Horror rpgs: what's the appeal?

[Stella Brando]

I've looked at the Call of Cthulhu RPG book and it seems very appealing. Mainly because the setting, tone and rule system are so different to DnD, which feels pretty tired to me. To a lot of people playing an RPG means playing DnD.

That said, CoC seems to be a game where a lot of acting is required. I spent most of my life playing computer RPGs, which always teach their players that RPGs are about combat, not acting.

I've seen games where players acted very heavily and I just can't take it seriously, it just seems so goofy. These RPG actors remind me of an episode of Married with Children where Steve (Marcy's original husband) talks about being a 'choir jock' in school. He acts as if being into performing arts puts you above the standard nerd (unless you're good looking, it doesn't).

'Choir jock' Steve Rhoades

 

[Silva]

Brando, I don't think acting is really necessary. I'm on a campaign of Cthulhu Dark (a lighter CoC) and my crew don't really act, just describe what their characters are speaking or doing on a given scene. Well, except if you consider "I approach the barman and say: Hello, a beer please" acting. We don't do funny voices and such.

 

[Eldagusto]

Sometimes people just really like the aesthetics. Same with horror movies and stories, I don’t listen or read em to be scared but because I find them intriguing.

 

[Ulysa]

It's not about being *really* scared. Well what I enjoy is the atmosphere, suspense, and mystery. Like the first part of Alien when it builds up the tension .

 

[Silva]

It's not about being *really* scared. Well what I enjoy is the atmosphere, suspense, and mystery. Like the first part of Alien when it builds up the tension .

Thats fair. But suspenseful atmosphere can also be achieved in a dungeon in D&D or a Shadowrun biotech lab or something. Wih the added benefit of an interesting tactical game attached which most pure horror/terror RPGs lack.

 

[nikolokolus]

The tension in a horror game is usually based in the fact that your character(s) are almost always physically/mentally vulnerable or even frail in the face of the threat. You investigate, you try to outwit the horrorific thing and if you're very lucky or very clever you avoid going insane and subvert the threat.

A tactical combat game, or a zero-to-hero gamecan be fun, but they scratch a very different itch.

 

[Silva]

Yeah yeah, I said this in the start of this thread, that frailty or vulnerability is important to the genre.

Anyway, I must conclude it's not for me. I gave it a fair chance with Cthulhu Dark and Delta Green and didnt enjoy the experience.