tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post4202583308230434282..comments2023-05-27T11:14:02.426-04:00Comments on Some Space to Think: Built to UseAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14216103531396452644noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-5021234582889632892010-03-25T22:43:48.984-04:002010-03-25T22:43:48.984-04:00Rob, I would love a blog post about your last comm...Rob, I would love a blog post about your last comment, about GMs having more information than they convey but never having more intent than they convey. I've had big problems with this in some of my games, and I think it warrants unpacking.Matthew D. Gandyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10385705569087231697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-67982654789521163622010-03-24T14:47:32.601-04:002010-03-24T14:47:32.601-04:00@buddha Pretty much, and that interestingly illust...@buddha Pretty much, and that interestingly illustrates a key distinction. The Gm might have a lot more _information_ than he conveys to the player, but she should not have more _intent_ (or direction) than he communicates.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14216103531396452644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-39939710948014819372010-03-24T11:35:56.358-04:002010-03-24T11:35:56.358-04:00Sorry for chiming in late, but what you're tal...Sorry for chiming in late, but what you're talking about here seems to me to be the back cover blurb of a novel, right? Just enough info, setting and character to hook you into buying the book! <br /><br />I guess, I'm saying I completely agree with you, with one caveat... The person running or guiding the game needs to be on that same page, and only on that page... if the GM has a firm idea of where they want the setting to go, and that's not what the players expect from the pitch, then that can lead to quickly deflated interest. So, yeah, as long as everybody buys into a pitch but stays flexible, I think that helps a lot!buddhahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09179083752402317236noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-34661526947022865122010-03-17T18:46:50.969-04:002010-03-17T18:46:50.969-04:00@Uncle Dark - Overall I think a clever story struc...@Uncle Dark - Overall I think a clever story structure mechanic integrated into the game system would help keep consequence book-keeping down. They could be themed like an assassin showing up in Burn Notice, or general like wanted status in Grand Theft Auto.Helmsmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05248835491973291242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-64976624707445216662010-03-17T18:31:29.753-04:002010-03-17T18:31:29.753-04:00Helmsman: This is why I tend to think, not in term...Helmsman: This is why I tend to think, not in terms of the Real World as I see it when I'm in it, but rather of the "Real" World, as it's portrayed in contemporary drama. My game only has to be as "realistic" as Burn Notice or Law & Order, it doesn't have to faithfully recreate the world the players live in.<br /><br />And, really, what would be the point of that? I don't game to simulate real life... I have real life for that!Uncle Darkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15153259977898899885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-42601166813511833382010-03-17T14:59:03.189-04:002010-03-17T14:59:03.189-04:00In terms of minimalist setting being really evocat...In terms of minimalist setting being really evocative and grabby, I can't help but think of John Harper's experiments along those lines - <a href="http://www.onesevendesign.com/ladyblackbird/" rel="nofollow">Lady Blackbird</a> and <a href="http://www.onesevendesign.com/ghostecho/" rel="nofollow">Ghost/Echo</a>...Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14884082736631370173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-66860447414324558202010-03-17T13:27:21.650-04:002010-03-17T13:27:21.650-04:00Some of this never worked for me.
I've alwa...Some of this never worked for me. <br /><br />I've always struggled with settings based in the modern world because I get caught up in the mundanity of it all. Sure its easy to understand the cosmology... but that's a double edged sword because it breaks immersion that much faster when you create a situation where the world doesn't go the way it should. It's why I generally gravitate to blowing the world up as a GM so I don't have to perscribe to the rules of our world anymore. It's too restrictive. Do bad stuff, the police show up... you get caught on camera, fingerprints are on-file... gameplay becomes that much more restrictive... and not in a good way because ultimately it means more work for me as the GM. I have to consider how close the cops are to catching the PC's because of all their antics as well as manage a plot and consider what the bad-guys are up-to. I'm honestly not that diligent a book-keeper which is why I hate long-term consequences of stupid actions. Especially when stupid actions are usually the most fun.<br /><br />Exalted on the other-hand I love for their little inspiring snippits and my players love it for the freedom the game allows to let them do what they want as over the top as they can imagine it. Plus the cosmology is loose enough that as a GM I can pick and choose what consequence-stick I want to smack them with. <br /><br />The thing I find about Exalted that intimidates new potential GM's is the alienness of the setting combined with how thorough they detail the cosmology. I love this personally, but I graduated from 1st edition and bought all the books as the came out so my frog was boiled the correct way. Throw most would be GM's at Exalted and they'll hop away faster than you can say "Jack be quick" because it's overwhelming. <br /><br />I think the sweet spot is a world that you can pick and choose what you want to be familiar and what you want to be fantasy... though I'm not going to say there aren't other methods... going to think on this more, my Top Gear game idea could benefit from some of that thinking.Helmsmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05248835491973291242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-44072395585780232382010-03-17T13:17:08.988-04:002010-03-17T13:17:08.988-04:00I once read somewhere that when writing setting, i...I once read somewhere that when writing setting, if there isn't a plot hook in there somewhere, it's not worth writing. I think that really holds true for RPGs. The coolest parts of any history, NPC, or region are the parts where you think, "I can totally do an adventure based on that!". If you can't get at least 1 instance of that in every moment, NPC, magic item, etc., does it really need to be written at all?<br />Granted, everyone's opinion is different, but I still use this as a yard stick to measure my writing.Seth Claytonnoreply@blogger.com