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the popular rpg game vampire has intrigued me for quite some time i find that some of the things are really close to truth. my question to all is what parts do you think are truer than others

What exactly do you find close to the truth about the game? I see it as just a game. It's "role playing" and nothing more. I don't think there's too much truth in the game. I mean, I wouldn't make life decisions based on "similarities"

Most fiction is created from inspiration in the world around us.

What is unfortunate, is that the fiction often becomes the inspiration for others to build a fantastical pseudo-reality, which bears little resemblence to the actual original truth.

But then, if enough people are called to subscribe to these fantasies, they can become truths of their own.

ahh but every lie contains elements of truth. i think the oganizational part such as clans or families are colse but not dead on.

There' s a standard answer I gave students for questions like that:
"Go out, and get a life"

;->

Brooding on the idea that some games might contain deeper truths normally leads to desaster. And an apointment with a shrink.

it's a game it's fiction

Yes, but those students probably aren't studying on a forum dedicated to vampyrism, are they?

I find this one of the better questions asked for a while and interesting to me.

I've read all of the masquerade books (but never played the game), so in talking to and reading of a few of those 'older' community members, I have found certain correlations, though nothing I could say- 'hey, thats right out of the RPG'.

Besides, I thoroughly believe the RPG borrowed heavily from many of the concepts accepted in modern vampirism.

I would say that more people in the community have barrowed from the game than the other way around.

It's fiction my dear, it's just a game. Take a break from it.

btw the game got the majority of its inspiration from anne rice a FICTION writer

Wolvie, how have you come to that conclusion?

I don't remember anything like the 'clans' in Anne Rice.

But as most writers do, she borrowed heavily form what she knew.
One thing that tends to happen in rpg's is that players will bring real life experience into the game. Therefore some games will be extremly realistic where other games will have no similarities whatsoever. a lot of it depends on how much research your GM has done as well as the knowledge that the players bring.
If some of the seniors from here were to play it would prob hold more similarity to real life than say a novice in the arts playing.

I happen to be an avid gamer of White Wolf, with a 2500.00 White Wolf Library - including the offshoots, and the Time Line.


The "game" has some truths to for it, as far as history goes, since the game is actualy wrapped FACTUAL time line events. However, many of the events were slightly twisted or altered for the game.

For example, IN THE GAME, Jesus Christ was not resurrected, IN THE GAME.. it turned out to be the greatest joke ever played by Clan Malkavian.

The legend of Vlad Dracul was merged with his actual life, then twisted into a story where he was actualy of Clan Tzimice.

Caine, son of Adam/Eve who was cursed to walk the eath forever. Bliblical fact (if you are a christian). Because the bible doesnt go to much further into Caine's wonderings, White Wolf had him as the first vampire and wrote his life for him.

The list really goes on and on and on. However, you can view the white wolf timeline here: http://www.fortunecity.com/roswell/amicus/47/timeline.html


Why the website address? Because I think this is why alot of people confuse WW with Reality way to much. There are a ton of factual events on the timeline.. which is saturated into the gameworld itself.

I personaly love the game - however it is just that. A game.

I was reading over Z's shoulder, and just had to add my two cents. Like her, I've played the game for years. o.O I still do. I've read almost every book they've ever published, and really gone to town on it. Why? Because its fun. Its fanciful. It gives outlet for creative insipiration, and allows you to weave your own world.

And that, I think, is where the danger is for many people. They get to create a world, based on an archetype as ancient as anything else in the world. Vampires are old, so very old. And because White Wolf really did use terms and "facts" that they found in all manner of "supernatural" refrences (Brujah- Being the Word for Witch), mingled with warped truths about the true History of the world(i was that statement loosely)... it gives people a chance to really go ape-sh*t with it.

But it IS a Game. No matter how close to the truth my may come because of the Time Line, no matter how many terms they use that we can find in dictionaries and supernatural texts/books... Its still a game.

Are there similarities? Yes. Absolutely. Should people read those books and take them as truth...? H*ll no. It is a World of Darkness, created thuroughly and well, to entrance people. To draw them into something that was almost believable. A word of caution: don't read to much into it, those of you who may take what they read(on any level) to heart without cross referencing.

As a side note... Two line responses that bash the BratPrince for bringing up a great discussion, without leaving opinions or supporting words of your own... How very rude. Bring something to the table.. don't just bash, please. o.O

it is a game. it is not meant to be taken to heart.

A game in deed, but perhaps some aspects of truth.

