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mylescorcoran at 04:02pm on 24/09/2004 under role-playing
mylescorcoran at 04:02pm on 24/09/2004 under role-playingBruce Baugh recently posted to RPG.net about distilling down the game essentials into a two hour slot.
"I know that lack of long session time is one of the things that most often kills gaming possibilities in my social circle, and that we're not alone in this. Distilling out the less important stuff is an interesting (and demanding) exercise.
A big influence on me these days is console gaming, both rpg and otherwise: clear front ends, easily accessible options, well-illuminated feedback (if you do X, it should be very clear that Y follows), and the like."
(The thread's at http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=147966 and Bruce's post is on the second page.)
This is important stuff for me. I'm finding that because the sessions we have in our Elizabethan Supers game are short, and the digressions are common, we're achieving little in the way of rewarding story development. Consequently I'm turned off and have slumped into less preparation for each game, which only makes things worse.
I need some method of squeezing more action/dialogue into each session. How do I mix the elements of espionage and detective work, keep the pace fast and the dialogue punchy, while still allowing the players room to make their mark on the game world? My players often seem to want things to come to them, or to have something to react to. This can slow things right down as all the new elements in play have to come from my poor brain and not the more fruitful gestalt of the whole group.
(thinking sounds)
"I know that lack of long session time is one of the things that most often kills gaming possibilities in my social circle, and that we're not alone in this. Distilling out the less important stuff is an interesting (and demanding) exercise.
A big influence on me these days is console gaming, both rpg and otherwise: clear front ends, easily accessible options, well-illuminated feedback (if you do X, it should be very clear that Y follows), and the like."
(The thread's at http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=147966 and Bruce's post is on the second page.)
This is important stuff for me. I'm finding that because the sessions we have in our Elizabethan Supers game are short, and the digressions are common, we're achieving little in the way of rewarding story development. Consequently I'm turned off and have slumped into less preparation for each game, which only makes things worse.
I need some method of squeezing more action/dialogue into each session. How do I mix the elements of espionage and detective work, keep the pace fast and the dialogue punchy, while still allowing the players room to make their mark on the game world? My players often seem to want things to come to them, or to have something to react to. This can slow things right down as all the new elements in play have to come from my poor brain and not the more fruitful gestalt of the whole group.
(thinking sounds)
(no subject)
What do you find that the time is spent doing? I mean, IMEX, you can do a -lot- in even a 2 hour slot if you concentrate, and play rather than dither (of course, you can also eat up 6-8 hours with a lot of nothing, if you don't).
It seems like your players are being reactive rather than active, which does put more of the burden on you...but also theoretically lets you control the timing more easily.
Q: do your players -want- to be doing espionage and detective work? I mean, roleplaying it out, rather than having it done for them by NPCs or saying "my character investigates"; some players enjoy this; some don't.
(no subject)
I think it's time for another meaningful talk with the group. They don't always produce much either, unfortunately.
(no subject)
Q: Are the people digressing usually the players on-screen, off-screen, or is there no real correlation?
(no subject)
There's no real correlation.
I'm going to try getting more preparation done for the sessions. Maybe if I can make the in-game events more compelling (better described, more relevant to the characters) I can get a better response.