Actually if we were true to history it would be more like this:Koumei wrote:So basically, we had this:
oWoD: people were interested in the fluff/world setting, even if it had plenty of stupid (that they could choose to ignore), and a system slightly more painful than running your genitals over a sanding belt.
nWoD: it made the system slightly more bearable, so that it's only as bad as trimming your nails with a shark, but the setting became boring boring boring crap.
Now: they took the lesson of "Aha! People wanted the awful rules, and the existence of the old clans and stuff, but want us to flush all of the actual fluff and setting!"
Am I close to the mark here?
OWOD Original: Wow this setting is cool and these clans and ideas sure are awesome, to bad you can only pretend to play this game because the rules are so bad!
OWOD Revised Year 1: Wow the rules are now at the very edge of being playable as long as nobody decides to exploit all the incredibly obvious ways of abusing the rules that are apperent to anyone who has ever played any kind of rpg before. Also, it has this awesome contiously growing backstory that is super cool because the story actually progresses with each sourcebook!
OWOD Revised Year 10: ....God Dammit I hate metaplot bullshit that dominates every freaking book including ones that are supposed to be about "forgetten" shit, magic spells, or equipment. How are you supposed to run this fucking game with metaplot mandatory characters all over the place that can't be killed without fucking up all future sourcebooks.
I cannot fucking believe I ever liked this fucking game were everybody exploits the blatantly obvious rules loopholes. The only way NOT to end up with some broken ass power combo is to purposefully gimp yourself, which even after 10 fucking years the designers seem to think that everybody will/do does for the sake of making the game better.
What a bunch of complete idiots. The game has shit rules and an overbearing and shitty metaplot. I wish they would just end the whole fucking mess. I don't even fucking care how they do it. They just need to burn it to the ground and start over again!
NWOD Year 1: God Dammit I didn't think they would actually listen to me. They never have before so how should I have known that they would literally burn down the entire old setting and try and start from scratch.
Ok, well at least they used this as a chance to clean up all the games totally shitty rules. I mean, I can read through this rulebook and understand its game mechanics pretty clearly. Actually, its kinda funny but the rules are so simple that I can pretty much tell you exactly how something is going to turn out just by looking at your dots on your character sheet without rolling any dice.....
Ok, look I realize that this game seems a little boring and deterministic. And I know that it no longer has any of the clans or fluff that you actually like but lets give it a try. If you will just finish filling out your character sheet by filling in your vice and your virtue... Ryan why is your goth chick girlfriend so pissed off and trying to set my rug on fire?
Ok, look the rest of us don't need Ryan or his stupid "christianity is for mental slaves" girlfriend in our group. WOD is better with smaller groups and more personal stories. Now the setting book doesn't really give me anything to go on as to adventure hooks or how to play this game but something will come to me I am sure.
NWOD year 3: Ok,so we waited til Werewolf, Mage and Vampire were all out and they all suck and none of them have any direction at all. I really wish that this game had some sort of story arc to follow along with or a metaplot or someting to help me build a coherent narative for the players to follow.
You know what, this whole thing sucks. These new games are not better than the old ones. The rules are boring as shit and the game worlds are stupid. Remember how awesome OWOD was. It sure was super awesome at getting us in girls pants. They should have just cleaned up the rules and kept the metaplot and setting the same. I WANT MY OWOD BACK GOD DAMMIT. WHY DID I EVER STOP PLAYING OWOD AT ALL!
V:TM20: Oh yeah, now I remember. Well at least I have my setting back. Its sure good to have that OWOD feel. Hey wait, why isn't there much about the metaplot. What do you mean "the metaplot was so convoluted that we eneded it because we couldn't keep it straight and bring it back would be an even bigger cluster fuck?" The metaplot was what gave OWOD a lot of its identity and charm. The fact that you ran out of ideas how to keep a massive 10 year long soap opera running is not my fault. Fix it.
(Guess at what the response to the first V:TM20 source book will be:)
I remember why I hated the metaplot. All those fucking metaplot characters. Why are they in a book about weapons and fighting styles? Why do I need to own sourcebooks I will never use just to keep up with were the game is at? Why did I ever want to go back to this bullshit!

