Re: (TFT) Is it an RPG or really a Tactical RPG?

["John J Hyland" <johnnyboytmm@juno.com>]

Chris,
     Welcome to the List. Glad to have you.

As to your query,  I'd say that TFT is an RPG with a tactical combat system that is fast and simple.  So in essence, YES to both of your questions.  TFT is an RPG (for it's day, times and games have changed since 1980), and it is also a tactical RPG.


========================================================
I always thought the Melee/ Wizard series of games (TFT, Underearth)
never really came together as true RPG's like D&D, T&T, Traveller, etc.
The primary focus was programmed adventures where combat encounters were
the focus over Role-Playing encounters. 
========================================================

The one book you don't mention is In The Labrynth, which is where the RPG part comes in (talents, races, a little culture and color, some encounter basics, etc).  Melee and wizard are entirely tactical boardgames.  And really fun ones.  But all the RPG goodies are in ITL.

The Underearth series is definitely (IMO) a wargame/rpg hybrid that was never completed.  Not really a fully fleshed out RPG.  The idea (as I understand it) was precisely to have a bunch of scenarios with victory conditions that you would play out.  - see our recent discussion on this list.

The numbered paragrapgh adventures do tend to be light on roleplay, but they are designed to allow for solo play, which, almost by definition, limits the amount of RP interaction with NPCs.  Though I think they did a pretty good job nonetheless.  In particular Grailquest, while combat heavy, captures (for me) a bit of the whole trying to live up to a Knightly Code sort of thing.  Also the Dark City Games do a nice job of including non-combat stuff in their adventures.  But overall, any solataire game is liokely to include fewer opportunities for roleplay and personal interaction , pretty much by definition. 

Meaningful personal interaction almost demands people, which leads me inexorably to the old maxim that the gaming group has more to do with the roleplaying part of the game than the game mechanics do.  Which is not to say that games cannot include mechanics to support non-combat parts of the game, and many do include more than TFT, just that  dont think those mechanics will be used by groups who are more interested in combat.


========================================================
This leads me to the idea of Campaigns.  This would be an over arching
storyline where combat is the core of the adventure.  You would build
your brick of 4 PC characters and as an adventure progress NPC's join,
possibly die, and you can hire mercenaries to fight with you.  Your
success or failure determines in each battle the overall storyline
progression.  
=========================================================

I think that would be fun.  Different from traditional RPGs, but fun.  Also the discreet nature of the episode would lend itself to the infrequent nature of my gaming gatherings now that I am all grown up and responsible (more's the pity).

John
_____________________________________________________________
Click to get a free auto insurance quotes from top companies.
http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2111/fc/Ioyw6iifSLn9vyOAzmEDGhORXdkiDBtyUjaB2MSoMaUUQzUUxXxeuC/
=====
Post to the entire list by writing to tft@brainiac.com.
Unsubscribe by mailing to majordomo@brainiac.com with the message body
"unsubscribe tft"