From bshsiung@eecs.umich.edu  Mon Feb 20 15:45:22 1995
Posted-Date: Mon, 20 Feb 1995 15:46:23 -0500
Received-Date: Mon, 20 Feb 95 15:45:22 -0500
Received: (bshsiung@localhost) by quip.eecs.umich.edu (8.6.8/8.6.4) id PAA28362 for vespers@graphics.cis.upenn.edu; Mon, 20 Feb 1995 15:46:23 -0500
Date: Mon, 20 Feb 1995 15:46:23 -0500
From: Bernard Hsiung <bshsiung@eecs.umich.edu>
Message-Id: <199502202046.PAA28362@quip.eecs.umich.edu>
To: vespers@graphics.cis.upenn.edu
Subject: Re:  VESPERS: Roleplaying style.
Status: OR

Okay, my answers:  (If I don't actually play, this is so much wasted
storage space, but here goes, anyway. :)

>Adventure content: Please rank the following in order of their personal 
>importance to you. Provide reasons and details, if you wish.

I'm up for any content; as far as participation in historical events goes,
I think it's fine if the history provides a backdrop, but I'm not sure how
much appreciation of it I'd manage, so don't please kill yourself providing
it. :)  (But perhaps some years from now I'll find myself reading Russian
literature or otherwise be immersing myself into Russian culture and a
little light will go on over my head and All Will Be Clear. :)

>Difficulty level: Please pick the frustration and difficulty level which you 
>find most enjoyable. Reasons, once again, are welcome.

   - Easy: PCs can overcome most challenges by thinking a bit.
   - Moderate: PCs must be pretty sharp in order to meet challenges.

I'd like to see the occasional matter that required me to use my head.
This is no guarantee, of course, that I -will- use it, but I like a bit
of challenge in my gaming.  It helps keep me honest and helps keep those
little grey cells in working order. :)

>Campaign themes

I have no objection to any themes I can think of offhand.  (This is the man
who ran an Amber campaign with a major incest theme accidentally, remember?)

>Game mechanics: Please pick the level of game mechanics, and randomness
>factor, which you prefer.

   - Very Minimal: Mechanics are used as a guideline only. Play is diceless.
   - Minimal: Mechanics are used strictly, but play is primarily diceless.

I think mechanics should be used according the GM's whim, er, judgment.
Whether this is diceless or diced is irrelevant to me.  (I often use a
randomizing factor even in supposedly diceless Amber play; contrariwise, when
I'm GMing a diced game, I will make decisions without the aid of the dice.)

>Historical detail: Please pick the level of historical detail and accuracy
>which you would prefer.

   - Very Minimal: History's just a backdrop. Details are made up as needed.
   - Minimal: History and details are there if needed, but can be thrown out.

As stated above, I'd like to see history primarily as a setting and
background.  I'd rather not have to turn this into a Russian Thirteenth
Century Culture course in order to understand what's going on. :)

>Thanks. A note on your personal preferred style of roleplaying, particularly
>PBEM roleplaying, would be appreciated, as well.

Intermittant, I think, is one of the keywords here, thanks to my lack of
time. :)  That makes it rather difficult to keep up in frothing, vehement
conversations, unfortunately.  Besides that, I find that I most enjoy the
PBEM in which each character appears to be the central character of their
own novel, from their point of view.  (I know this is a huge amount of
work from the GM's perspective; I've run one. :P)

   bshsiung@eecs.umich.edu