tomes
Supporter
Hello madness
Posts: 1,438
Currently Running: Dungeon World, hippie games, Fallout Shelter RPG hack
|
Post by tomes on Jun 4, 2015 9:45:23 GMT -8
Per some of the posts under happyjacks.proboards.com/thread/4201/hjrp-14-19, please bring back the Angry GM. Last time he was on he said he would argue the point of "I always have my ending in mind when I create the game." I want to hear that argument!
|
|
|
Post by jonas on Jul 21, 2015 4:11:59 GMT -8
I second this, but only if he also does funny voices and talk about movies that make him sad.
|
|
|
Post by archmagezemoc on Jul 21, 2015 6:48:20 GMT -8
I agree, I find that the compaigns I write with an ending in mind (just a vague one, like, Aliens destroy earth or Avengers stop them) end up going longer and "better" than the campaigns I start without an ending in mind. Those typically meander following the PCs till we just drop it at some point.
But that being said this madness will have to wait a few months unless the hippy gamers die of shock.
|
|
D.T. Pints
Instigator
JACKERCON 2018: WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY June 22-July 1st
Posts: 2,857
Currently Playing: D&D 5e, Pathfinder, DUNGEONWORLD, Star Wars Edge of the Empire
Currently Running: DUNGEONWORLD, PATHFINDER
|
Post by D.T. Pints on Jul 21, 2015 8:02:46 GMT -8
I get what The Angry Git Man is saying though about having an ending in mind...How many campaigns have each of us ran that actually had an ending where you could say "Well that's it. Put those character sheets away..." stork brought it up in the last episode about chasing an old campaign that just is basically a sequel and those are ALMOST never as good. (looking at you Aliens). Sure I think all of us adapt to what the players do to one degree or another but we still, as "The Big Chief of the Collaborative Story Tellers Clan" are thinking about where the whole thing is probably going. My Mathfinder game will end when the big bad is either destroyed or replaced. The End. There's still probably four years of campaign left in there playing twice a month at my players cat herd pace but still when that happens. The End. Star Wars Edge of the Empire game ? The main story will end when my wife's droid character discovers the source of her "virus" that has now taken over a captured storm troopers cybernetics and the PCs YT freighter The Lady A Majora (four women, three men playing). I'm hoping another six months also playing bi-weekly. Again an infinite number of possibilities might happen in the interim but I feel like its my job to play "What if?" between sessions, especially with a hopefully satisfying climax that will occur aboard the Lady A Majora (DYSWIDT?).
|
|
|
Post by ayslyn on Jul 21, 2015 8:18:31 GMT -8
It's like when you're reading a book. Or at least for me it works this way...
About a chapter or two in, most of the time, I can guess what the ending will be. Now, I mean that in a VERY rough sense. I don't know details, per se, or how everything will shake out... But I usually have a good idea of the shape of the finale.
For instance, and if this is a spoiler, you're in trouble ^.^ , with the Lord of the Rings trilogy -- You know, pretty quickly, that the end of the story will be the resolution of what happens with the ring. What that resolution will be, who will be involved, what happens where, not so much... But, you do know that much.
|
|
bevinflannery
Journeyman Douchebag
Posts: 109
Currently Playing: Pathfinder, Savage Worlds
Currently Running: Pathfinder/3.5, FATE Core
Favorite Species of Monkey: It's an ape, not a monkey.
|
Post by bevinflannery on Jul 21, 2015 9:19:31 GMT -8
a hopefully satisfying climax that will occur aboard the Lady A Majora (DYSWIDT?). <snerk> It's what told us on the ultrasound during my first pregnancy that we were having a girl.
|
|
|
Post by weaselcreature on Aug 17, 2015 9:30:03 GMT -8
I agree, I find that the compaigns I write with an ending in mind (just a vague one, like, Aliens destroy earth or Avengers stop them) end up going longer and "better" than the campaigns I start without an ending in mind. Those typically meander following the PCs till we just drop it at some point. But that being said this madness will have to wait a few months unless the hippy gamers die of shock. I imagine that if the GM has an ending in mind when creating the game, then s/he has in mind the motivations of the Bad Guy. This means that no matter what the PCs end up doing, the GM is better able to either have the Bad Guy alter the plans if the PCs interfere, or know what will happen if the PCs go off and kill a bear instead of following the plot hook. This will then lead to things happening that promote the story and plot (eg, the PCs continue following the clues, or something Bad happens, bringing them back to the plot). Without an ending in mind, the GM might not have anything to really drive the story. This a specific problem I'm actively combating in my Star Wars Traveller game; my big idea/reveal was about the opening of the story, and I didn't have much in mind in the way of main antagonists, but I'm slowly developing them, and am now able to start dropping pieces in front of the players.
|
|
|
Post by archmagezemoc on Aug 17, 2015 10:54:30 GMT -8
I agree, I find that the compaigns I write with an ending in mind (just a vague one, like, Aliens destroy earth or Avengers stop them) end up going longer and "better" than the campaigns I start without an ending in mind. Those typically meander following the PCs till we just drop it at some point. But that being said this madness will have to wait a few months unless the hippy gamers die of shock. I imagine that if the GM has an ending in mind when creating the game, then s/he has in mind the motivations of the Bad Guy. This means that no matter what the PCs end up doing, the GM is better able to either have the Bad Guy alter the plans if the PCs interfere, or know what will happen if the PCs go off and kill a bear instead of following the plot hook. This will then lead to things happening that promote the story and plot (eg, the PCs continue following the clues, or something Bad happens, bringing them back to the plot). Without an ending in mind, the GM might not have anything to really drive the story. This a specific problem I'm actively combating in my Star Wars Traveller game; my big idea/reveal was about the opening of the story, and I didn't have much in mind in the way of main antagonists, but I'm slowly developing them, and am now able to start dropping pieces in front of the players. Having at least the framework of the BBEGs motivations is SO helpful. When your PCs even decide to just go do something else completely unrelated, I just mark each day/week they go and estimate how "smoothly" the BBEGs plans go with a die-role, then push his plans down the track. Eventually his plans will be noticeable to the PCs, hopefully, if not the BBEGs plans just happen while they are off running a Tavern. Either the story ends with them watching the fist of Wrath smashing things to bits, or the story continues, with them finally realizing what they were supposed to be stopping that whole time.
|
|
tomes
Supporter
Hello madness
Posts: 1,438
Currently Running: Dungeon World, hippie games, Fallout Shelter RPG hack
|
Post by tomes on Aug 17, 2015 11:03:51 GMT -8
I imagine that if the GM has an ending in mind when creating the game, then s/he has in mind the motivations of the Bad Guy. Exactly what I was thinking. Maybe it becomes a semantic argument. It's no so much that the GM knows or has pre-planned the ending. But the GM should know what ending the various actors in the story are trying to achieve. What ending do the cultists have in mind? What ending does the competing adventuring league have in mind? What ending does the dragon have in mind? I suppose where people worry about getting into trouble is if the GM has very strong thoughts on what ending the PCs have in mind. Because that's where you don't really have any clue, and if you have strong opinions than you risk writing the story for them.
|
|