I got this, of all places, in a post by Roger Ebert discussing the titanic discussion thread that latched onto his scathing review of Ben Stein's Expelled (he was making a point about evolution, which he <3's very much). It answers all but one of the questions I have ever had (which one it abruptly and hilariously avoids) and also answers FAR MANY MORE which I have not.
The Ducks are the quintessentially white American story (regardless of whether Duckburg and related environs are located in America), with their Scottish, English and Dutch ancestry, mixed and entangled over the course of the hard-scrabble yet hugely enriching life in the new world.
Looking over this ridiculous picture makes me (I know, I know) want to know the stories of the rest of the duck family. I suddenly realize there is no Blackadder RPG, to my knowledge. That is, a game where you play through a multigenerational series of vignettes that are unified by all the principal characters being descendants/ancestors of one another.
(Yes, Blackadder is hardly the only example of the type of story I mean, but it has the double advantages of being funny and British.)
Every game of Microscope I've ever heard of involved aliens, monsters and oh my, but nothing stops an interested group from having a "narrower" focus. That might be the one to try, but subdued, un-gonzo gaming may not be the specialty of my current groups. Then again, I wouldn't mind a gonzo multigenerational story. Something like Accelerando or Legend of the Galactic Heroes, maybe?
-Nick
4 comments:
The only Multigenerational RPG I've ever heard of is Hero's Banner, but I've never played it. I'm pretty sure you could play the Duck Family Tree with it, though.
Good one! That would make it difficult to do the stories out of chronological order, though, since the outcomes of an individual hero's resolution could change family fortunes dramatically. But that's not an absolute proscription, or an immense loss to the idea.
Hey Nick!
There are not a lot of generational rpgs out there... I'll try to dig some up for next time we meet. Hero's Banner is indeed the one that leaps to mind, and of course In a Wicked Age supports that kind of play!
Also, here's a Blackadder rpg! http://mytholder.livejournal.com/26607.html
I should have known there was one, and that you'd know it. Unfortunately, it seems to ignore the generational aspect...which is semi-to-be-expected, since there aren't really connections between the eras in the show.
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