At last, new game what is kicking

There was a period gaming did not run smoothly. I had ideas and was eager to play, but for some reason after last long Vampire: the Masquerade campaing lost my muse of storytelling. I don't say that I didn't want to play, but somehow it just didn't work well. Tons of ideas, but as I said, lost my muse.

After V:tM campaing we tried to start part 2 of it. From where last campaing ended but for some reason that character was done. She had so many experiences in her previous game, that it was hard to get something new to start with. So, it was a sad decision, but she retired.

After it we had a small break from gaming. I had tons of ideas I wanted to run but for some reason none of those happened. Or they did start and died soon after. One what took longer was Werewolf: the Forsaken, but there was problems. Main problem was that I wasn't fully familiar with system and setting, so game was not running smoothly at all. And I am oWoD guy so Forsaken, even if it is damn cool, didn't feel right. I mean, that I enjoy oWoD and like playing it, so starting nWoD was like breaking the canon somehow. Luckily I got my hands on Werewolf: the Apocalypse, but at that time inspiration with gaming died because of frustration in Forsaken. I wish I first had Apocalypse to try, maybe that Werewolf game would still run.

Side note: There is nothing wrong with nWoD and I have around 10 books for it, but somehow even if I like collecting nWoD I like playing old.

After unsuccesful Werewolf: the Forsaken I started to dream running All Flesh Must Be Eaten, and got an idea of BBQ From Hell (mentioned it here). Unfortunately my girlfriend just didn't get really excited about zombies. So, it didn't happen. Maybe after a break and games what did not work she wanted something good to start, not just test game I suppose. I am still hoping, that when we get to game to be awesome again, she is more open to new experiences. We also rolled her a character in Praedor (which we had few years campaing in past) but she didn't get excited about her drunken old adventurer. No wonder. Quite randomly generated character.

Nothing seemed to bring back the muse, so needed to go back to basics. Quess what that is. Vampire: the Masquerade. Again. This time her character is Nosferatu chick. She had wanted to play Nosferatu since Bloodlines PC game, and now we started it. Game runs smoothly, gaming is fun, adventure is cool, everything is fine.

So, after a break and unsuccesful tries to start new campaing we are back to the basics. I am really happy, and game is running again, but yet I still dream about running other game. There is a solution though. I made a website just for fun (click) where is also a forum. That forum will some day stand for our farp. We are playing active this new Vampire/Nosferatu campaing, but farp I can use to test run other game(s) with my girlfriend. It does not need as much involving, and doesn't need whole night worth of gaming as my gf would rather spend that gaming time with vampire. So, trying to get a farp with her for some other game also. Let's see how that will come.

Advantages and disadvantages of nWoD

There has been lots of discussion over the internet about one major advantage in nWoD. When you buy World of Darkness core rule book, you basically buy rules set only once. After it you decide by buying the supplement you want to run or play. You don't have to buy basic rules over and over again with every new book. Also, the rules are the same for every "race" was it Vampires, Werewolves, Mages, Changelings, Hunters etc. In those supplement books come ofcourse additional rules for those "races" but core books are always the same. Always the one you originally bought in that one - World of Darkness - book.

But, even if that explained upper is a great advantage, there is also a minor disadvantage. You always have to have (atleast) two books in hand. For example, if running Werewolf: the Forsaken book you need to have World of Darkness book for general game rules and also W:tF book for Werewolf special rules (and setting).

As played today Werewolf: the Forsaken, I noticed that I have to check two separate books to figure out how things work. That was kind of a annoyance. It reminds me a bit of Dungeons & Dragons where you got own book for GM, other for players, third for monsters and possibly fourth for setting. And few extra books for advanced rules and other supplements.

Before, when I played Vampire: the Masquerade and Vampire: the Dark Ages it was quite simple. I basically just needed one book to run the game. Still, even if I had to buy rules several times with every new book, all I needed was within one cover.

Conclusion for nWoD is not absolute. It is good thing that you only buy one time the rules and the space used in next books is not repeated over and over again, but yet you need several books in hand to run the game.

Hard to learn

I have now Storytelled new World of Darkness mortal horror/mystery game for a while, and it is supposed to turn into Werewolf: the Forsaken, as character is assumed to go first change soon in chronicle. But there is a problem.

World of Darkness core rules were easy and fast to read and learn. There was no question or problem on them. Well, basically they are just core-rules and World of Darkness is already familiar to me and I had image of dicepool system from oWoD series so it was simple to learn and ready-to-play in two evenings.

Now I have tried to read Werewolf: the Forsaken so character can go first change when ever it suits the chronicle. But there is a problem for me. I don't know am I stupid nowadays or what is wrong with me. I have read, played and game mastered dozens of systems, but why is this nearly impossible obstacle for me?

Ok, first of all, book is quite heavy. And as I know there is not wasted space for same rules WoD-core introduces, W:tF book is huge! I know White Wolf has this style of writing games full of examples and quite longish explanations on things with tons of fiction. They are nice to read and don't seem as much as an game book. But, simple things are usually explained complicated. You can read several pages of something what could have been told in few sentences more clearly.

For some reason, as I read W:tF it just doesn't make any sense to me. I get so damn frustrated for it. I have no idea why it seems to be so hard to understand. We tried to make character, or actually add Werewolf template to current campaign's character but couldn't do it! Ok, almost everything got filled but there is some unexplained gaps there.

Am I the only one, or am I just so stupid I got hard time learning Werewolf: the Forsaken? What is wrong with me or my learning? Am I too old or have I played too long same games so learning new is a bit troubling for me? Do I need a hint, what game is about so it opens to me and I get full insight of it? *sigh* I _have_ to learn it soon, or our World of Darkness campaing stays in mortal, forever.