Considering GMing

Nerdtastic. To those who know me and don't wish to tarnish the herculean image you have of me with the nerderific stuff I'm about to sprout, look away.

So my nerdtasticality is springing back.

To those new readers, look back through my archive and, at one point or another, I will have mentioned that I've GMed an internet based PnP RPG. If you have no idea what those acronyms mean, then you're in the wrong place. Though since I'm generous, I'll give them to you.

GMed: Games Mastered. Basically been the referee/storyteller.
PnP: Pen and Paper. Non-computer based, done physically using dice (or other random generators, or imagination if you're a moron), and pens and paper to record results.
RPG: Role Playing Game.

Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm ashamed of myself, let's move on to the post.

The thing is, I'm not SO ashamed I don't want to give it a try again. I've found a pretty cool RPG system, Silhouette. It's even got a universe I don't mind too much. Next time I'll have to screen my players better, since I had some REAL duds.

1. Quiet girl. Sat around not talking much and wondering why no one dragged her into it
2. Know it all. Demanded to play a randomly complex character, was upset when things didn't revolve around him, and had an irritating habit of doing really, REALLY stupid ideas.
3. Overly eloquent dude. "I reach over and flick the ship into autopilot, then say to (soldier) 'So what happened back there?" THERE! Was that so hard to type! No. You don't need FOUR GODDAMNED LINES to say that! Nor do you need to take five minutes to type it all, slowing EVERYTHING down for everyone else. I went and got lunch MULTIPLE times during your typing.
4. Sex fiend. He seemed WAY too interested in the female characters. I found out later he tried to sollicit cybersex from them out of the gaming sessions. "We should RP out our characters in the background, don't you think?"
5. Hot chick. "What's your character like?" "Haughty hot chick." "Oh....kay. What's their personality?" "Haughty hot chick." "Appearance?" "Haughty hot chick."

I shouldn't be too rough on 5 or 1. They were the only ones I'd make an effort to invite back if I tried again. They were good value.


So what's the appeal of the Silhouette system? I'm pretty sure I've discussed the system before, but what the hell I'll do it again.

Normally games have a dichotomy of success and failure in the dice rolls, with some having 'critical success' or 'critical failure' if you roll exceptionally high and low. Silhouette dice rolling works on 'margin of success/failure'. If you fail by a certain amount, the GM is free to ascribe penalties. Most in-built mechanics require the margin of success. E.G. If you attack someone, the margin of success of the attack then has the weapon used's damage multiplier applied to work out how much damage is done.

At first I was intimidated by the rules. There are ALOT of them, and some of them involve maths I honestly never thought I'd need in life after high school maths. But then I finally realised something: Most of them are pretty optional, or so specific you don't NEED to remember them off-hand.

One problem I do have is the lack of guidelines with the vehicle creation rules. Basically you can make ANYTHING your imagination can come up with. This is good, but when you have NO idea what is normal, what is excessive, and what is lacking, it makes it intimidating. Plus it requires the same over the top maths.

Still, Silhouette system, here I come. Probably in Jovian Chronicles. Who can say no to 20 meter tall giant robots blowing shit up?