sbloyd
Supporter
WHAT! A human in a Precursor service vehicle?!
Posts: 2,762
Preferred Game Systems: Storyteller; Dresden; Mage
Favorite Species of Monkey: Goddamnit, Curious George is a CHIMP not a monkey! Stop teaching my daughter improper classification!
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Post by sbloyd on Jan 29, 2015 13:24:18 GMT -8
As long as I can get it in audio format... Gotta have something between HJRPG Actual Play eps to listen to.
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mrcj
Journeyman Douchebag
Posts: 173
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Post by mrcj on Jan 29, 2015 21:57:28 GMT -8
A note about Stork's sandbox advice, don't do it. It sounded like that was a recipe for over prepping.
In my experience when you are making a sandbox campaign, keep an eye on the scale. Sure, make notes about the big things. You need to know what kind of place the characters are in.
But if you are playing a high level political game, you don't need to prep the details of how the docks work, and if you are playing on the docks, you have to prep how the high level politics work (unless you think they are going to bleed over into your game).
The fun part of the sand box is you are kind of out there without a net, so you can bet the characters will try to unionize the dock workers and you will have pull it completely out of your butt, just like any other left hand turn they take, and the first left turn into the bizarre they can take...zoom. There they go.
If you are easing into a sandbox, do your self a favor and try to keep the scale small, so you can flesh out detail until you feel comfortable (and that's different for each GM), but you don't want hours of time spent prepping things that will never be tapped in game. Its a balance that comes with experience.
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fredrix
Master Douchebag
Posts: 2,142
Preferred Game Systems: Fate, L5R, Pendragon, Gumshoe, Feng Shui
Currently Playing: Pendragon, Song of Ice and Fire, L5R, Feng Shui, Traveller
Currently Running: Fate, Coriolis, Nights Black Agents
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 29, 2015 22:14:44 GMT -8
I agree, I'm not sure who said it, but the best advice about sandbox adventures was "know the NPCs motivations". Once you've got that you can make the rest up.
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Post by lowkeyoh on Jan 29, 2015 23:15:40 GMT -8
I agree, I'm not sure who said it, but the best advice about sandbox adventures was "know the NPCs motivations". Once you've got that you can make the rest up. That sounds like a JiB quote if I've ever heard one
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Post by Bill Roper on Jan 30, 2015 8:55:54 GMT -8
I agree, I'm not sure who said it, but the best advice about sandbox adventures was "know the NPCs motivations". Once you've got that you can make the rest up. That was me - and I am sure you've also heard to from many of us. If you know what people would do and why, you've saved yourself tons of prep by being able to put themselves into their shoes!
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tomes
Supporter
Hello madness
Posts: 1,438
Currently Running: Dungeon World, hippie games, Fallout Shelter RPG hack
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Post by tomes on Jan 30, 2015 14:16:57 GMT -8
I think I'm going to have to look into this book, thanks tyler ! We read it and talked about it last year on Your Book Is Why Daddy Drinks. It was an average book that had its issues, but the setting was a great idea. I'm hoping Sanderson does more with it and improves it. I'm always amazed when I hear that Branderson sometimes sucks (isn't awesome), because all I've read of his is The Way of Kings (and now the sequel) and it's so fucken amazing. Talk about excellent world building, and great characters, and epic story. Shit. Sad to hear he's not always so awesome, but I guess I'll go see for myself one of these days...
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tomes
Supporter
Hello madness
Posts: 1,438
Currently Running: Dungeon World, hippie games, Fallout Shelter RPG hack
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Post by tomes on Jan 30, 2015 14:23:51 GMT -8
In my experience when you are making a sandbox campaign, keep an eye on the scale. I second this so much. I'm running my first real sandbox style campaign, and I think having some overarching events in your region is a good thing, but (taking a page from Dungeon World) leave lots of blanks on your map. Leave lots of unknowns so you can define those later, and then make them actual relevant at that point. Do the workers unionize? I mean, that may be fantastic for some games. But there is no need to have this level of detail for most games, and I think you are risking burning out (unless you really enjoy that level of detail) and more importantly: you may be too attached to those details, instead of attached to the flow of the game. However to that end I often think of things like that in world building, and just leave it in the back of my head, so if it becomes relevant, or interesting, or I need something to delay the PCs for good end, then I can grab it then and there.
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sbloyd
Supporter
WHAT! A human in a Precursor service vehicle?!
Posts: 2,762
Preferred Game Systems: Storyteller; Dresden; Mage
Favorite Species of Monkey: Goddamnit, Curious George is a CHIMP not a monkey! Stop teaching my daughter improper classification!
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Post by sbloyd on Jan 30, 2015 15:26:41 GMT -8
We read it and talked about it last year on Your Book Is Why Daddy Drinks. It was an average book that had its issues, but the setting was a great idea. I'm hoping Sanderson does more with it and improves it. I wonder if that was during the period I was unable to get the 'cast... I'll go back and give it a listen.
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