Random thoughts on WOD

So I've now played in two WOD games, a nWOD humans game that was a disaster, and a Dark Ages: Vampire game that has gotten much better in the three or four sessions we've played.  The nWOD game failed not because of the system, but an inexperience storyteller could not control a to large table.  I was looking forward to the game the storyteller is a good player in an AD&D2e game we are in.  I spent a good deal of my precious time writing my characters background and had high hopes for the game.  The storyteller then let a bunch of his friends make characters on the spot, no background, juvenile concepts; all they wanted to do was kill shit.  One of who did kill another character (the 2e DM).  The storyteller attempted to get the seven players integrated into his setting lame chaos ensued.  Not much else to say.

The Dark Ages: Vampire game has been much more enjoyable.  The first scene was almost entirely read from the module by the storyteller (not just a railroad, but a subway) after which I considered not going back.  However by our last scene the group was jelling, and the story unfolded in a satisfactory manner, although as a characters there was no way to alter the outcome the folks at white wolf wanted it to happen which is a let down.  When I read the book I thought well this should be cool, opposing dice pools that makes sense, and it should go quickly ... not.  It astounds me how long it takes a player to shake a hand full of dice.  It's painful how long it takes for a player to count successes.  Why wait to be told to roll damage, just grab the dice again a throw them out there.  A little direction could help, but I doubt someone who has to shake his dice for thirty seconds could be coerced into helping the game move along.