Personally I see that alot of the "old community" of RPG'ers who STILL play to this day, that deeply, have become obssessed with the "idea" of it. That they have convinced themselves that these are actual codes of conduct. I've seen it first hand on VR here while perusing profiles. And I mean these people are convinced that they are "pure blood" vampires, and that's pretty disturbing as well. People like that need medication. they're the same as the W.O.W geeks who spend 18-20 hours a day playing an elf. To them that's their reality. To others, playing vampire is their reality. Don't let your fantasy turn into a warped sense of reality.

Is this the game where all of the combat is resolved via paper, rock, sissiors? How could something that would be realistic, have such an abstract resolution method.

I'm an old timer in the White Wolf games and a big part of their success was their "manuals" read more as story books and good ones at that. Some of their tales follow a timeline similar to our real one and this helps ground their stories. But that is also part of why some have found it easy to confuse them with real life. In the decades since they first were introduced there has been a portion of the society that has adapted some of their characteristics into the real world. Thus as the books borrowed from the real world, now the real world has borrowed from the books.

so pretty much what your saying is that it's art imitating life and life imitating art?

Art influences life, and life influences art.
It is reasonable to presume that all vampire fiction is influenced by life events and that life events are influenced by the fiction in an endless interweaving. To differentiate one from the other is akin to differentiating between blood and interstial fluid.

Yes Fenrisson, that is how I see it. The games were introduced over 20 years ago at a time when only the classic vampire story was well known to the masses. Then here comes a whole world of stories to read and join in with through game play. It's unfortunate that some people went too far into it but I think most kept it as just a game. But just as the Beatles influenced a generation with the art of their music, White Wolf did with the art of their game story.

I was once an avid player of all of the white wolf series of games (werewolf, wraith, shadowrun, vampire etc etc.....

In my opinion, they are just that...ROLE PLAYING GAMES. They are just like AD&D and the now popular GURPS RPG systems.

With the avent of the popular WARHAMMER series of RPG's it seems to me that all to many gamers are taking things a little too seriously.

I still play these games on occasion, and indeed indulge myself in both PC RPG and online RPG's such as the Forgotten Realms adventures that ATARI are famous for.

I do not for one moment that any of these games have any basis of fact, otherwise I would be searching for treasures in the fabled MYTH DRANNOR, and would be aspiring to become an ARCHMAGE of the great floating cities, or maybe dealing in trade goods with the merchants of the UNDERDARK.

No, it is all merely for fun.

I find absolutely no similarities between the White Wolf games and Real Life whatsoever.

M

dont get me wrong on this i dont base my life on theses things and the clans are not what they seem. but just as their is leaders of witch covens. most nightbreed have an order or creed they adhere to and not evry coven is the same but all members share a singular set of beliefes if you will.

A few people made a point I agree with - that theres always some truth in these kind of things. Maybe the game isn't 100% accurate but it has to have some truths to it or it wouldn't be called Vampires

Nor would it have such appeal to those who identify with the vampire lifestyle, if it were entirely false.

Exactly :)

STABB666, HellaciousRose said it best well said!!!

Yet, there seams to be no one specific aspect of the mythos that all people can agree to. The Night, blood, biting, sex, gothic horror, prana, whatever; and to prove my point each of you have likely thought of something to add or instinctively rearrange my order.

Perhaps the ambiguities of the mythos are in part it's attraction; as it enables an individual to accept or ignore whatever aspects they so choose.

All in all though people, it IS just a game. Not based on factual events in any way, but based upon a novel. A ficticious novel.

not to bash the game because im sure it is quite enjoyable..but it is games like this that have spawned actions from people like Roderick Ferrell.

And for those of you who dont know who this is..Its a delusional young man who is currently in prison for grouping together with a few naive teens, persuading one of them to run away(an ex gf) and then murdering her parents in cold blood. I would also like to add that this boy did have a disturbing childhood and was raised around people more demented then himself. Also, i am not saying this game is to blame at all..simply said-it is a game. And for those that take it more serious than that need to come back to reality.

The fact is that actually beleiving that these games are in any way true to real life for vampyres in this day and age is rather misguided...yes there may be similarites-that is undenyable...but getting into the idea that the game is in any way REAL is leading onto a path similar to mr.ferrell. it would do no good.

"The fact is that actually beleiving that these games are in any way true to real life for vampyres in this day and age is rather misguided..."

How so? Whats misguided about saying vampires drink blood? Thats one fact based on TRUTH (Not all do). The similarities you speak of, some of the ideas in games are obviously taken from fact & truth

like i said before...the game may have some similarites in which are undeniable..ie.drinking blood....however, the basis of the game is purely fiction..and should be left as such.

