The Worst Filing System Known To Humans

-Punk (5) A Song of Ice and Fire (2) Affect (9) Alienating My Audience (31) Animation (27) Anime (17) Anonymous (3) Anything Salvaged (15) Art Crit (42) Avatar the Last Airbender (2) Black Lives Matter (1) Bonus Article (1) Children's Media (6) Close Reading (90) Collaboration (1) comics (29) Cyborg Feminism (3) Deconstruction (10) Devin Townsend (2) Discworld (1) Evo Psych (1) Fandom Failstates (7) Fanfiction (28) Feminism (23) Fiction Experiments (13) Food (1) Fragments (11) Games (29) Geek Culture (28) Gender Shit (1) Getting Kicked Off Of TV Tropes For This One (11) Gnostic (6) Guest Posts (5) Guest: Ian McDevitt (2) Guest: Jon Grasseschi (3) Guest: Leslie the Sleepless Film Producer (1) Guest: Sara the Hot Librarian (2) Guest: Timebaum (1) Harry Potter (8) Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality (3) Has DC Done Something Stupid Today (5) Hauntology (6) Homestuck (18) How Very Queer (35) hyperallthethings (10) hyperanimation (1) Hypercomics (10) I Didn't Ask For Your Life Story Sheesh (24) Illustrated (37) In The Shadow Of No Towers (1) It Just Keeps Tumblring Down Tumblring Down Tumblring Down (9) It's D&D (2) Judeo-Christian (9) Lady Gaga (5) Let's Read Theory (3) Lit Crit (19) Living In The Future Problems (11) Lord of the Rings (4) Mad Max (1) Madoka Magica (1) Magic The Gathering (4) Manos (2) Marvel Cinematic Universe (17) Marx My Words (15) Medium Specificity (15) Meme Hell (1) Metal (2) Movies (33) Music (26) Music Videos (21) NFTs (10) Object Oriented Ontology (4) Occupy Wall Street (3) Pacific Rim (2) Paradise Lost (2) Parafiction (6) Patreon Announcements (15) Phenomenology (4) Poetry (6) Pokemon (3) Politics and Taxes and People Grinding Axes (13) PONIES (9) Pop Art (6) Raising My Pageranks Through Porn (4) Reload The Canons! (7) Remixes (8) Review Compilations (6) Room For You Inside (2) Science Fiction Double Feature (30) Self-Referential Bullshit (23) Semiotics (2) Sense8 (4) Sociology (12) Spooky Stuff (41) Sports (1) Star Wars (6) Steven Universe (3) Surrealism (11) The Net Is Vast (36) Time (1) To Make An Apple Pie (4) Transhumanism (9) Twilight (4) Using This Thing To Explain That Thing (120) Video Response (2) Watchmen (3) Webcomics (2) Who Killed The World? (9)

Reload the Canons!

This series of articles is an attempt to play through The Canon of videogames: your Metroids, your Marios, your Zeldas, your Pokemons, that kind of thing.

Except I'm not playing the original games. Instead, I'm playing only remakes, remixes, and weird fan projects. This is the canon of games as seen through the eyes of fans, and I'm going to treat fan games as what they are: legitimate works of art in their own right that deserve our analysis and respect.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Playing the Devil: Mechanical Horror In Tabletop Games

Horror in games is a fairly well covered topic here on The Blogoblag.1 Son of Danse Macabre, in particular, just recently spat out a wonderful little article about how horror functions in games, both Zero Punctuation and Extra Credits have touched on the topic, and a number of games have come to fairly striking prominence in the past few year. (I'm thinking in particular of Amnesia: The Dark Descent, which is terrifying even to watch.)

But that's all video games. What about the venerable tabletop game? Can you express horror in a board game, or a card game, or a pen and pencil role playing game like Cthulhu Tech or Bliss Stage or even the venerable old Dungeons & Dragons?

