tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24434266.post114956391978200250..comments2024-02-26T21:38:35.761+11:00Comments on The Dust Forms Words: Primetime AdventuresGreg Tannahillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00823898295759037081noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24434266.post-1149648536278562452006-06-07T12:48:00.000+10:002006-06-07T12:48:00.000+10:00I see your point, but Primetime does have a couple...I see your point, but Primetime does have a couple of safeguards.<BR/><BR/>Firstly, the "spotlight character" for any given scene gets priority on plot generation for that scene. If anyone else wants to go in a different direction, they essentially have to "buy in" by spending fan mail. That means that when it's your scene, it really is your scene.<BR/><BR/>Secondly, each character essentially has responsibility for their own character arc. For instance, if we were playing a game of the B5 television series, Londo and G'Kar could quite happily plot out the Narn/Centauri war between each other without any input from another character, and Delenn can do the Minbari civil war all by herself. It's the job of the producer to structure the plots and ensure each one gets the appropriate amount of time and threads together with the others. Then each character has an inherent incentive to see their plot meld with everyone else, because quite simply if they do, they get more scenes.<BR/><BR/>I think it's probably a better system than having a GM-driven game where either it's really well written, or some players are reduced to stat-collections supporting the party leader(s).Greg Tannahillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00823898295759037081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24434266.post-1149647770221226042006-06-07T12:36:00.000+10:002006-06-07T12:36:00.000+10:00I don't think an assumption that the GM is always ...I don't think an assumption that the GM is always the storyteller is so terribly depressing. There are two opposing forces at work here, the desire of the GM to tell the story the way they see it in their head and the free will of the player characters. <BR/><BR/>On the former: the GM's story is something that can be lost in the Primetime Adventures style of play. You mention inequality of players in the sense that some are more outgoing than others. In Primetime Adventures, where the most accepted (and probably the best articulated) idea wins, players with verbal skills below your own are at a marked disadvantage. Basically, instead of proclaiming themselves to be the GM, the quickest thinking and most articulate player simply is the de facto GM in terms of story generation. Some people either need time to develop their concepts, or are too worried about being mocked ("worst storyteller ever") to put forward their ideas without some time to encourage themselves and build their ideas. At least the sole GM system gives people that opportunity. <BR/><BR/>The later issue, the free will of the PCs, is a dynamic which pushes against the creation of the story exactly as the GM had planned it. Characters will always do things you don't expect, go places you hadn't intended, not see a reason to go places you had intended for them to be (such as the underworld, hey Greg?) . <BR/><BR/>In other words, the sole GM systems allows for the basic plot elements to be shaped by a single person, while the detail is filled in by the player. This is a good system and has a lot of advantages. <BR/><BR/>On the other hand, I am very much looking forward to taking part in this game if you are running one and there are spots. :-)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16398394255011968938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24434266.post-1149637141042231732006-06-07T09:39:00.000+10:002006-06-07T09:39:00.000+10:00Thanks Craig, I'll bear that in mind. I saw that ...Thanks Craig, I'll bear that in mind. I saw that being used in some of the examples they link to from the site and it seemed sound.Greg Tannahillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00823898295759037081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24434266.post-1149605641519233612006-06-07T00:54:00.000+10:002006-06-07T00:54:00.000+10:00If you're gonna do one shots, it's probably best t...If you're gonna do one shots, it's probably best to limit the characters to one edge and one contact, rather than the multitude they specify.Craig Perkohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13173752470581218239noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24434266.post-1149571394399306382006-06-06T15:23:00.000+10:002006-06-06T15:23:00.000+10:00Hi, anonymous guy and/or gal! Thanks for stopping...Hi, anonymous guy and/or gal! Thanks for stopping by!<BR/><BR/>a) On the separation of GM and storyteller, I'm not saying this is something that should be universally implemented, just that there's been a depressing assumption that the GM is ALWAYS the storyteller.<BR/><BR/>b) All players have active input into plot resolution in all RPGs. What I'm talking about is self-generating and auto-weighting plots along the lines of what Craig Perko was discussing in the post I linked to.<BR/><BR/>c) Good GM technique pre-supposes a good GM, and this has been a major entry barrier to new RPGers for far too long. To have a good experience with an RPG, and thus enter the hobby, you need a reasonably good GM. What we need are systems that remove as much of the burden as possible and support structurally sound storytelling, rather than requiring a GM that can "work the system" to produce the desired result.<BR/><BR/>I have a vague idea of what you mean by "consciously meta", but I think you're needlessly limiting your horizons. So many RPGs in the D&D tradition have not actually been role-playing games, as in games where you play a role. They've been little more than dressed up combat-simulators or strings of puzzles and challenges. Primetime is the next step (from what I've seen) towards actual storytelling. And the best thing is it's genre and content neutral. How many games, other than the practically system-less ones, have you played that would let you do a Simpsons RPG without making you worry about how many hit points Bart should have or whether Homer is best represented as a fighter or a thief?Greg Tannahillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00823898295759037081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24434266.post-1149570763833346712006-06-06T15:12:00.000+10:002006-06-06T15:12:00.000+10:00On your three initial issuesa) the justification t...On your three initial issues<BR/>a) the justification that leaps to mind is that its necessitated by the need not to reveal the mechanical details of what is going on with the actions of antagonists. Which is a good point for certain sorts of games, but not universally applicable.<BR/><BR/>b) a moderate extension of the narrativist idea, which fundamentally is about all players having active input into plot resolution.<BR/><BR/>c) and this last has been a bit of a fundamental message of good GM technique for donkeys years. Cf works by Aaron Allston, Robin Laws, etc.<BR/><BR/>The game certainly looks fun, and worth exploring. I'm not a huge fan of self-consciously meta games, though. Hong Kong Action Theatre, for example, has some similar concepts.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com