The basis of the game is being a vampire, ie vampires drink blood

& I fail to realise what this Roderick Ferrell has to do with a computer game unless you've not told the whole story

Roderick Ferrel based his entire beleif on how real he let the game become to him. The only reason he thought he was a damn vampyre is because of that game.

People don't do bad things because they see it on TV, or play a computer game. Its because their sick in the head, and if they watched Carebears they'd probably blame it on that too ;)

Im not saying the game is why he went and killed two innocent people..And i have already established this kid was mental...Im saying his beleif of thinking the game was real is what turned him down the path of thinking he truely was as his character in the game was. which obviously lead to no good...and let me reiterate...considering how defensive you sound..i am not bashing this game..im sure it is wonderful! Im just stating my opinion or veiw..which as im sure was the reason for this thread..to get other peoples point of veiw.

Pardon? I've never even played this game & if challenging you're opinion is seen as defensive, then thats pretty funny

this thread is getting boring to me..and I feel as though I am beating a dead horse at this point..and the only reason I said you were being defensive is because that is how it appeared to me as I read your response..if you werent being defensive then all you had to do was say so.no problem-my mistake then...I value your opinion just as well..and I have no problem with you challenging mine..but this whole discussion has really lost its interest...theres not much else for me to say. I said my opinion and thats that. I have nothing more to say. thank you.

White Wolf makes excellent gaming systems which require a desire to role play to enjoy them. If one merely wants to sit around and roll dice all night, D&D is a better system.

Are there similarities to real life? Kinda.. White Wolf wrote their "history" and dogma well. It can be easy for someone who is unbalanced to be sucked in and think the game describes real life.

This is based more upon the person being unbalanced than the game itself.

I'm sure there is also the issue of creating many achetypes that people can emphsize with. There are many a profile here on VR that lists which clan the person is.

i didnt in anyway mean for people to get upset or angry i was just posing a question for discussion.. the game was not the issue establishing truth from fiction was the goal to view other ppls views

This game has spawned many followers. Some have set up camp in the VR. That's ok as many of Anne Rice's readers fell in love with the characters and wanted to emulate them. Whether vampires or another creature there will always be someone that gets obsessed with them. I had a friend that worked for White Wolf. He was working on some werewolf series but they research and take from many sources. I don't think there is any Anne Rice influence but more Stoker in the fact they use the erroneous term Nosferatu which really isn't a word at all but a mistake a writer made that Stoker used unknowingly in his book (check Elizabeth Miller on this one).

Some of the buzz words they use in VTM may not have been used that much in the community but they cannot solely be attributed to that game and so what if people want to say we are kindred. The word has been around for a long time but pure blood and Royals... I hear that alot from people I know well and it's been people of Eastern European descent and not all kids so it just depends on personal beliefs. How do you prove what is true or not as far as origins, I don't know. Some of the other details you can prove and either say modern world vamyres are not like this or they don't exist and never did. ( which I don't agree with of course)

It's as simple as that and keep books, games and movies as such unless the word documentary is written upon it in the world of fiction.

truth is wat u believe not wat others believe me i dont discard anything till it is proven beyond doubt

Wow, that was not a well thought out statement. So if I believe that a crayon is the center of all reality, you're saying I would be correct because THAT'S what I believe? It's a game based on FACTS from a ficticious novel. And i'll repeat this agin, and others have this as well. It is A GAME.

I wouldnt know whats fictionous, or truth on that game.. Since i have never played, but how much can be real on a game .. I would have to look at it or play it to make my own judgement

there is some fact in all things but i would be lieing if i said i beleaved that with White Wold RPG's

Touchy touchy Fenrir

These games can become a reality for some people. There are warnings on some of the games. I have seen them. It warns that you have to distinguish between fantasy and reality. Some people become so addicted to these games that they don't leave their house or anything. They are only interested in the game and online friends. I knew a fellow like that. He was freaky.

As many have said "There is some truth in all myth and ledgend",I have never played a vampire RPG,but I have read some of the books,but it's just a game.I think to many people take it as fact of the community. It isn't there are many facets and kinds of kindred,not even memtioned in the books.Just my two cents worth.
Dark Blessing's.
KA

I dont think any game we can relate back to life. there r some familiarities but that is as far as we go. It the same as movies if we base things on how they happen in games and movies why live a life at all...

Vampire: The Requiem, Werewolf: The Forsaken and etc. are a great set of games set in a darker atmosphere than what we live in. Great games, and they are exactly that, games. Sure people can examine the different clans in the game and relate to them. Example being: The Gangrel clan have characteristics and qualities that I myself posses. That doesn't mean that it's real. Anyone can classify themselves whatever they want. Don't look for truth in it.