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Post by jazzisblues on Mar 27, 2012 12:44:56 GMT -8
I’m sorry I over reacted. I asked a question about systems and then felt like I was getting the “It’s ok to be a noob G.M.” speech. I’m sure it’s a conversation that you’ve had many times Hyvemynd while co-hosting red idle hands, but for some reason it grated on me. I make it a point to never railroad, not even for what I think will be an awesome scene and I would never punish my players for not doing something that I expect them to, though I did give the one guy who jumped out the window an extra item from the king as a reward. After moving to a new state a few years ago I’m still trying to find a group that I can work well with as a GM and player. In an effort to help things mesh, I’ve been reading up on a lot of extra systems. Thank you all for being less touchy then I was yesterday! 'tis all good Barney, we're all here in this together. A couple of thoughts: 1. Obviously if the bad guys jump out the window they have a way that (they think at least) will get them to the ground in one piece. So if I'm a player the first question that leaps to mind is CAN I pursue them? The second one is should I? 2. If I could, and I should the next question becomes tactical, what's the best way to pursue them and what's the best way to go after them. Spells and ranged weapons immediately leap to mind. 3. In thinking about this for a bit I think if I were going to set this sort of scene up I would make absolutely sure that my players were prepared for it and that they might have seen something like that before. I'm reminded of the scene in "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," where Moriarity jumps out the window but has a squirrel suit on that lets him glide down but the heroes don't have such equipment. If a bad guy or two has gotten away by jumping out of a window like this before the pc's are (1) going to be clamoring for similar capabilities themselves, and (2) going to expect something like that so they're less likely to vapor lock at the idea. As far as game systems go, I would (personally) be less concerned about system than I would be about the story and what was going on in the fiction. By which I mean I could make that work in any of the game systems I use but I'd want to set it up first rather than spring it on them. Not saying you sprung it on them just that I'd plant the seeds of that idea before we got to it. I am reminded of a game years ago where the pc's were transporting the body of a fallen comrade to his home for burial and had to cross a bridge that had been taken over by ogres. The ogres demanded a toll. The idea being that the pc's would fight with the ogres and thus would begin a new line of story. What really happened? Ogre: *menacingly* You'z gotta pay da toll ... PC: How much is the toll? Ogre: *growls* 100 gold each PC: *to companions* You got a hundred gold? PC's confer and bag up the gold and hand it to the ogre who scratches his head takes the gold and lets them pass. Thus ended my game for that night ... and the lesson I learned, "The players will rarely do what I expect them to do, so don't get too wrapped up in an idea." Just my 2 krupplenicks on the subject, your mileage may of course vary. JiB
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Post by kaitoujuliet on Mar 27, 2012 16:26:38 GMT -8
Here's a goofy thought--what about Exalted? If you want to encourage your players to take risks and have their characters do crazy stunts, that might be just the ticket.
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HyveMynd
Supporter
Dirty hippie, PbtA, Fate, & Cortex Prime <3er
Posts: 2,273
Preferred Game Systems: PbtA, Cortex Plus, Fate, Ubiquity
Currently Playing: Monsterhearts 2
Currently Running: The Sprawl
Favorite Species of Monkey: None
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Post by HyveMynd on Mar 27, 2012 17:56:08 GMT -8
I’m sorry I over reacted. I asked a question about systems and then felt like I was getting the “It’s ok to be a noob G.M.” speech. I’m sure it’s a conversation that you’ve had many times Hyvemynd while co-hosting red idle hands, but for some reason it grated on me. No worries. I can come off pretty preachy sometimes, especially when I don't have someone standing next to me telling me shut up and stay on topic. I'm also honored to hear you think our show actually has listeners. Sorry to shatter the illusion, but we don't. ;D It's been said many times by many people on the HJ's cast and forum, but trying to guess what the players will do is an exercise in futility. When you expect them to go left, they dig through the floor instead; think they'll go and confront the bad guys and they slink quietly out of town in the dead of night; hint that they're going up against overwhelming odds and should really run away, and they charge headlong into an unbeatable encounter. The only thing you can reliably expect from players is that they'll do the unexpected. The idea being that the pc's would fight with the ogres and thus would begin a new line of story. What really happened? Ogre: *menacingly* You'z gotta pay da toll ... PC: How much is the toll? Ogre: *growls* 100 gold each PC: *to companions* You got a hundred gold? PC's confer and bag up the gold and hand it to the ogre who scratches his head takes the gold and lets them pass. Thus ended my game for that night ... Funnily enough, this exact scenario happened in our short-lived Savage Worlds fantasy game (the one that sparked the whole 'is SW good for fantasy' debate), except it was a giant. The party was walking back to the city through the mountains, which were known to be giant territory. We entered a pass, and suddenly, sure enough a giant appeared at the other end, blocking our way. Giant: *menacingly* What you doing here? PC: We're just leaving. We're going back to the city. Sorry. Giant: *growls* This my land. My PC: *slinking behind a rock* We'll pay you a toll. Giant: *thinking* OK. 10 gold each. My PC: *chucks her purse towards the feet of the giant* There you go. That's for everyone now. Bye bye. *the PCs continue on their way* After the session the GM (not me) expressed surprise and disappointment that we didn't bumrush the giant and start a fight. Our response was "One: He was a giant. Two: We were trespassing on his land, and he hadn't really done anything threatening towards us. Three: Dude, he was a freaking giant!" In my mind there was absolutely no reason my character would start a fight especially with a damn giant. The GM on the other hand had envisioned his game to be an over the top heroic action adventure game where the PCs would take on giants at the drop of a hat and simply because they were there. The game fell apart soon after that session because there was such a disconnect between how the GM and the players were envisioning the tone of the game.
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