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Post by ironnikki on Dec 2, 2014 8:27:22 GMT -8
Both of my groups are currently going through a transition phase, where we're trying several different systems before settling down for a long haul. One of my group is experienced players, so we're trying new, indie games that we haven't played before, while the other group is mostly newbies, and I'm trying to give them a taste of the bigger name games they haven't played yet.
This style of running suits me really well, as I feel that I'm pretty decent with coming up with a short story hook, but struggle with developing a longer story arc for campaigns. However, I keep running into the same problem: These one-shots are lasting for months of play (which really makes them not one-shots at all!)
This isn't really a huge problem, since the players all seem to be enjoying the games anyway, but I'd like to really expand their exposure. I have a sizable list of games that I'd love to run, and at this rate, we'll never make it through most of them.
Based on my previous experience, I don't think that I'm preparing too much material. I generally prepare 3 scenes for a one-shot game, sometimes as much as 5 if they're likely to be short with little downtime. During play, we're staying relatively on track, so I don't think that it's due to distraction, and we keep a relatively regular schedule with few cancellations. I think the main factor here is the players expanding downtime between scenes more than I expected them to.
Again, this isn't a huge problem, because the players are all having fun, so far as I can tell. So I guess my question boils down to this: What are your tactics as a GM to limit game time? I've never run a convention game, but obviously that requires you to stay within your time slot, something that I would spectacularly fail at. I don't really need these games to fit into a single four hour session, but preferably something like 2-3 sessions per game would be nice.
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Ecrodorias
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Post by Ecrodorias on Jan 4, 2015 7:01:39 GMT -8
Have you tried simply setting a game with a fixed time frame, and then ensuring you track the time?
You have one hour before the bomb goes off, the ritual must be stopped in three nights, the enemy troops will reach the ruin in a few hours, can you recover the artefact before they arrive?
Keeping track of the time, and reminding the players of how little time they have left can create a real tense and fun game.
Of course, like anything else it easy to overdo this trick, but it can work really well...
Ecrodorias.
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fredrix
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Post by fredrix on Jan 4, 2015 10:56:27 GMT -8
I don't know if you are blessed or cursed! Getting three scenes to last months of play is either brilliant, with loads of great roleplay and improvisation, or its dreadfully boring, with loads of discussion, and little action. Given that you don't complain it's the latter, I assume it's the first, and so ask "is this actually problem?"
of course ! you are not trying out enough systems or churning through them quickly enough. OK
Are you giving them pre-gens? Character creation can take a lot of time AND cause players to maybe invest more time playing their characters. Could you breate some sort of dimension hopping scenario where each scene is played in a different system?
Are you keeping the combats short and easy to win? After all these tryout games shouldn't be too much of a challenge.
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baldyr
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Post by baldyr on Jan 4, 2015 14:17:51 GMT -8
Something I'm struggling with myself, is writing simple self-encapsulating character driven scenarios with pre-generated (even if I cringe at the word "generation") player characters. The idea would be to take a location or a situation and have a hand-full characters play out the outcome. There wouldn't really be a story us such, but rather personalized hooks or challenges for each player character to grapple with. This sort of set-up should also suit the OP since the idea is to test out and go through a number of different systems in a timely fashion. Without every scenario being explored in the context of a whole campaign.
Where I seem to falter myself, is that I always the scenario on a story - thus making the scenario story driven instead of character driven. Also, I can't seem to limit the scope to a simple enough situation or premise, instead it inevitable ends up as a staring-off point for a campaign, more or less.
Any ideas on how to write such scenarios would be appreciated. I understand that the focus has to be on the characters - perhaps I simply don't know enough about creating a cast of characters? Instead I draw inspiration for the characters, their motivations and their relationships from the story - which isn't really giving me the scenarios I'd like to write.
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Post by greatwyrm on Jan 4, 2015 15:36:13 GMT -8
I've been doing a similar thing recently with new games. What I generally try to do is come up with one main problem or villain to overcome, then three or four objectives that help you get there. If something gets skipped or overlooked or cut for time it's no big deal.
The other thing I've had a little luck with is the "single show with a trilogy option", kinda like the Matrix movies. I do the first adventure and if everybody really likes it, I map out a couple more and make it a little story arc. By the end of the third, I've probably both scratched my itch for the system and come to a reasonable spot to wrap things up.
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fredrix
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Post by fredrix on Jan 4, 2015 23:10:37 GMT -8
Of course I'm also intrigued by what's on your "sizeable list of games"...
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Post by Bill Roper on Jan 5, 2015 12:50:59 GMT -8
I really like the Trilogy idea!
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Post by ironnikki on Jan 7, 2015 7:55:33 GMT -8
Thanks for the responses! I had kind of given the thread up for dead :-)
Ecrodorias, I've tried a scene or two in that vein previously. I like the idea, and it often makes for a fun time, but since I'd be ideally teaching a new system each game, putting a hard cap on timing might make more problems than it solves.
