As I consider the different approaches I can take in making the next campaign game, I suddenly realized (again) that the DM designs the type of game he/she would like to play in. One of the older groups on-again/off-again DM's really enjoys back stories and intrigues and hidden references. Another prefers storylines with a few possible choices for the PC's, but they all push forward a story. I prefer open ended free-for-alls in which I can wander and explore. And once that thought really had a chance to germinate, I realized that this was the root of my dissatisfaction in the past. While the characters are all low level, the players who want storylines can begin to puzzle out threads to follow. The hack-n-slashers and min/max-ers can have a field day attacking and killing things. And everyone's happy....then around 6th or 7th level, the game tends to change. The PC's are now beginning to get reputations, there's more roleplay needed. More thinking needed to determine who's telling the truth in those RP settings. The hack-n-slashers are held back because now they can literally sever a storyline. The min/max-er's just want to roll the dice and "click the dialogue box" to get to combat. And no one's entirely happy any more which leads to players bickering and me sitting there wondering where did it all go wrong.....
It went wrong when I, as DM, did not say at the beginning what type of game I was going to run. I did not set the tone properly. So, I have learned my lesson and will be ready to do just that at the start of the next game. I know this sounds iron-fisted, or at least it does to me, but I don't see any other option out there to get the players started working like a team. I know it will work because it worked when I presented the Kobold Campaign. The group worked up to 10th level when the main storyline concluded with the successful resurrection of the protector dragon. It works in the Sky Pirate game in which I am playing because we all started out as captured slaves. So, the next step is: what event pulled the characters together? I need to spell that out clearly along with the type of game I will be running.
So, now to work out the details......
3 comments:
A possibly related article:
http://www.gnomestew.com/gming-advice/signs-of-campaign-greatness
Speaking from a GM perspective, it seems to me that Sandbox / Exploration gaming is easier if you're a GM experienced with that system with some handy tools (random encounters, pregen NPCs, etc.) handy. I've actually run into this constraint a bit with Pathfinder and Savage Worlds. As a GM new to running both systems in the last couple of years, I looked for commercial adventures to run. Generally the commercial stuff tends towards 'story' type adventures which are scripted and a bit rail-roady (Savage Worlds canned adventures tend to craft adventures oriented to stories, one-shots and Con games it seems; Pathfinder adventure paths and Society adventures follow much the same path). I think it has to do in part to the fact that many modern systems lend themselves to more crunch so you have to plan for encounters in advance and in some cases even plan out set piece 'boss fights' which dictate you end at a certain place at adventures end so you can have the fancy battlemat and figure flats or minis prepared.
Now, I know veteran GMs in Savage Worlds and Pathfinder who do pretty good sandbox style adventuring, but it takes more effort than in lighter 0e and 1e systems (which also had and have better sandbox tools).
So part of it is player preference and player expectations, but part of it too (for me as a GM anyway) is system familiarity and system tool support.
Which is a long winded way to say I really like exploration games which allow players a lot of narrative control, but I'm currently GM'ing more to story oriented game style in Savage Worlds. I will lean more to sandbox style (though not as much as some perhaps) as I master the system and learn to more easily craft NPCs and encounters on the fly.
I have a blog article I've been drafting (not yet finished or posted) which categorizes 5 types of adventures:
1) EXPLORATION
2) SCRIPTED SCENES
3) PREMISE DRIVEN
4) TURN BASED
5) TOTAL SANDBOX
I have examples of commercial adventures for each. I'll share this when I get it written :-)
I think there are merits to every kind of adventure, but I think the most important point is related to this statement "I, as DM, did not say at the beginning what type of game I was going to run." Set the expectation and parameters for the game at the beginning (or even before the beginning) which then puts the onus on the players to decide whether this is something they want to participate in or not. Players who opt in but then do not engage in the system or outright try to "buck" the system can be dealt with in a variety of ways including withholding xp bonuses for role-playing up to just killing them off and kicking them out if the offense warrants.
I realize that I wasn't even clear what I wanted out of Flashing Blades before y'all spent HOURS creating those characters.
I would handle a new FB campaign very differently in light of what I learned last autumn.
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