Archive for March 2010

4

Top 5 Reasons Why Role-Playing Games Are Better Than Video Games

I thought I would start off this blog by providing you with some solid content that you can use and learn from. Today, I'm going to share with you what I feel are the top 5 reasons the role-playing games are better than video games. Now, this post will serve as more of an overview of the 5 reasons, but each week I will go into much more detail as to why I believe these to be true. Alright, now that the disclaimer is finished with, let's begin. Top 5 Reasons Why Role-Playing Games Are Better Than Video Games Reason 1: Role-playing games teach teamwork and social interaction skills. Teamwork is definitely a learned skill. And if today's workplace full of back-stabbers and those who are merely asking, "what's in it for me?" is any indication - a skill that is greatly lacking. Also, anyone else noticing how more and more people would rather spend 6 - 8 hours a night on the computer and/or online? Whether to play games, chat with friends, or any of the million other things people do on their electronics - less time is being spent with real people inside our real world. Reason 2: Role-playing games develop the participant's imagination. Without imagination, the human race would not be able to survive. Everyday there is something new invented to fulfill a new need of the population - and all these inventions first start as a thought. Now I am not saying that there are any scientific studies (that I know of) that prove that a player or game master will become a genius just by participating in role-playing games, but I do know for a fact that you cannot play the game without a very active and willing imagination. Besides, just like any other muscle in our bodies, the more we use the brain, the bigger and better it gets! Reason 3: Role-playing games show how one is in control of their own destiny through their own choices and actions. Accepting responsibility for one's actions and taking the consequences for any actions one has taken is the sign of a man or woman who is to become very successful - just read any self-help business book to see this for yourself. -- For a role-player, being in control of their character, making decisions that could quite literally decide the character's fate, and then accepting the consequences of their actions by the role of the dice - there is no better way I know of learning in such a fun and exciting way to be responsible and how to take proper risks. Reason 4: Role-playing games encourage the participant to express themselves creatively. One sin that we as a planet have bestowed on one another is the act of 'group-think'. What I mean by this is that we tell our children, all the way up through adulthood, that they must think a certain way - dress a certain way - speak a certain way - and do things a certain way. We take any shred of individuality left in a person and help them fit in society, just like everyone else. Luckily for some out there, role-playing games have created an outlet where role-players are free to express themselves through a character any way that they wish. This freedom can, and in many cases has, overflowed into other aspects of their lives, helping them to truly be themselves. Reason 5: Role-playing games will make the person think outside of the box. Finally, we end with something I am quite familiar with. In life, we are often presented with a challenge that traditionally is taken care of in one certain way - but who says that this way is always and forevermore the best way there is to proceed? If we don't allow ourselves to use both sides of our brains - left for logic and right for creativity - then how are we ever to grow and evolve? Without outside-the-box thinkers, we would never have the telephone, airplanes or even light-bulbs! With role-playing games, the game master's creativity can lead the players into many a situation that can appear utterly impossible to conquer, but with a little creative out-of-the-box thinking, the group can complete their quest and harvest the rewards! ------------------------------------------------------- Well, there you have it - the five reasons I personally believe role-playing games are superior to today's video games. Please tune in next week when I go into more detail on each of these, and feel free to leave a comment on what you read today. Thank you!

0

Welcome To HEROES OF OZ

You have reached the official home page of the Heroes of Oz Role-Playing Game and Guidebook. This is the place for all the news and support material (meaning free stuff) for the game and its supplements. We have a lot planned, so stay tuned fellow OZ Adventurers!

6

A New Beginning To A Beloved Classic

In L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz the story simply begins:

"Dorothy lived in the midst of the great Kansas prairies, with Uncle Henry, who was a farmer, and Aunt Em, who was the farmer's wife."

Three simple characters that have touched our lives in such deep and inspiring ways. But a question always remained, both for the young and old alike: "What if *I* was able to travel to the marvelous Land of Oz?" Well, no longer will you have to wish really hard and click your silver slippers together three times (or for the men out there, no longer will you have to build a hot air balloon and belong to a carnival)! Coming soon: HEROES OF OZ, the official Wizard of Oz role-playing game. Stay tuned to this website to find out the date this game will be published, and sign up to our mailing list to receive news, tips, and free gifts!

1

Heroes Of Oz Information

Way back in 1899, author L. Frank Baum wrote and published his magnum opus, the first fairy tale specifically for American children. He wanted to do away with lessons and bad images all the nightmares. Published in 1900, it was called “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” The book was an instant success and Baum was inundated with letters from fans. Five years later, he followed his fairy tale up with a sequel, “The Marvelous Land of Oz.” This book reintroduced the familiar characters from the first book and introduced new ones, like Jack Pumpkinhead and Princess Ozma. After that, Baum wrote an Oz book each year. He tried to end the series and start another, even placing it in the same universe (Polychrome, the Rainbow’s daughter showed up in “Sky Island”). But it was not to be, and Baum went back to Oz, producing a total of 14 books before his death in 1919. The publishers hired other authors to continue the series, and people got their yearly dose of Oz. 40 books total were published. There’s a saying that “If you scratch an Oz fan, you’ll find an Oz book inside.” Truer words were never spoken. Oz seems to have the quality to inspire. over 200 books today have been written by fans returning again and again to the magical fairyland. Heroes of Oz Role-Playing Game and Guidebook is the next step in Oz fiction. With a role-playing game (RPG), you and a few other players can make your own characters and take them on adventures. One player takes the role of the Historian, who guides the other players.  This makes for an immersive experience  greater than any video game, because you can do (or at least try) anything. “Heroes of Oz” is written by Mike Conway (that would be me) and Bruce Gray, a true Oz scholar. Bruce took the task of creating a comprehensive history and gazetteer of Oz, and I took care of the rules, and made sure they made for easy play and fast character creation. With a prepared adventure (the rulebook has one for you), you can be up and running in a half hour. I’m in the process of getting the main Heroes of Oz website rebuilt, after it was lost by our last web host. We’re planning a slew of stuff to help you and get you going. so please keep coming back or subscribe to our mailing list for more. –Mike Conway