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Why are there no Slice of Life RPGs?

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DialMForMonkey Turing Machinist from wherever cats roam Since: May, 2012
Turing Machinist
#1: May 5th 2012 at 6:33:50 PM

I've hit a point in my life where I've been overloaded with science fiction, fantasy, and generally phlebotinum-infused settings. And most unfortunately, the primary hangout leisure of me and my friends is roleplaying, and I'm one of the only two capable G Ms in the group.

I've been itching to play a mundane RPG, but the players don't seem to like that idea, and there don't really seem to be any systems designed for that roleplaying (aside from Universal Systems, but they're, well, Universal).

Why are there no Slice of Life RP Gs around?

Bababadalgharaghtakamminarronnkonnbronnt- onnerronntuonnthunntrovarrhounawnskawntoohoohoordenenthurnuk!
Exelixi Lesbarian from Alchemist's workshop Since: Sep, 2011 Relationship Status: Armed with the Power of Love
Lesbarian
#2: May 5th 2012 at 6:47:39 PM

There is one. It's got an advanced DNA-based character gen system, the largest and most detailed setting ever, a nearly limitless item customization feature, and a job system never rivaled. It's called "Real Life."

Mura: -flips the bird to veterinary science with one hand and Euclidean geometry with the other-
EviIPaladin Some Guy Or Something from Middle-Of-Nowhere, NS Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: Noddin' my head like yeah
Some Guy Or Something
#3: May 5th 2012 at 9:09:03 PM

[up]That character gen system is so stupid; I mean, completely random with no mulligans? Pass.

Being serious for a moment, it is so weird that this topic showed up now, as I was literally just thinking about this today.

"Evii is right though" -Saturn "I didn't know you were a bitch Evii." -Lior Val
Archereon Ave Imperator from Everywhere. Since: Oct, 2010
Ave Imperator
#4: May 5th 2012 at 9:44:13 PM

@Monkey: Same reason there's no Slice of Life video games.

This is a signature. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
Aondeug Oh My from Our Dreams Since: Jun, 2009
Oh My
#5: May 5th 2012 at 11:25:57 PM

Your best bet is to find a group of freeform R Pers you get along with and set up a freeform game. Be it with a setting and group of characters from scratch or R Ping as characters from a series you like. That or suggest this idea to friends you have.

Plotting is still important in slice of life though. Remember that. Mmm...planned arcs.

edited 5th May '12 11:26:36 PM by Aondeug

If someone wants to accuse us of eating coconut shells, then that's their business. We know what we're doing. - Achaan Chah
Picheleiro Engrish scholar Since: Feb, 2012
Engrish scholar
#6: May 6th 2012 at 8:06:09 AM

I dont know. Without danger situations or combats or powers I dont see the point of the dices. Maybe with profesional or creative habilities, because dice only for social interactions sound really lame.

I would try cooperative writting or theater, OP.

Ramus Lead. from some computer somwhere. Since: Aug, 2009
Lead.
#7: May 6th 2012 at 8:08:13 AM

Slice of life is so... dull though.

I'd rather being doing something either exceeding awesome or exceedingly stupid, preferably at the same time.

The emotions of others can seem like such well guarded mysteries, people 8egin to 8elieve that's how their own emotions should 8e treated.
drunkscriblerian Street Writing Man from Castle Geekhaven Since: Oct, 2010 Relationship Status: In season
Street Writing Man
#8: May 6th 2012 at 8:47:28 AM

Aondeug's suggestion is probably the best one. I've done those kind of games...with a like-minded group and a detail-oriented GM who is fast on their feet, they can be loads of fun.

There are no specific Slice of Life games because any game can be played that way if that is what the players want, and most of the time people want plot structure and goals to achieve.

If I were to write some of the strange things that come under my eyes they would not be believed. ~Cora M. Strayer~
darnpenguin Yakka Foob Mog from one friend to another Since: Jan, 2001
Yakka Foob Mog
#9: May 6th 2012 at 10:14:22 AM

I did a Call Of Cthulhu game once that was a slice of life kind of thing. It was just me running it for one friend. He was a Navy Seal trying to readjust to civilian life by moving to a sleepy Midwestern town. The whole thing was basically two and a half hours of him interacting with the quirky NPC's mixed in with occasional splashes of occult freaky-ness.

