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Post by Deleted on May 31, 2013 7:05:42 GMT -8
I start the first session of our new campaign this Sunday.
ONE of my players has given me a background and character stuff. The rest haven't. It's a sandbox game and I've got my bad guys doin their thing.
Should I be worried? Should I bang the drum?
Thanks guys!
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Post by The Northman on May 31, 2013 7:50:54 GMT -8
When in doubt, especially with players new to the idea of story-first, attach a reward to completing things like this. Eventually most players in my experience start doing those things because they know in our group it's the ticket to campaigns featuring things tailored for your own character.
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Post by Deleted on May 31, 2013 9:19:21 GMT -8
Well all of the players have been around the GMing block before. I think they're just being LAZY!!!!
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Post by The Northman on May 31, 2013 10:18:25 GMT -8
In that case, kill them all. Start over.
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D.T. Pints
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JACKERCON 2018: WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY June 22-July 1st
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Currently Playing: D&D 5e, Pathfinder, DUNGEONWORLD, Star Wars Edge of the Empire
Currently Running: DUNGEONWORLD, PATHFINDER
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Post by D.T. Pints on May 31, 2013 12:53:57 GMT -8
Really consider using the leading questions of apocalypse world/dungeon world...the mad libs option of backgrounds.
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Post by Kainguru on May 31, 2013 12:58:14 GMT -8
Realistically we don't choose our families in real life. Grab a background generator and throw the results at the lazy players - "there's your background, fill in blanks before I do it for you" (manic evil laugh is appropriate at that point). Aaron
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Post by Arcona on May 31, 2013 13:19:40 GMT -8
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Post by Deleted on May 31, 2013 14:10:27 GMT -8
I've decided that from now on the first session of any game will be a FATE style character creation with a worksheet in which they players must give me little paragraphs where they give me their background and how they know the other characters. Forces a background out of them, lets me jump right to the action without having to worry about using a session or two for them to meet at a tavern, and helps get them into a story mindset.
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Post by Deleted on May 31, 2013 14:42:33 GMT -8
Some players aren't going to do homework, even if presented with incentives. As others have suggested, doing background work in the first session is a smart move. In the most recent games I've run, I haven't asked for much background detail (more ≠ better). As we begin the first session we do a 10–20 minute PC meet-and-greet ... - Who are you?
- Why are you here?
- How do you know these other jokers?
Let the rest evolve in play. I do like kainguru's mention of background generators. By all accounts, a lifepath party makes a fun first session.
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Post by CreativeCowboy on May 31, 2013 15:19:42 GMT -8
I am a minimalist when it comes to this, preferring not to concoct something like a railroad. Even something like a Kelly’s Heroes adventure does not have to start out with players all in the same platoon. I do the Blue Book thing so that is right in line with the first session background ideas presented here by others.
But I also NEED (in order to actually play the game) an accounting of player possessions. Without this list, the character record is incomplete. I do not allow any game books at my table during character generation so I spitball with players about their equipment. Playing in a medieval period fantasy privileges me because players tend to think of equipment within a modern mind. I accept their equipment choices (one caveat: no gun powder) provided they give me some story to accompany it. So, if someone wants a compass or a wristwatch, I can place such technology within my world but the player has to answer how he or she came to acquire it. If they built it, the player has done my job of placing such technology for me and given him or herself a secondary profession. I had one player play as a Half-Elf who never knew his father. So I asked about the stories is mother told him and ended the lacklustre interview by giving him a magic sword (useless without a power word) and a bit of a mystery to unravel about his father’s identity. Basically the player had no back-story concept, but he accepted the heirloom weapon. Thus I had an instant back-story with the player’s consent. So long as the player wanted to unravel the mystery of the sword and its power word, which was certainly magic, he would find his back-story and I would have another game plot.
I would suspect players become better creative storytellers when focused on some simple object, which is good enough foothold for me being a minimalist. I find the story to be in the unfolding of the game, centred on the players’ play together, rather than on individual novelizations. And if I run out of story from my end, I can always return to individual back-story after they have had their feet wet a couple of months.
But in a couple of months of play, it is also possible the players will have experienced story elements in the game that will motivate a continuing story without the need to look back.
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maxinstuff
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Post by maxinstuff on May 31, 2013 16:49:34 GMT -8
Realistically we don't choose our families in real life. Grab a background generator and throw the results at the lazy players - "there's your background, fill in blanks before I do it for you" (manic evil laugh is appropriate at that point). Aaron /thread
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Post by Deleted on Jun 1, 2013 10:46:44 GMT -8
Realistically we don't choose our families in real life. Grab a background generator and throw the results at the lazy players - "there's your background, fill in blanks before I do it for you" (manic evil laugh is appropriate at that point). Aaron /thread Maybe I'm new but what does /thread mean?
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Post by Kainguru on Jun 1, 2013 10:55:07 GMT -8
Maybe I'm new but what does /thread mean? Oh thank god! I thought it was just me being silly and 'not getting it' . . . Aaron
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Post by CreativeCowboy on Jun 1, 2013 11:44:05 GMT -8
My guess is: "/thread" = a good topic for discussion.
Of course, I am thinking it would be a good topic for discussion thus I am perceiving it through my filter.
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Post by rickno7 on Jun 1, 2013 11:56:01 GMT -8
/thread means end of thread. It comes from coding and the fact that earlier message boards used threads instead of posts. I only know beginner HTML, so it might be in other codes as well. It is like the brackets in BBcode. Your format would be (Thread) text of thread (/Thread) but in correct markup language(I'm afraid it would disappear if I used the real stuff).
People use it as a sort of compliment to a good post. It is like saying "this is as good advice as likely to happen in this discussion, no other input is needed".
Example:
Post 1: This part of my body hurts when I poke it
Post 2: Take some tylenol
Post 3: Shoot yourself in the head
Post 4: Don't poke it
Post 5: Quoting Post 4: "Don't Poke it" /thread
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