From: owner-the-edge-digest@ (The Edge Digested) To: the-edge-digest@robin-nvh.bvsd.k12.co.us Subject: The Edge Digested V1 #6 Reply-To: the-edge@robin-nvh.bvsd.k12.co.us Sender: owner-the-edge-digest@ Errors-To: owner-the-edge-digest@ Precedence: bulk The Edge Digested Thursday, November 20 1997 Volume 01 : Number 006 Today's subjects from The Edge: Re: [The Edge] Weather the Cuckoo Like Re: [The Edge] Weather the Cuckoo Like ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 17:30:55 -0800 (PST) From: Yanni Cooper Subject: Re: [The Edge] Weather the Cuckoo Like Well, I don't have the weather, so the words are only meaningful to me in that I already know everything I don't so it's a simple matter of explaining what I don't know with examples to whit: Why not start a database of words, and allow various differant methods of yanking a couple hundred out. Cut & Paste, Random Spew, Sevens & Fives, Whatever You Please. If this works, thank me with penguins, if not do a sumersault. === Can you spot the .sig? Thought some. Don't Tthink, Just Ddo. - ---David Ebrey wrote: > > At 09:28 AM 11/18/97 -0500, you wrote: > >David, > > > >Yeah, I've used the Cut-Ups system. I have a bin in my games room to which > >every few weeks or so I add a load of cuttings from newspapers, magazines, > >etc. After a while you get the hang of which are the interesting words to > >use - don't use names! > > So you re-use the cuttings, but you have a large enough selection that it > doesn't repeat itself often? > > > > >It's a great system and I have used variations on it for all kinds of > >games. Yes, I think it works for any kind of character but it can be fun to > >make control freaks use a different system just to point out the > >differences. > > Yea, I am not quite sure how to make the transition (between normal system > and cut-up system). I could say right from the beginning that things work > differently for them. I also thought about having some sort of strange > run-in at the airport cause the change. It is interesting to think about > how the system effects character's actions: all of the sudden the characters > are going to be doing things in a quite strange way. > > > > >I have also used it in many other non-OTE games. I have a fairly loose and > >relaxed non-rules orientated style of refing anyway so I don't overly > >concern myself with niceties of penalty dice and the like. In fact, I > >rarely use dice at all. I use cut-ups when I am running a game that needs > >to spark fresh ideas. If I want my players on their toes and firing on all > >cylinders creatively then cut-ups force the pace. If I am running a more > >relaxed game that concentrates on character relationships then I find it > >gets in the way. > > I think my groups generally go for higher tension games. Certainly, > character development and inter-personal relations are promoted, but we also > like quite challenging plots. If one doesn't know what is going to happen > when they do an actions, it adds to the suspense, I think (hence we do use > systems a lot, but for purposes of adding suspense, mainly. I don't think > we over do it, in my own unbiased opinion). The Cut-up system certain > preserves, if not heightens that randomness. In a way it adds more > randomness than a normal system (in that all sorts of unexpected things > could happen), but in a way it is less random (in that how well your > character does is directly related to the Player's skill in putting words > together). I think I would like the way that this randomness works out, but > I am not sure. > > > > >Oh, and be aware that chopping up papers is an incredibly tedious task! And > >be careful not to leave them in a damp room or where they can be kicked > >over! > > Yea, some sort of list of words would be great (you could simply print them > out and cut along the dotted line). One problem is that you would want them > to be fairly random -- you don't want someone's bias's to fall into the list > of words. The biggest problem is that who would create such a list of > words? Who in their right mind would go typing all their words into a > computer to put onto their web page? > > Of course, if everyone would just take a hundred random words and submit > them, then everyone would have lots and lots of words to choose from, and > they would more or less all be random (assuming that people choose words > that seemed to work, but on no merit other than that). Would enough people > submit words though? Is this just silly? How many words do you need? Can > anyone guess? > > David > > > [O] You received this message because you are subscribed to the-edge > [0] To (un)subscribe, send a message to majordomo@robin.ml.org with body of > [O] (un)subscribe the-edge your@email.add > __________________________________________________________________ Sent by Yahoo! Mail. Get your free e-mail at http://mail.yahoo.com [O] You received this message because you are subscribed to the-edge [0] To (un)subscribe, send a message to majordomo@robin.ml.org with body of [O] (un)subscribe the-edge your@email.add ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 11:51:58 -0500 From: Simon Taylor Subject: Re: [The Edge] Weather the Cuckoo Like David, >So you re-use the cuttings, but you have a large enough selection that i= t doesn't repeat itself often? No, I never re-use them. I just keep adding more. >Yea, I am not quite sure how to make the transition (between normal syst= em and cut-up system). I could say right from the beginning that things wor= k differently for them. I also thought about having some sort of strange run-in at the airport cause the change. It is interesting to think about= how the system effects character's actions: all of the sudden the characters are going to be doing things in a quite strange way. Try running a one-off using the system and then suggest to your players, = if they enjoy it, that you use it for the main game? >I think my groups generally go for higher tension games. Certainly, character development and inter-personal relations are promoted, but we also like quite challenging plots. If one doesn't know what is going to happe= n when they do an actions, it adds to the suspense, I think (hence we do us= e systems a lot, but for purposes of adding suspense, mainly. I don't thin= k we over do it, in my own unbiased opinion). The Cut-up system certain preserves, if not heightens that randomness. In a way it adds more randomness than a normal system (in that all sorts of unexpected things could happen), but in a way it is less random (in that how well your character does is directly related to the Player's skill in putting words= together). I think I would like the way that this randomness works out, but I am not sure. You have to have good creative players. I'm lucky in that one of my group= is heavily into surrealism already and lead the way for the others - he illustrated how this kind of thing should be done - the mental process is= quite different but the results are fabulously inspiring. And yes, randomness is the key. Given the wide variety of thoughts and ideas that are triggered by these words you get a whole new slew of actions beyond t= he mundane. I am really hot on this idea of pattern recognition and word association and its applications in RPG's and the cut-up method is great = at bringing it out. >Yea, some sort of list of words would be great (you could simply print them out and cut along the dotted line). One problem is that you would want them to be fairly random -- you don't want someone's bias's to fall into the list of words. The biggest problem is that who would create such a list of words? Who in their right mind would go typing all their words into a computer to put onto their web page? = If you did get such a list and were able to have a PC at your gaming tabl= e (as I do) then you could even use that for completely randomising the process but it does take away some of the fun. There is a lot to be said for the tactile and typeface differences that one gets with newspaper cuttings - despite the extra work I think it's worthwhile, especially if intermixed with magazine cuttings - try to avoid using specialist terms from specialist magazines though, for example computer terms from compute= r magazines unless they're really generic eg computer. Simon [O] You received this message because you are subscribed to the-edge [0] To (un)subscribe, send a message to majordomo@robin.ml.org with body of [O] (un)subscribe the-edge your@email.add ------------------------------ End of The Edge Digested V1 #6 ****************************** [O] You received this message because you are subscribed to the-edge-digest [0] To (un)subscribe, send a message to majordomo@robin.ml.org with body of [O] (un)subscribe the-edge-digest your@email.add [O] To post a message, send it to the-edge@robin.ml.org