It annoys the hell out of me when I see people bitching about superhero films. Compared to the wide, deep, incomprehensible stream of garbage movies pouring out of Hollywood in these past ten years, at least superhero films have straightforward stories, applicable narratives and unique characters. Yes, some are garbage, like the two Ant-man films, but for the most part when I sit down to watch one, I know I'm not going to be bored or pushed to adopt a social political agenda.
Be warned, I'm going to embed a piece of one that I know the gamer-boys hate:
Recently, talking about what skill set a player acquires when playing D&D over several years ~ real D&D, not adventurers league shit ~ a reader proposed that the skills are those related to executive functions. Wikipedia defines these as attentional control, cognitive inhibition, inhibatory control, working memory and cognitive ability. In simpler terms, listening, focus, self-control, holding information well and multi-tasking. I think this is 100% true, but that this is supported by one other thing: the strength to ignore failure and keep going.
Some will take it as trite, but a fundamental narrative beneath all the Marvel films is that these people were capable, intelligent and heroic before they were enhanced with powers. This narrative seems to get lost in the complaining and bitching that superheroes apparently exist in the universe to solve all our problems. Yeah. Who the fuck do you think is solving all your problems right now? You? Or some person who has decided to sacrifice their fun and leisure time in Mother's Basement to take on a 75-hour a week job digging the world out of the shitpile it's in?
The writer was careful to write the character of Carol Danvers as someone who had been taking hits and getting up again before she became a superhero ... just like you're free to do, if you've got the resolve and the willingness to overcome pain.
I appreciate the hurt that comes from losing a character, or having your game plans exploded in a few minutes by a bad die roll. But the people who pretend to be heroes, but cannot be heroic enough to put on a game face when their character dies, or when Jerry gets the +4 sword in the toss and not them, are pathetic. The game as written is tough, babycakes. Shut the fuck up and grow a pair.
: )
ReplyDeleteIt's an interesting thought that the D&D game, through play, could reveal something about who we are as individuals. That would certainly explain things I've seen around the game table over the years.
I read someone once who described DMing as being "an accidental therapist, walking one's friends through strange parts of their personalities whilst pretending to be a goblin." Thankfully I haven't shared that experience, but I can see how quickly it might go there.
ReplyDeleteI consider this the reason why my players develop levels of dependency.
ReplyDeleteI have my reasons for panning these movies (which I personally dislike) as they intersect with roleplaying, the sum of it being that "you get the DnD you're emulating for".
ReplyDeleteIn this regard I consider superhero movies as non conductive to the kind of play experience that I enjoy.
Anecdote time from a couple of years back: a party enters a densely wooded area. The thief player asks the DM if he may climb a tree. DM assents. Next, the player asks if he can keep up with the party by swinging from treetop to treetop with his whip. DM assents. No rolls requested.
Just like that, we had ceased being an explorer party and become a kitshy superhero team, complete with flashy posing for style points.
Your running, rooted as it is in 19th century adventure literature, has become a valuable artifact of a past that won't be coming back.
I strongly disagree, Drain. My 19th century adventure literature is Right Here ... and I am paid more for it than most DMs get for their cheesy youtube programming harping on the genius of 5e. Indicating that people want their NCAL.
ReplyDeleteNever mind the mob. The mob is always doing stupid things. When I started playing there were only a few of us; so now there are only a few "real" players. That ain't ever gonna change, because "few" is the only rational word to describe the intelligent.
We both have to ignore the mob. I only come back to it because it makes good blog copy. You know, like a paper printing that there's been a fire. Is it news? No. But it's keen.