OT: "Historical" VS Fantastic RPG´s

[weswood]

Maybe I'm just blowing wind through my buttocks but I think that video gaming has influenced RPGs and more video games than not have fantastic elements to them. Plus the fact such RPG games are less challenging, dying is just a temporary setback whereas in a historical or realistic game, a single well placed bullet can take out a beloved character that took years to develope.

Personally I've never understood the desire for playing creatures such as trolls and vampires and werewolves. In my formative gaming days, trolls were evil creatures that prefered human flesh to eat, vampires were cursed blood drinking dead things (NOT sexy at all) and lycanthropy was a disease like syphallis or ghonorea.

I do have to admit that I like characters having disadvantages and advantages such as addictions or better than average eyesight. I feel this adds a little realism to the game. I have a friend who has phenomanal eyesight while if I don't get my tobbacco fix I get flakey. Things like this add some character to characters. Alan's eyesight lets him shoot a rifle way farther than I'd try to and if I run out of smokes getting more is almost the top of my list, right after food.

With the infamouse "In My Opinion" I believe that we engage in gaming, whether video or paper RPGs, as a temporary escape from reality. (Same as books and movies). Maybe historic and non-fantasy games are too real for some people.