Add me on Skype: Al Cook (darnpenguin)
KrazehPenguin Since: Jan, 2010
#10: May 6th 2012 at 11:55:34 PM

If you could find a group that wanted to have a slice of life RPG for whatever reason, I'd suggest perhaps using Risus or just making a regular human character sheet for any game, and ignore any magic aspects of it. Little Fears system is essentially made for playing regular humans too. Maid RPG except it would an incredibly silly game none the less. Big Eyes Small Mouth depending how you make your character. Could modify a character sheet of any White Wolf game. Prose Descriptive Qualities might work but I've never played it before. Simple D6 is made for any setting. You could also scratch some things out of a D20 character sheet, Monte Cooks World Of Darkness might have some good character sheets for modding. Bliss Stage is a game where you fight aliens in your mecha, but has a twist where its more focused on character relations. However, it could be incredibly awkward to play, so its best to do with a good group of friends. Microlite20 is another option. Legend Game System is also universal. GURPS is one of the more well known universal settings. Active Exploits is an entirely diceless system.

Thats all I could find, which is quite a lot. Most of these I haven't even heard of. Though if none of these do it for you, I might suggest a regular text RP with an online friend over instant messenger or something. Or perhaps, a game that is entirely based on storytelling with no system at all. But I'd only try either of those with someone who you know wouldn't abuse it.

@Archereon The Sims

edited 7th May '12 12:03:03 AM by KrazehPenguin

IraTheSquire Since: Apr, 2010
#11: May 7th 2012 at 12:10:49 AM

[up] I would actually suggestion World Of Darkness and just take out the supernatural stuff. It's far more flexible if you want to emphasis on certain things and wave through others (eg: if you want to focus on a normal school life, you can have as detailed stuff for school-related stuff like doing homework as you want and make everything else like doing household chores into a single roll).

DialMForMonkey Turing Machinist from wherever cats roam Since: May, 2012
Turing Machinist
#12: May 7th 2012 at 12:36:05 AM

Hmmm. Interesting answers.

Apparently, I just asked the question in a spat of frustration; since leaving high school I've essentially been a shutin without much social interaction at all. This weekend turned out to be a lot better, though, so coming back to this post it's not really something I plan on pursuing now anyway.

I come from a background of a lot of literary fiction and philosophy, and I'm only now just really getting into genre fiction of any sort. That has probably been skewing the way I look at role-playing in general to a more mundane emphasis... Should work on that.

Bababadalgharaghtakamminarronnkonnbronnt- onnerronntuonnthunntrovarrhounawnskawntoohoohoordenenthurnuk!
CountDorku Behold my legal acumen! from the depths of insanity (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
Behold my legal acumen!
#13: May 7th 2012 at 1:17:01 AM

[up] Part of this is definitionally impossible. If it is fiction, it has a genre.

Korochun Charming But Irrational from Elsewhere (send help!) Since: Jul, 2011
Charming But Irrational
#14: May 7th 2012 at 2:01:24 PM

The whole point of vanilla Wo D setting is to be a Slice of Life RPG with supernatural elements. Maid RPG is pretty slice of life, just, y'know...with maids. And comedy. And, quite possibly, aliens. Exalted can be pretty Slice of Life. If you play mortal. The question is, just how long of a slice it's going to be. Heavy Gear can be actually played really well as a slice-of-life story, due to its incredibly detailed setting. Actually, really, all RP Gs are slice-of-life. The only variable is whose life they are a slice of, exactly.

When you remember that we are all mad, all questions disappear and life stands explained.
KrazehPenguin Since: Jan, 2010
#16: May 7th 2012 at 5:52:05 PM

I'd say what Korochan said sums it up nicely, it all depends on how you play the game.