It seems like a difficult proposition. After all, one of the advantages of a video game is that the calculations happen in the dark and murky depths of your computer or console. You don't have to think in strict statistical terms, "Ah, well, my guy has more defense than my opponent's power, so I can take this specific number of hits, and then if I draw this card..." The thought process is something more along the lines of, "AAAAH run run run run I'M SORRY I DIDN'T MEAN TO MESS YOUR CHAIRS UP--OH PISSING BLIMEY THERE'S JAM COMING OUT OF THE WALLS!" You are, in short, too busy panicking and either trying to fight or run for dear life from whatever horrible thing is loping toward you with it's jaw hanging off and its eyes derping out like it's been hit over the head a few too many times with a crowbar to notice the underlying specific mechanics whereby you are fighting or running &c. You can't really get away from this in a tabletop game, though. No matter what your level of complexity is, ultimately you have to deal with the mechanical reality of the game all on your own, regardless of the flavor of the game itself.2 (check the footnote for a definition of that term "flavor").

There are a few different ways to get around this problem. I generally see them as dividing into one of two categories: effects that happen within the game, and effects that happen within the game world. One is fundamentally nonimmersive: you are afraid, overjoyed, empassioned, whatever, because of specific things happening in the game that directly relate to whether or not you're beating your opponent's face. The other is immersive in that it causes you to perceive the mechanics of the game not as mechanics but as representations of something real, and something that is emotionally resonant. You feel things based on the implications of their mechanics, not on the actual results in game terms.

The first category is easiest to both explain and capture. To explain, I'm going to use some examples from the trading card game Magic: The Gathering. Don't flee just yet, though, I'm going to try to break this down in simple terms that even someone who does not play the game can understand.

Check out this card, from one of Magic's recent releases:


Yeah, I know. That text doesn't look super accessible, does it? It's full of technical jargon, really. But I'll sum it up for you. Basically, in Magic, in addition to losing if your life goes down to zero, you can also lose if you run out of cards in your deck.

So, what Grindclock does is it builds up the ability over time to destroy more and more of your opponent's deck. Eventually, you'll have ground down their library to nothing, and you'll win. What makes this card a horror card--albeit a not particularly strong or visceral one--is the fact that your opponent has a time limit. They now have a fairly specific number of turns before Grindclock starts destroying their deck. This is when the game gets a lot more visceral, because suddenly you're in a race against time to destroy this diabolical machine before it destroys you. So, when this card hits the field, the first instinct is the one described above.

Er... minus the bit about the jam.


So, alright, that's horror in fairly weak, nonimmersive form. How about something that starts to move toward our second category? What we've got here, even if you don't understand the exact numbers and whatnot, is pretty standard Lovecraftian fare. This is a creature that's big, noneuclidean, horrific, and capable of decimating your opponent's armies. What makes this a horror card is the way it really screws over your opponent in grand form. See, each time it steps up to the plate, your opponent's creatures start simply dropping dead. And, what's more, your opponent has to choose which of their creatures goes to the chopping block. And then, on top of that, as soon as your opponent condemns their loyal armies to hideous sanity wrenching death, the fallen soldiers rise again and start killing their former comrades zombie style.

What makes this card wonderful is the fact that not only do you get the clock effect of the above--your opponent ABSOLUTELY MUST ANSWER THIS THREAT or they are utterly screwed--you also get the immersive flavorful horror of the fact that this is an eldrich abomination that creates hoards of clearly tormented zombies. I mean, look at that art. That's not pleasant art.


Note, in particular, the dude with a spear sticking out of him, covering his mouth in clearly self aware horror. [shudder]
But all of this is about making your opponent miserable. Is there a way of mechanically representing horror that affects anyone just looking at the card?

Here's another interesting little fact about Magic's mechanics. Each creature has a race and class in its creature type. The race is something like Human, Elf, Werewolf, Goblin, and the class is a job like Cleric, Soldier, Warrior, and so on. Not every creature has a job--a class--but every creature has a race.

Unless you're talking about a Priest of Norn. Because those things... well... let me borrow a description from friend of the blog and guest contributor Yanmato:

"...When I first saw the art for Priests of Norn , I got cold. Almost from the art alone. Although, the fact that the card's creature types was just "cleric" helped. Not "human cleric" or "elf cleric" or "mutant cleric" or "construct cleric" or even "horror cleric." Cleric. There is no word for what they are. But we do have a somewhat poetic way of describing what they will do to you. They will cleanse you, purify you, and make you holy. They are... clerics. Of a sort."
This is the part where you start shivering uncontrollably. Or is that just me?

So, that's one example of horror that is just inherent in some of the mechanics and flavor of a single card, horror that has less to do with what the card does once its in play and more to do with what it implies and depicts. But is there a way to mechanically represent something that, if you play it, will be more horrifying to you that to your opponent?



