tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764158821384594980.post2110189341090649643..comments2024-03-27T03:37:22.778-04:00Comments on Age of Ravens: Spoiling the Setting? Thoughts on Player KnowledgeLowell Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02359280169506945906noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764158821384594980.post-29554157590565879442013-03-15T14:05:22.173-04:002013-03-15T14:05:22.173-04:00I agree with you on the investigation question. I ...I agree with you on the investigation question. I find myself preparing more, even in a sandbox game, when I put mysteries out there. And I think WoD lends itself to mysteries. I know Robin Laws has some good advice on improvising mysteries in some of the Gumshoe materials; I ought to go back and reread those. Lowell Francishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02359280169506945906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764158821384594980.post-13906397883255906092013-03-13T20:33:43.041-04:002013-03-13T20:33:43.041-04:00The whole 'Structure versus Freeform' cate...The whole 'Structure versus Freeform' categories can get pretty loose, I've found. While some people will be whole-heartedly one or the other (my fiance is VERY Freeform with perhaps a few names written down), others mix it up a lot. <br /><br />I sometimes run published adventures and in my latest Demon: the Fallen campaign I'll even pre-figure out likely scenes and their musical accompaniments, but I have no issue if players roam outside of them and will sometimes take things off on a complete tangent myself if something takes my fancy or seems to provide for more interesting plot. Of course, this may just make me a flexible investigation game Storyteller as investigations are a lot more difficult to completely work out in sandbox unless you're focusing more on conspiracies (with their myriad angles) as opposed to simpler murder plots.Shannonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00456068019298922261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764158821384594980.post-45070989869276079252010-10-03T22:10:51.514-04:002010-10-03T22:10:51.514-04:001. I'll probably revisit that in the future.
...1. I'll probably revisit that in the future. <br /><br />3. I think I've moved to more careful prep in recent years-- not more prep, just more effective prep. I tend to picture structure as laying out scenes, order of events, plots and so on. I think I do much less of that that I used to-- though that depends on the game. Of the two most recent games you played with me, the Exalted game was pretty much a sandbox-- I had ideas and scenes, but only a modest overarching plot. A but different was the NOLA supers game-- more structured from the nature of the genre, but I also had that somewhat open ended, at least in the sense that we had a number of break/shift points where I tried to watch the group choices and shift the game direction accordingly. It was also a shorter game which always has a little more plotting. <br /><br />Right now the four campaigns I have are Full Sandbox with a Hanging Big Plot (Changeling), Pretty Clear Alternating Between Sandbox Sections and Directed Plot Sections (High Fantasy), Choice of Problems but Linear Plot (Wushu), and Sandbox with a Timer (Libri Vidicos). So you're probably right that I am more structured, but in the sense of trying to see the structure of the game as the players want it and adapting to that (I hope).<br /><br />Honestly my goal is that players feel free to wander, feel free to do anything, and not be aware that I'm improvising or adapting. I like the illusion of control and plotting from my side of the screen-- but I don't actually want to be driving the game.Lowell Francishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02359280169506945906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764158821384594980.post-88215383387239151362010-10-01T19:01:15.154-04:002010-10-01T19:01:15.154-04:001 - ok, I was thinking of that as a separate artic...1 - ok, I was thinking of that as a separate article and that you might comment further here.<br /><br />3 - your sessions have more structure in that I think you have so much designed (list of threes frex) and you utilize standard tropes to a point that your players know where to go. This can result in less wandering around by the players and seat of the pants b.s.ing by you. Whereas with a less experienced GM such as myself, I find myself b.s.ing more because I don't have as much put down on paper. For me, in your games, I can feel that if I don't follow the plot threads, I could end up with less fun/time/whatever at the table. For you, it could feel like my games wander too much with no point to them.<br /><br />I will concede that you have years more experience running games than I. I will also say that this doesn't make your games any less enjoyable.Undeadhosthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09131084242228738203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764158821384594980.post-71538814100013567302010-10-01T00:00:10.044-04:002010-10-01T00:00:10.044-04:001. I did- I talked a while back about the problems...1. I did- I talked a while back about the problems of running established settings- and how they can be fan-fiction (even things like <i>Forgotten Realms</i>). That's a tough case-- at least for <i>Star Wars</i> my approach was to say: the only things which are canon are the films. Assume nothing else. I think you can do that with <i>Star Wars</i>. I think that would be harder with something like a book series. I really want Brust to license a <i>Jhereg</i> but I'd also be nervous about running it-- that's more of a veracity problem on my side. <br /><br />2. I think so, but I tend to see most campaigns as "sandbox" as well. In that in a good long-term campaign, if the players decide to go to X, the GM should follow even if that means pitching the rest of the campaign plans. For AFMBE and some games with a light structure, I see them as good improvisational, pick up games. There's a simple shared premise which people can riff from. <br /><br />3. I'm not sure I see myself as a structured GM-- but I think this is a question of terms. What do you mean by structure in that context?Lowell Francishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02359280169506945906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764158821384594980.post-84215210355668022302010-09-30T22:57:48.845-04:002010-09-30T22:57:48.845-04:00Before I run off to read those other thoughts...
...Before I run off to read those other thoughts...<br /><br />1. I noticed you skirted running games in known universes from other media...A Song of Ice and Fire or Star Wars.<br /><br />2. In your AFMBE example, is this style of game play sometimes referred to as "sandbox?"<br /><br />3. You strike me as a very structured GM. What is it that draws you to want to play in this style of game (re: Dogs or AFMBE)?Undeadhosthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09131084242228738203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764158821384594980.post-37244644341008006212010-09-30T20:42:33.497-04:002010-09-30T20:42:33.497-04:00Two interesting responses to some of the ideas her...Two interesting responses to some of the ideas here:<br /><br />From the Rhetorical Gamer: <a href="http://morrisonmp.wordpress.com/2010/09/30/player-knowledge-metaplots-and-deep-secrets/" rel="nofollow">Player Knowledge, Metaplots, and Deep Secrets</a><br /><br />From Reddit: <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/comments/dkz30/spoiling_the_setting_thoughts_on_player_knowledge/" rel="nofollow">a comment by DSchmitt.</a>Lowell Francishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02359280169506945906noreply@blogger.com