And if the more actiony parts of roleplaying isn't doing it for you, try to get more dialog going in your games, or get players to think about developing their characters more. Sometimes, people just need a push in the right direction to do that. I find it really helpful just to have idea spitballing sessions with your other players about what you think of your characters and your plans for them. I'm not sure how you play games, but if you're D Ming, I might suggest shying away from dungeon crawling and fighting entirely, but still include it to satisfy your players.

edited 7th May '12 5:52:17 PM by KrazehPenguin

Carciofus Is that cake frosting? from Alpha Tucanae I Since: May, 2010
Is that cake frosting?
#17: May 9th 2012 at 2:33:28 AM

There is one. It's got an advanced DNA-based character gen system, the largest and most detailed setting ever, a nearly limitless item customization feature, and a job system never rivaled. It's called "Real Life."
I think that a Slice of Life LARP would be even better. You don't just have a pizza with your friends, you roleplay having a pizza with your friends. At a pizza restaurant, with your friends. And foam forks.

edited 9th May '12 2:33:57 AM by Carciofus

But they seem to know where they are going, the ones who walk away from Omelas.
joeyjojo Happy New Year! from South Sydney: go the bunnies! Since: Jan, 2001
Happy New Year!
#18: May 9th 2012 at 6:37:25 AM

Hmm.... Meta.

hashtagsarestupid
Doryna Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
#19: May 9th 2012 at 1:22:29 PM

[up][up] Wow, can you imagine the rolls on the "deciding pizza topping" charts?

"I roll a 7 for anchovies."

"But I don't like anchovies."

"I apply a modifier for a half-pizza topping."

"But the oil still gets on the other half and makes it taste funny."

"...why isn't there an option to cast fireball in this game again?"

edited 9th May '12 1:23:15 PM by Doryna

CountDorku Behold my legal acumen! from the depths of insanity (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
SuperHeroineAddict freakin' metal Since: Nov, 2011
freakin' metal
#21: May 9th 2012 at 11:40:11 PM

I seem to recall that back in the days of Polyhedron magazine when they were just releasing D20 modern, a couple of the minigames they published were close to this. The theme of "Thunderball Rally" was that the players were competing in an illegal cross country road race in the 70's, a la "The Gumball Rally" or "Cannonball". Another I can only describe as "Josey and the Pussycats: The RPG". Not exactly slice of life, but a lot more mundane than lightsabers, magic, and zombie apocalypses.

Another TL:DR post.
Vyctorian ◥▶◀◤ from Domhain Sceal Since: Mar, 2011
◥▶◀◤
#22: May 10th 2012 at 3:12:22 AM

@Archereon

But Slice of Life video games do exist.

Rarely active, try DA/Tumblr Avatar by pippanaffie.deviantart.com
TriggerLoaded from Canada, eh? (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Healthy, deeply-felt respect for this here Shotgun
#23: May 10th 2012 at 1:35:45 PM

[up][up] I remember those issues. Those two are the most slice-of-life that I can recall. I did like the description of the various classes for Hijinks, the travelling band RPG, with different classes able to use their insturments at different ranges to win a crowd (You have to be right up close to hear the keyboardist's synths, but the horn player can affect people across the stadium.)

Don't take life too seriously. It's only a temporary situation.
Vyctorian ◥▶◀◤ from Domhain Sceal Since: Mar, 2011
◥▶◀◤
#24: May 10th 2012 at 3:58:27 PM

I think a slice of life RPG/campaign setting could be fun, you could even have your characters play a T-RPG. That would be so meta.

In all seriousness though I think a slice of life RPG/campaign setting could work. =3

Rarely active, try DA/Tumblr Avatar by pippanaffie.deviantart.com
Carciofus Is that cake frosting? from Alpha Tucanae I Since: May, 2010
Is that cake frosting?
#25: May 11th 2012 at 7:39:54 AM

What about a Slice of Life RPG in a not entirely mundane setting? That could be amusing, and it would probably not grow old as quickly as "roll for baking cookies" would tongue

For example, I think that an Haibane Renmei RPG could work very nicely if done properly...

edited 11th May '12 7:40:33 AM by Carciofus

But they seem to know where they are going, the ones who walk away from Omelas.

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