Topics created by Gashlycrumb

@Gashlycrumb said in Realism:

That deal where, of all the people who are involved in a situation, the one expected to do something is the one who is least empowered to be effective? Too realistic.

That PC who is rude as fuck, but also extremely touchy (eg. “How are you doing?” “How DARE you! Suggesting that I might be doing anything other than brilliantly is unforgivable insult!”) is also too damn realistic.

First of all, how dare you suggest I am extremely touchy.

Two things I want to comment on - players making the ‘wrong’ choice ICly (when they know what the right choice should be OOCly) and incorporating player choices into the story.

There’s a LARP principle that we talk about at the start of every game during our opening workshops that I see a lot of MUSH players take to heart, which is don’t be afraid to make good mistakes - if you are faced with a choice, sometimes making the choice you know is the wrong choice OOCly leads to more fun RP than if you were to make the right choice ICly.

I think if you come from a perspective where winning = the thing, then yes, not being able to do what you want when you want it can be frustrating. If you come from a perspective where the journey = the thing, then sometimes it doesn’t matter.

I have a very firm storytelling principle when I run a scene or a plot which is that if a player comes up with a clever move that I didn’t anticipate, I don’t no sell it. Even if it undoes the entire plot, and shifts to an entirely different resolution. Because ultimately, the players are not the NPCs in a story that I am writing, they are the PLAYERS and I am putting up a scenario for them. Even if it means that somehow the really cool dragon I was looking forward to them fighting never shows its face because they find a way to defeat the big bad WITHOUT having to get the MacGuffin hiding in the dragon’s hoard, well, good on them.

I can always find a way to use that dragon later, right?

Excelsior! is another one that I’d recommend, it’s a super hero roster game. But the staff there has been super awesome with getting plot out there, and making sure that everyone is able to not only just participate but to have a chance to shine as well.

@Polk said in What's written on the box:

Heh, the good old “What does the game need?” vs “Play what you like, friend!” dance used to frustrate me.

But I eventually found an answer. “Welcome. Tell me what you like to play, and I can help you craft an idea that matches what works here.”

I can get behind that answer because it means you are helping someone fit into the game. I know I’ve joined games and ‘played what I want’ and couldn’t get involve because most of what was going on my concept didn’t work.

@Roadspike I totally agree that there needs to be more ‘That doesn’t work lets find something along the same vein that would’ for concepts that don’t. I think it would make a lot of people more active on games.