tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764158821384594980.post5731285009016922274..comments2024-03-27T03:37:22.778-04:00Comments on Age of Ravens: Recent Things I've Liked: rpgs and othersLowell Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02359280169506945906noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764158821384594980.post-15168473388603006682009-05-06T12:11:00.000-04:002009-05-06T12:11:00.000-04:00I like that cyclical idea-- and could be an intere...I like that cyclical idea-- and could be an interesting reason why these Nationalist pantheons don't have a real longevity. The American pantheon includes Betsy Ross, John Henry, Uncle Sam, etc. That sort of bugs me as it seems to be a kind of lazy approach. The Allied pantheon is the same. <br /><br />Since they're built around a WW2 timeframe, as a concept it would be interesting if they the pantheons would arise and then fall based on a response to some major event or cataclysm-- or perhaps that would be the catalyst for change. I'm not sure what a more modern version of the American Pantheon would look like except that it would be divided, have some significant change and response to 9-11, and include the bad guy from No Country for Old Men.Lowell Francishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02359280169506945906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764158821384594980.post-5487199862361791482009-05-06T10:58:00.000-04:002009-05-06T10:58:00.000-04:00I haven't read the Scion take on an American panth...I haven't read the Scion take on an American pantheon. I'll trust it's not quite there. I like Gaiman, but I wasn't impressed with his new gods in American Gods.<br /><br />One quality I think American gods would have is that they'd go through rapid phoenix cycles. They'd die and be reborn in new forms every decade or so. This would be quite traumatic for the previous worshipers if they're not ready. Essentially, it'd be about a new hysteria swamping the old. Tradition and continuity are weak here.<br /><br />Imagine what an American war god would look like throughout the 20th century. Starts off idealistic and weak, then weak and overconfident (WWI-1930s), strong and incompetent (early WWII), strong and bureaucratic (WWII-early 60s), bureaucratic and incompetent (Viet Nam), etc. And has been trying various versions of Rambo ever since.<br /><br />Foreign gods who enter this pantheon would have to accept the loss of personal identity every few years.<br /><br />Another quality is that they'd have lots of international supplicants. The Rolling Stones don't worship British gods.Gene Hahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07389258008505629339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764158821384594980.post-48607010697932029332009-05-04T12:44:00.000-04:002009-05-04T12:44:00.000-04:00-To be a little more fair to Play Unsafe, I went b...-To be a little more fair to Play Unsafe, I went back and posted a link to the product page and to a more complete review of the substance of the product than the one I presented here. I do think the layout does undercut the really good materials and ideas presented in the product. <br /><br />-The real problem with the insomnia is the two day count down afterwards to when I collapse from the weird sleep schedule. <br /><br />-I really like Scion, mostly for the ideas. I does avoid some of the problems of more recent WW product in that it doesn't spend a page detailing the mechanics of every single power and ability. Their take on the American mythos just feels a little trite-- but it is also purely in the context of their WW2 scenario set up. It feels more than a little cartoony compared to the rest of the stuff.Lowell Francishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02359280169506945906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764158821384594980.post-41777916407330157512009-05-04T11:52:00.000-04:002009-05-04T11:52:00.000-04:00I'm curious about the new pantheon info in the Sci...I'm curious about the new pantheon info in the Scion book, but at the same time -- this is one of those things, like Changeling, where it's probably just as satisfying to create your own material if you've any familiarity with the source myths. <br /><br />Creating an "American" pantheon could be done, a la Gaiman's <I>American Gods</I>, and could be an interesting vehicle to explore a different theme, like abstract worship or cultural appropriation. (For example, not just the conceptual stuff like Patriotism and Innovation and whatnot, but look a look at whether belief and focus can create gods that are bastardized versions of other pantheons. Say, a fluffy-bunny Wiccan version of Kali, or a schizo mash-up of all the various Raven or Coyote figures from Native American myth.)miakodahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15244398899013503966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764158821384594980.post-33766439289964864302009-05-04T11:15:00.000-04:002009-05-04T11:15:00.000-04:00Sounds like you put your insomnia to good use.Sounds like you put your insomnia to good use.Cher Merehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10336087288319886516noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764158821384594980.post-4042460130150086512009-05-04T05:57:00.000-04:002009-05-04T05:57:00.000-04:00Thanks for reading Play Unsafe. I'm glad you liked...Thanks for reading Play Unsafe. I'm glad you liked the bits you liked.<br /><br />It does seem to polarise opinion: some people think it's short and lightweight; some people think it's stripped down to the essentials. In retrospect, I think the layout doesn't help me much.<br /><br />There are two pretty detailed reviews on RPG.NET: Sophie Lagace's review is fairly fair and balanced, I think.<br /><br />GrahamUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13036629056562717049noreply@blogger.com