M.D.C.). I explained to him that there's a lot more to a villain than their M.D.C., and that no matter how strong he thinks his 1st level character is going to be, he's not going to be able to just "grab that little guy and bash away on him until he's dead!"

i think i can see part of the problem. i assume he has a game console or computer, and has 'rpg' games like Final fantasy or the like?

his attitude towards roleplay sounds very much that you learn from such games.

every character is pregenerated, all the way down to name, personality, history, and skills. all you have to do is click the right preselected responses. all the history of the setting is available in small, predigested packets that are forced down the players throat at the appropriate moment. combat is only about HP and who gives out the biggest attack, and it usually boils down to just hitting an opponent over and over. travel is ridicoulously easy, even in very hazardous settings. you can walk most places, and most cities have some sort of rapid transit to other continents.

since everything is already prepared for you and you merely have to hit the right buttons, you never need to read the manual, or even think half the time.


your biggest challenge will be getting him to break out of that mental box that computer 'rpgs' have created.

[Big Red]

That's a lot of it. He and his friend are both into video games and Magic cards, and they're still trying to catch on to some of the overall concepts. While their characters own weapons, they had no reason to be carrying them for the bulk of the session, and had made it very clear that they were locked up back at their home base. When they finally got attacked by the robots, they both tried to whip out their guns and use those, and were really frustrated that they couldn't get to them. They also don't like the fact that I'm not handing them anything on a silver platter. I pointed out that they had made a lot of mistakes, and gave some really subtle suggestions on how things could have gone better, but I didn't give any explicit directions. They were actually thinking things through by the end and making some good decisions (or at least ones that made sense from their perspective). I'm looking forward to seeing how things play out.

[Big Red]

They actually spent a few hours going over stuff together on the phone a couple nights ago. They finally started asking questions that were a little more in depth than, "can I get a nuke with that?" I think it will probably take a few more sessions for them to really start getting into it, but I'm hoping that spark is there. I'm also hoping they can explain the game to their friends a bit better now. They've told some other Magic player friends about it, and they didn't get the concept. I told my son I'm open to getting a regular or semi-regular game going, and that if he wanted to bring in a few other players, that would actually work out better.

The most enjoyable part of the game, for me at least, was my five-year-old's involvement. She was very involved and extremely inquisitive while she was playing, and had anyone listened to her, they would have figured out one of the key problems I threw at them much sooner. Unfortunately, they all though she was off base, so they told her that it couldn't be that simple and spent another two hours trying to figure things out, while she decided it was all about lost gold and buried treasure, and started drawing pictures of all the characters and maps to the buried gold (it's not about buried gold, but since they didn't want to follow her lead, she decided to invent her own story). She also stayed in character much better than eveyrone else, calling everyone by their character names and really acting the way her character should act.

[Big Red]

She's been really interested in my writing and art, and in some of the game books, and actually gave me ideas for a couple of the chimeras I wrote up, so when she wanted to roll up a character and play along, I didn't want to discourage her. Plus, if she keeps interested, then that just expands our player base. And you can't beat having pictures of Doc Feral holding hands with a bunch of mutant animals with floating hearts and standing over a chest of buried gold.