Dungeon Guide said:
You’re making a lot of sense.

Thank you – though I did rant a bit.

I personally rather like exalted, but then I love anime and oriental culture, so . . .

Exalted just doesn’t pull me. But I do enjoy anime/manga, but personally I didn’t find any of the elements of manga or anime that I was expected within the setting, except for some salutes or nods to it (like the artwork, use of dragon symbols or martial arts).

Most of the games I’ve run have been with players that aren’t driven, and don’t drive the game, so it’s fallen on me to create situations to make them do stuff. That was who their characters were.

My group has an odd mix of players and it really depends on which of us is GMing and the game we’re playing. At least for our current game, we’re letting the plot drive us.

If you are playing your character realistically, and it isn’t realistic for your character to be building a power base, the GM has to work with you. It is the GMs responsibility to keep all the characters involved, and all the players engaged.

Agreed, but it’s hard to tell a GM this, because most of the time, their your friend too and they can take it as a personal criticism.

You’re making a lot of sense. I personally rather like exalted, but then I love anime and oriental culture, so . . .

However, it doesn’t make sense for the GM to complain about lack of character background and at the same time ignore yours, and missing games is not a good reason to be sidelined unless the player is rude and doesn’t have a reason.

Most of the games I’ve run have been with players that aren’t driven, and don’t drive the game, so it’s fallen on me to create situations to make them do stuff. That was who their characters were.

If you are playing your character realistically, and it isn’t realistic for your character to be building a power base, the GM has to work with you. It is the GMs responsibility to keep all the characters involved, and all the players engaged.

I could go on a lot longer, but I think I’ve made my point. You’re making lots of sense.

I haven’t played Exalted in several months now, since we had our second baby. But one of the other players were telling me that originally “Exalted” was meant to be jsut Dragon Blooded but it was all changed at the last minute. I don’t if there is any truth in that myth at all, but it sounds compelling.

As for the background providing insight… it’s not for me. I’d rather players tell me what they want to get out of a game then reading a 15 page story that has little bearing on the character they’ll play once they start interacting with the other PCs and the world I’ll have created.

I shouldn’t be so hard on Exalted tbh because I seem to have developed a bitter taste with any/all White Wolf games and resent ending up actually playing any of their games. There is so much new good stuff out there, I dislike labouring with their systems and out-dated concepts of gaming. I’m not saying it’s bad, I just don’t like it. Sorry.

( Also, there’s another reason why the GM wants backgrounds, the reason I use:

I like reading it. It gives -me- insight into their character, and I like the thought that goes into it from the player’s side. It’s good reading, most of the time. It’s like art.

I realize this is a very old and dead post, but I just figured I’d say that I’m an Exalted GM and I agree with you about many things. But, one of the major things.. It’s not “Exalted” that means you have to do that power-up. Just play Exalted: Dragon Blooded and you do everything in the open, you’re even celebrated for it. We only play Dragon Blooded, basically. heh