Role Play General Chat

I see what your saying, Teele, I was merely pointing that out as an aspect that would need more GM guiding than anything else in the game.

 

I definitely appreciate the concern and the input, Flake! We'll see what happens for the next little while. If things slow down RPG-wise around here (i.e. After ICE), maybe I'll throw this together and give it a go.

Sounds interesting, Leaka. I enjoy epic martial-arts goodness.

 

lol! Its martial arts with magic, who could ask for more.
No, I'm going to turn the magic thing into something more science fiction.
Sorry to disappoint.
Still it looks like magic.

Cool Teele, I'll be there.
This sounds like a really interesting idea and I want to be part.
Also I want to create an alien race that is so freaky it gives AVP a run for there money.

 

Just one final bit of advice...

...Don't ever, ever, ever, EVER expect a game to run itself. It's just not possible.

 

Oh, definitely not! Nope, that's not the implication I was trying to make. Emphasis here is gonna be creativity. Besides, I'm gonna WANT to be active.

 

This is the best advice actually. I've seen so many games fall when the GM lets the players carry on without any navigation. What you have to remember is when you create a game its your creation and although gamers will sign up to play they in effect are stepping into your universe. and to keep them there you have to steer them to a degree and create interest so as they will want to continue to play.

God knows GMing in itself can take great bouts of time and patience but I always feel that games need a strong GM that can put the situations in there and keep the players gripped.

Plus a good game will have good background and character plot and villains atmosphere and a world ready to step into.

Take Carnopolis for example the world is there Flakes has created the scenario and the atmosphere. The background has been well revised and input. The descriptions have all been mapped out and his main plot is done from the start. And that’s what made the game work.

Then Take my Rybok's Rat Pack. Its a world I've created a Mission that’s been explained to has narration of background actions and Villains that are there. The characters are well placed and the interaction gets up close. The game starts and ends in the same line keeping the story ongoing throughout. The narration of the background characters keep the player guessing on what’s coming and wondering what situations will pop up next. Keeping the game play active and alive.

 

Hm! Excellent advice indeed. With that in mind, perhaps I should be aiming for something a little MORE structured and well-planned...

I shall ponder these mysteries...

 

Well when Ice is running through you could see some styles in action.
Its best to observe when trying to make an RPG.
Observation is probably one of the best keys in any kind of writing, especially RPG.

 

Definitely, Leaka. In light of all the advice given, I may end up just going with my original plan and doing another Crystan RPG. The world is already fairly well-established, and many of you have had an intro to it already. As you said, Raven, I'm going to have to give it more thought and planning than last time. Mayhap I'll begin doing that soon.

 

If Crystan is coming back.....Aida is coming back.

 

Teele, if it helps any, this how I plan out Carnapolis based games:

I do an A-K-Z plot line (more letters depending on how separated characters are). A will definitely happen, K will definitely happen, and Z will definitely happen. The rest of the alaphabet is filled in by the players. If a person wants to participate in the overall story arc, they can, or if someone wants to just explore the city I've built for them, they can do that also.

Yeah, it can be boring for people who don't integrate their character into the rest of the story since there isn't such a hard line to follow, I'll admit that. But it allows me a little more down time since I only need to tell the story only as much as those three (or four or five or six) plot points.

And it also allows for a lot of adjustment if someone decides they want to throw a curveball before consulting with the catcher.

 

More great advice. Perhaps this shall become the method of choice for my next game. But hey, since we're on the subject, how exactly DOES each of you plan your games?

 

I plan my game in my head.

No in all seriousness I just think of a story and how I want it played out. It all, for me, depends on the story.

Like my idea with the army and all that top secret stuff. Where I would have to send the generals their missions and what not, that would be a very heavy GM story.

But for something like Supernatura or Free Spirits, I only need to GM when I know their is suppose to be something going.
Usually for something like Supernatura or Free Spirits, I let the story create itself.
Because that is what an RPG is, a creation among everybody.

For me it all depends on the story and what I want.

Hope that helped or made any sense.

 

Id like to see you create another Crystan or even re-do the last version. You certainly had the main background. But if you want my honest opinion You need to be a more hands on GM. Create scenario's and Villians that keep popping up. Remember the famous Vornn. Everyone hated him But he kept them wondering if they'd be struck by him. Be discriptive and with a world like Crystan I think its important to have that background narration and events with character's in story. Like The King ordering his Lieutenant to ambush the players at location X or the King having a conversation with someone else that will later pop up. or two knights chasing the good guys. Do you get the meaning.

 

When I'm planning an RPG I establish the world, and what, if I was writing it as a story, I would like to happen: I have a beginning, and an ending I'm aiming for. I also have a few plot twists/action triggers planned out.

But you have to be aware that players will have other ideas and turn things around. I think the best GM's are able to be flexible with where the players go but keep the triggers ready to guide them towards the ending.

 

I certainly understand! A world with consistency, interesting characters and situations that the players can interact with, and elements that will keep the players guessing...all excellent things to aspire to.

Yes indeed. This mix of planning and spontaneity required in a good RPG is what draws me in a big way toward Flake's A-K-Z style. It sounds like you have a similar sort of thing; plan the beginning, end, and a few points in between, and leave the rest to the players. And of course, the actions of the players will have the potential to shift some of the points slightly.

Thanks and kudos to everyone, by the way. I'm soaking up everything I can here!

 

Don't you mean you are soaking up whatever you read?

 

Yes, yes, that's precisely what I mean.

 

And you are pounding whatever key you can reach.

 

Something like that.

 

Good you are learning.


I actually have an RPG questions.
How do you guys think of stories?
Or how do you make them more RPG?

 

Now, I'm not the authority on this one, but here I go. Creating a story for a novel, and creating a story for an RPG are very different. In your own story, you control everything. In an RPG, you need to give the players leeway in crafting the majority of the tale.

However, like general story-writing, coming up with an RPG story begins with an idea. Essentially, this idea could be anything. In Crystan, for instance, I began with the idea of the Upheaval and asked myself a question: "How exactly would it have started?" And from there, I started brainstorming. The basic idea, once you have it, has to be fleshed out, and some background to it drawn up. Almost always, an idea will raise many questions that must be answered.

The most important, and (for me) the most challenging part of turning the story into an RPG story is getting the players involved. How do 12+ random characters get tangled up in this tale? The answer depends on many things, and it is one of the more essential things you'll have to deal with.

That's my two bits, for what its worth. Which isn't much. But hey!

 

You're very helpful Teele. I like what you said.
I think the hardest thing for me in an RPG is letting go.
I love getting people to help me write the story.
Instead of me designing every little plot twist or anything, I like to have them make their own.
But even though I love to do this deeply, I have a problem with letting go.
Like I always feel because I had these ideas in my head...sometimes I feel this isn't going the way I want to go.
I have a hard time letting people make part of their own plot because I had this idea in my head.
I'm always stubborn with my ideas.
What's the hardest thing for you when you create a RPG?

 

Well, really, I've only done the one RPG so far to any degree. Creating it was generally the easy part. In creation, my mistake was to assume that I could leave the majority of the plot to chance and spontaneity. And of course, as we saw, that burned itself out after not too much time. So, I think the main challenge for me is planning out the elements that will keep the story moving and keep the players interested.

But again, this is based on one failed RPG, so yeah.

 

I tend to run into a pattern.
I end my RPG, never feeling satisfied or I end up never being able to finish my RPGs and I end up upset because I never got to finish them.
I really want to try something new.
But I just don't have the style or the technique down.