Wednesday, September 08, 2004

Beetle Pancakes of Existential Angst

Tonight is game night for Dave's "Avatars". I fear the days of meeting at the pancake place are numbered, as the owners intend to start selling suppers as well as breakfasts and lunches. Dave's says everything is still jake, that we still have dibbs on the back room, but I have my doubts. This joint does gangbuster business. Everytime I go there I have to wait for a seat. Even if they weren't adding a special supper menu I would expect them to be able to sell a buttload of pancakes at night. I wouldn't be surprised in the least if the owners discovered that they needed the back room.

Last session Dave introduced some a Beetle Rider of Doom, developing an insectoid theme beyond the known Antish Menace. I'd like to capture one of the riders and find out more about what's going on, but can't stand the sneering "We're right, you're wrong, just kill me and be done with it" attitude typical of any prisoners we take in the course of this campaign. You'd think that once in a while the other team would be scared of the psycho with the axes, but they all got their Uber-Fanatic grooves on. I suppose that this devotion is meant to makes our heroes stop and consider their actions. But as a player, it just makes me feel less sympathetic for the plight of these imaginary warriors. I'm more likely to go easy on some poor slob who's shitting himself with fear. This "I'm so macho in the face of imminent death" thing just turns me off.

Still these prisoners aren't my main issue with the campaign. My main issue is "What the hell am I supposed to be doing?" Is it implicit, given the title of the campaign and the Edge available, that we should all be chasing Avatarhood? Are we supposed to be rushing into the lair of the Ant Riders, saving the world despite clearly overwhelming forces aligned against us? Are we meant to bounce around the map, doing the good deed of the week like on The A Team? I'm just not sure where I stand. For the most part the individual atoms of actual play are fun as all hell, but I fail to grasp my position in the overall scheme of the campaign. Are the other players asking themselves these questions, or am I overanalyzing the situation?

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