I think Cloistered Youth is a good example of this. See, this is a card with two sides. At certain points in the game, you can make the decision to flip it from the "good" side to... the other side. And... well...

Yeah.
That's what she turns into.

A lot of the horror comes from the art and flavor text. Look at the transformed flavor text: "The fiend tormented them by recounting the girl's memories, as if some part of her remained inside that twisted shell." That's some of the most horrific imagery I've ever come across, partly because it's a horror tinged heavily with despair--this isn't just "OH GOD SHE'S TURNED INTO A MONSTER," it's "Oh god, she might still be trapped in there, and there is nothing we can do to save her."

But that isn't enough for this card. Oh no. This card goes one step further with it. Look at the mechanical trigger for her transformation. "At the beginning of your upkeep, you may transform Cloistered Youth."

"...you may transform Cloistered Youth."

"...you may transform..."

Yeah. Think about that. That little girl that's trapped inside of a possessed horror? That sweet little doomed girl? Guess what?

You are the one that doomed her.

You are the one that chose to let her be consumed and devoured by the Thing inside of her, so that you could get a bigger, scarier monster. All so that you could win some stupid duel.

And you know, you could read the transformed ability as her taking chunks out of your life. Sure. That's pretty standard. But I prefer to think of that one damage you receive each turn as self-inflicted. This is the pennace you do--the suffering you inflict upon you own mind--in response to the horrible bargain you have struck.

This card tells a story each time you cast it and flip it. It tells a story about the dark depths to which you, yourself, can sink in the pursuit of power.

That's mechanical horror.

Thanks to the incredible posters over at the Wizards of the Coast Flavor and Storyline board. This article simply would not exist without your amazing help and input. I know I didn't do all the topics the justice they deserve, but maybe I can do a followup article at some point. As always, feel free to leave comments, complaints, or, best of all, your own interpretations, or e-mail me at keeperofmanynames@gmail.com . And, if you like what you've read here, share it on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Xanga, Netscape, or whatever else you crazy kids are using to surf the blogoblag these days. Oh, and I'm looking for guest entries this month, so if you have something interesting to say about things that generally fit the theme, send them my way.

1. i.e. The Internet

2. "Flavor" is a term that refers to any of the nonmechanical aspects of a game. So, something like art style (or even the presence of art) is flavor, as is little text on a card or in a monster's description in an RPG that tells us what the creature looks and acts like, or what a spell does. The names of spells and creatures fall into this category, and even something that has a mechanical effect--a creature being a Dragon type, for example, or a certain spell being characterized as Ice Magic, or a weapon in a fighting game being counted as bladed rather than bludgeoning or whatever--can be considered "flavorful" effects, even though they have a mechanical side.

18 comments:

  1. Ooh, you picked one of my examples!
    How would you represent horror in a Dungeons & Dragons setting? It seems even harder, since your characters should be able to beat everything you throw at them.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yxoque, as a DM, I would have to say that horror in a D&D game would come most often in the form of suspense, with typical horror elements narrated in. You say that characters should be able to beat everything you throw at them, but I posit that the characters should JUST BARELY be able to beat everything you throw at them. But make it look hopeless from time to time.

    As for visceral horror? Anything where they have to fight some demon-child-thing. Since D&D loves narration, narrate the hell out of that child's blood-curdling scream, its devilish glee in wounding the characters, etc.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hell, I was IN a horror-themed D&D campaign, and it actually ratcheted up the tension and fear admirably. Dim the lights so that your players can only just read their character sheets, pick monsters that have a very, very real chance of killing them (without making it a certainty that it'll kill them... you want to be sporting about it), and after that just add in the usual horror techniques from movies, novels, and video games. It can be surprisingly effective when it's done right.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Honestly, if our group hadn't SUCKED, the time you pitted me against my former mentor would've taken a lot out of me. I mean, it did anyway, actually, since I was deliberately playing to stop him rather than kill him. That was an emotional fight, even with the dumassery of our companions...

    I think it just depends on how willing your players are to get into the game. Really make them fall in love with certain NPCs or settings or aspects of their own PCs, make them as immersed as possible, and then start systematically and horrifically tearing down everything they love.

    And yeah, I'm always in favor of dimming the lights.

