So I’m discussing with my RPG group the next campaign we’re going to start in a few months and I mention that I’m approaching it almost as a television series. Obviously this means the general dramatic structure of a series (although does a Seinfeld influence count as dramatic structuring?), and not that I plan on running games 22 minutes at a time with several words from our sponsors. But of course the peanut gallery had to chime in with their disdain for commercials in the game, which in turn got me thinking about the idea of FedEx sponsoring FedEx adventures in my game, and armorsmiths plastering Viagra stickers over their plate mail (’cuz, ya know plate mail is *hard* and Viagra…hey, I just tell’em, I don’t write’em…oh wait, I do…).

Now, the idea of a D&D game full of advertising is pretty ludicrous, right? After all, nothing is going to pull you out of a D&D game faster than the DM describing “Okay, as the priest of Celebrex lays his hands on you to heal he gently reminds you that besides receiving 3d6+6 hit points back you may suffer from nose bleeding, constipation, sexual side effects, blindness, and a strange desire to listen to Yanni…” right?

Yet what about advertising in computer games? Is that not also ludicrous? Or, depending on the game, does it actually create a more “immersive” experience?

First of all I suppose it’s going to depend on the game. Like a typical D&D game, any fantasy game is going to have a tough time with putting in-game product advertisement. But what if it’s not in-game per se, but just present? For example, what if as you’re loading up Diablo IV: This Time It’s Personal, ads are appearing for the nine billionth book in the Wheel of Time series? Heck, isn’t the fact that you can order pizza in Everquest II a form of advertising? What’s next, ordering hemorroid creme since most people playing Everquest II are probably spending 95% of their life plopped down in front of their monitor?

With a “real world” game product placement can fit in better, but is that really a good thing? Does anyone really care if Sam Fisher uses Nokia? Does anyone play a street racing game and really need to see Burger King restaruants in it? Do these ads really reach people? Sure, you as a gamer might see them, but do they really influence you in any way? Other than the fact that dammit, now we can’t even play games without ads and all mainstream publisher execs should be tarred and feathered?

Let’s see, on any given day you’ll find ads on television, in the newspaper, in magazines, on websites, on buses, on bus waiting areas, in your mailbox, on cars, before movies, on the radio, as you walk down the grocery aisles…do we really need them in games now?

Here’s something to ponder…these product placements, are they helping the game out or are they helping the execs pay for their shiny new Bentley? Like, with a magazine there is a direct correlation between advertisers and publishing, as the ad money helps the magazine get out the door. Are these games in such financial trouble that they have to get a boost from Madison Avenue?

Does product placement ever have a place? Sure, there are times when it can be unintrusive, such as in a NASCAR game. If you were racing some made up car would it feel like you’re trying to simulate professional racing? But it’s a really fine line. We can handle driving a Chevy, but when super-secret spooks need to sport namebrand wireless gear, there’s something wrong with the picture.

Ah well, maybe it’s the future and we just need to embrace it. I’ll start by offering up ad space in my upcoming game. Tell you what, for $5000 I’ll name any piece of magical equipment or spell after your company. So instead of our fearless mage/cleric Edward (who by the way wears a propeller beanie…) casting fireball he can cast Washington Mutual presents the Fireball. Drop me a line and let’s deal…

-Scott

Currently getting the most play in the Krol fortress of solitude:

Iced Earth - Horror Show
Iron Maiden - Dance of Death
Loreena McKennit - The Book of Secrets
Nile - Black Seeds of Vengeance
Children of Bodom - Hatecrew Deathroll

…and since I know the lead singer/guitarist I’ll throw out a local band
for you guys to check out: Homeroom

…and another thing that has me bothered with the latest Star Wars episode…The Jedi Knights are supposed to be a bunch of jolly swell guys, right? They wear the white hats, rescue stranded kittens from trees, always have exact change at toll booths, and so on. Yet Obi-Wan cuts off Anakin’s legs, one arm, watches him catch on fire, and then walks away. Considering the fact that his wounds are cauterized by the lightsaber, and that he didn’t die from shock, that meant that Anakin could possibly live quite a long time as a stump next to a river of molton lava. Now, is that really a good thing? Wouldn’t the proper thing have been to finish the job?

Of course in Episodes IV - VI Obi-Wan is portrayed essentially as a liar who keeps the truth from Luke, bending it when it suits his purpose. When Luke says he won’t kill his father, good ol’ Obi-Wan responds with, “Then the Emperor has already won.” Wait a sec there geezer ghost, you couldn’t kill him, you left him to lie there in misery, and now you’re playing head games with his son to get him to kill him?

Stuff, thy name is free

On the Internet you can find things for free, such as game systems. Unfortunately very often you get what you pay for, and yet once in a while, when the stars are right and sleeping Cthulhu blesses us with a series of delightful dreams, you can actually find free games online that aren’t a steaming pile of crapola (which is a lot like granola, only packed with more nuts).

Recently I came across two games that are both free and worthwhile, and in the interest of sharing I wanted to pass these along to you. Hopefully you’ll find some interest in them also.

I like PT Boats. I’ve always thought torpedo boats were cool, zipping along and shooting off torpedoes and all that jazz. They’re the fighters (as in aircraft) of the sea. So one day I was looking online to see if anyone had created some rules for wargaming small boat naval actions, or would I be forced to create my own ruleset. Amazingly I found a set of rules that do feature plenty of MTBs, but also cover the spectrum of WWII naval combat.

Fire On The Waters is an excellent game on WWII naval warfare that boasts a huge number of scenarios. The rules aren’t too complex, there are helpful examples to download, and overall it’s a solid package.

The author also has several other naval wargame rules on the site, primarily covering earlier 20th century actions, although I have not downloaded them.

Next up is Risus, a free RPG system with only six pages of rules. Designed by S. John Ross, Risus is a universal comedy RPG that can also double for a serious game system if you so desire.

The heart of Risus is the cliché system, which essentially describes your character and tells you what you’re good for. For example, if you’re the Other Kind of Vampire cliché you’d be good at self-pity, erotic blood poetry, and wearing black. All clichés have a dice pool associated with them, and the GM decides a difficulty number for accomplishing a task, which is then rolled for by using the proper dice pool.

Combat in Risus could be anything from actual fist to jaw combat, to dueling banjos. Any time you’re in a task where someone is trying to do something and someone else is opposing that someone, then you are in combat.

There are plenty of sites that support Risus, along with a number of really cool scenarios. If you’re into RPGs check it out. While it probably won’t replace the system you normally play, it will provide you with a nice option for those weekends you forgot to make up a adventure and you need something quick before your players start shoving dice into every orifice they can access on your body.

-Scott

“Almost nobody dances sober, unless they happen to be insane.”
–H.P. Lovecraft