Fredrix, good suggestions! I am providing pre-generated characters, and the games have all been very light in combat. Things aren't getting bogged down, the players are just having a good time roleplaying and examining the situation in front of them. Like you've suggested, I've wondered if this really is a problem, since everyone is enjoying themselves, but I'm starting to itch to swap systems again! Here's a list of games I've had them try or intend to:
-Pathfinder (we started here) -Savage Worlds -GURPS (currently playing) -Fate -New World of Darkness -DnD 5e -Shadowrun -Powered by the Apocalypse (probably Dungeon World or tremulus) -Tephra -Monsters and Other Childish Things -Burning Wheel -Cosmic Patrol
The idea is that if we find something that everybody really likes, we'll continue to explore that story, much like the trilogy idea suggested by greatwyrm. Most of my players have played little more than Pathfinder, so I wanted to find another system that everyone also liked.
Baldyr, generally what I do is come up with a simple, one-sentence description of the problem (i.e: the princess is missing). Then, when I'm generating the characters, I ensure each of them has a reason to care about said problem (i.e: one PC was supposed to be guarding her room when she disappeared, another is a prince in love with her, etc.) I'll come up with a list of clues or potential stepping stones to get to their goal, but often leave a lot blank. I think you can have a character driven story while still providing plot points, you just have to be receptive to what the characters are doing.
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fredrix
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Favorite Species of Monkey: 1970's NTV, dubbed by the BBC (though The Water Margin beats it)
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Post by fredrix on Jan 10, 2015 4:28:59 GMT -8
I'll come up with a list of clues or potential stepping stones to get to their goal, but often leave a lot blank. I think you can have a character driven story while still providing plot points, you just have to be receptive to what the characters are doing. There's your problem right there. Of course given previous acknowledgement that it may not actually be a problem. But if you want your games to be shorter, you have to be more railroady.
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baldyr
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Post by baldyr on Jan 10, 2015 9:56:32 GMT -8
Yeah, I'm talking about a pretty "story-less" scenario which, more or less, entirely focuses on the player characters.
The catalyst could very well be that the princess is missing, but I'm not out to write the story about how she is rescued, but rather focus on the characters dealing with the event itself. So, something occurs and when the smoke clears the princess is missing. There is no obvious way to find her or anywhere to go immediately.
Instead, the scenario would be character driven - where the characters can be members of the royal family, members of the court, knights in the king's service, or mere servants of the household. I would need to design the characters in such a way that I can get a full session of play out of the aftermath of the above suggested event. Instead of a story as such or an adventure, there would be hooks to the characters themselves. And not necessarily without one of the characters being involved in the plot to kidnap the heir to the throne. Although some or all of the characters could very well be blamed for it or become suspects.
But the mere presence of the plot outlined above, would inevitably turn the scenario into a mystery type adventure - Find the Princess. Which is not what I wanted, so I'm basically back to square one.
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D.T. Pints
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Post by D.T. Pints on Jan 11, 2015 7:09:02 GMT -8
I really enjoy sitting down with all the players to generate characters no matter the system. Pre-gens are great for con games are a nice intro to a new system but if you want to have a good "character driven" story, listen to what the players are thinking/talking about while creating their PCs. Then take a nod from the Apocalypse World/Dungeon World book and ask leading questions to link the characters together and to get the players to begin developing backstories. You can have archetype pre-gens available for a one-shot just give the opportunity for the players to make them their own.
Example:
Player 1 (now called Roderick): "I think I'd like to play the thief/rogue." Player 2 (now called Bwian): "I'd like to be the barbarian." GM (now called GM): "Ok did your thief grow up on the mean streets of Lankhmar or have a more stable childhood ?" Roderick: "Yep he was dirt poor and started out kinda Oliver Twist style as part of a gang of urchin pick pockets" GM: "What about the barbarian ? Why did he leave the wilds ?" Bwian: "He grew tired of the back country life and wanted to see the wealth/opulence of the big city." GM: "Ok, so Bwian tell me why after Roderick picked your pocket you didn't crush him as an enemy and see him driven before you ?" GM: "Ok, Roderick tell me why you know you're going to return what you stole from Bwian."
Depending on the creativity of the players and your willingness to build from their often briefest of ideas, you'll often find the scenario going in a direction unexpected but more interesting because its that much more collaborative. Now we have the briefest of conflicts that could lead to dozens of future story hooks but now just the one-shot "Why am I not going to kill you vs Why am I going to be nice to you" scene. This serves almost as those "big intro" scenes of a book or movie. Not many details are known but we get to see a quick slice of the player characters in action.
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Post by ironnikki on Jan 12, 2015 14:05:21 GMT -8
There's your problem right there. Of course given previous acknowledgement that it may not actually be a problem. But if you want your games to be shorter, you have to be more railroady. Yeah, being railroady would definitely make things shorter. I could probably provide a bit more structure to keep things moving without getting too restrictive. But, like you said, this isn't exactly a big problem, so I'll be sparing. On a side note, I had the distinct pleasure of receiving questions via text message concerning an NPC's fate after our game ended last night. Following the time-honored GM traditions, I answered vaguely and mostly with "I don't know what'll happen to him. I guess we'll have to find out next time!"
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