    Oh, and props. One of the reasons why this is all Creative Commons is that I'm really hoping someone picks up my zombie idea for a game and uses some of the fake documents and stuff that I created. Fake documents are always wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
  5. If you are a video game enthusiast, a game forum is a great place for you to participate in discussions and learn more about various games. Basically, it is a web application that provides opportunities for discussion with the involvement of online communities. http://63.250.38.187/Murahqq/

    ReplyDelete
  6. Gaming is everywhere around the WORLD. Who doesn't like playing video games or any kind of games on TV or online. The craze of games and gaming systems is more prevalent among young people and teenagers. Gaming is a great source of entertainment. Gaming is good as well as bad depending on a situation. Daftar Jurusqq

    ReplyDelete
  7. We all are fond of playing games online and offline. Games can be defined as an activity that is merely done for enjoyment or sometimes for educational purpose. However, many of the games such as soccer, rugby, baseball, chess, etc are largely played to have competition between the players in order to decide the winner. Fix high ping

    ReplyDelete
  8. In this world of modern computers and game consoles, there exists such a word such as video game addiction. It is a mental disorder that can strike any of our love ones without us knowing it. So how do you know if your boyfriend or girlfriend is addicted to video games? Marvel Future Fight Build

    ReplyDelete
  9. We all are fond of playing games online and offline. Games can be defined as an activity that is merely done for enjoyment or sometimes for educational purpose. However, many of the games such as soccer, rugby, baseball, chess, etc are largely played to have competition between the players in order to decide the winner. สนุกมากคลิก

    ReplyDelete
  10. The world of video games is creative beyond imagination; quite literally so! The PlayStation, Game Boy or even a smartphone is like a portal that opens into an astonishing universe. But what is most astonishing is that irrespective of country, creed, colour or language, gamers the world over are playing the same games. สนุกมากคลิก

    ReplyDelete
  11. Family vacations in La Manga Del Mar Menor boast adventure, culture and relaxation all in one exciting trip. The famous strip along the southeastern coast of Spain offers activities which appeal to both young and old. مانهوا

    ReplyDelete
  12. Have you played a video game before? If you haven't, keep reading! There are great games available these days to pick from. The following article contains tips and tricks you need to know to start gaming. If buying a game for a kid, make sure they have given you several options of what they will want. You may not know if a game is appropriate for the child's age level before you actually inspect it at the store, so make sure you have some titles to choose from. A Nintendo Wii is helpful if you want to get into top shape. There are many physical fitness games available for the Wii system. 온라인슬롯

    ReplyDelete
  13. We all are fond of playing games online and offline. Games can be defined as an activity that is merely done for enjoyment or sometimes for educational purpose. However, many of the games such as soccer, rugby, baseball, chess, etc are largely played to have competition between the players in order to decide the winner. 파워볼사이트

    ReplyDelete
  14. Gaming Employment has become a way of income for ordinary people all over the world as a lucrative career option. With the video game industry becoming a multibillion dollar a year business, Gaming Employment is a career definitely worth thinking about. Even without a college degree you can earn serious money as a video game tester, playing the newest titles before they're even released to the public. 007카지노

    ReplyDelete
  15. While there are tons of games out there that are graphically rich and meant to take advantage of your computers hardware to render realistic characters, environment and special effects, not a lot of us have the money to spend on gaming rigs to even be able to play these games. Fortunately though, there are also games that have been developed that you can play within your browser, making use of flash which doesn't need quite as much video processing power for you to play. 메이저사이트

    ReplyDelete
  16. Thunderstone is a deck-building game by Mike Elliott, published in 2009, one year after Dominion hit the market, creating a frenzy with the introduction of a hot combination of game mechanics: deck building and card drafting. In games using these mechanics, players choose cards from a common pool layed out on the table, and try to gradually built the best deck of cards with which they will acquire the most victory points. The theme of such games may differ but the main idea remains the same. With this review we will look at 2 games, the original Thunderstone released in 2009 and the new Thunderstone Advance, which is a new improved implementation of the original game. سایت شرط بندی لوکوبت

    ReplyDelete
  17. There are many opportunities available in the video gaming industries. If you are very enthusiastic about career in the video gaming industry, this article will surely give you a couple of things for some serious consideration. سایت شرط بندی حضرات

    ReplyDelete

Support on Patreon
Store
Reader's Guide
Tag Index
Homestuck Articles
Solarpunk Articles
Twitter
RSS Feed