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Gears of Revolution: Notes on my campaign
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<blockquote data-quote="N'raac" data-source="post: 5732672" data-attributes="member: 6681948"><p>Certainly unintended, and I apologize for any offense. I also intend my response more to thread readers in general who are having this problem than to you specifically.</p><p></p><p>My experience, however, is that players come at problems and issues with historical experience, so if there's something I'd like to see them do in-game, I ask myself why they won't do it. In this case, possibilities include:</p><p></p><p> - a history with one or more games where any hook the character has is exploited to the character's detriment. They need to be persuaded that this is not such a game.</p><p></p><p> - the requirement is presented like work (which, I think, it is to some extent in the players' guide - "your 'homework' for Session 2 is to read this section of the Guide and write an essay on two persons, in two districts, whom you know" ) rather than as character building to make the character more effective and the game more fun ( "each character may have two player-defined contacts in the city, in different districts, who will be available to help in his investigations").</p><p></p><p> - some may have written backgrounds for their characters that were just ignored in prior games, so they can't be bothered any more. I would hope these contacts don't just vanish, never to be seen again, after the scenario in question.</p><p></p><p> - some characters may have an easier time than others. Our gunslinger is born and raised in Flint and just setting off outside the family home for the first time. His contacts are his industrialist parents and a school buddy who's now in the navy, stationed on Capt. Rutger's ship. This is all pre-GM approval, and done in writing the character up. A wanderer only recently arrived in Flint may be more difficult to assess contacts for.</p><p> </p><p>A discussion with GM and player might also stimulate some ideas, as the GM is likely more familiar with Flint (and especially with his own vision of Flint) and may be able to bring some ideas consistent with the character's backstory and/or personality to the table. That wanderer has to eat somewhere - maybe one of his contacts is a restaurant employee or owner.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>If they're too similar, maybe some discussion of other possibilities is in order. But what's "too similar". In my example, two restaurants would not seem out of the question (and maybe establishes the character as a bit of a gourmet, adding some non-adventuring personality), and the two contacts could still be very different, whether by player design or by GM role playing.</p><p> </p><ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"></li> </ol><p>While I don't disagree per se, I find those door-kickers aren't too happy in extensive investigation and NPC interaction scenarios. Best case, they nod off to sleep. Worst case, they become disruptive. Presumably, you're dealing with best case for any door kickers, or you wouldn't pick an adventure that's heavy in these elements. Or you simply downplay the aspects the group is less interested in, as we all customize scenarios to fit our, and our group's, preferences. Of course, then there is a risk that a player who does put thought and creativity in his contacts feels ripped off that they were glossed over.</p><p></p><p>One answer may well be to make it non-mandatory. A character with no contacts can still investigate, whether on his own or with teammates, and seeing the personal stake other players have in the setting from designing these contacts might stimulate him to be more involved in similar areas in the future. I don't see any point forcing a player to "do his homework".</p><p></p><p>As for levelling up, we normally have next level's character sheet ready to roll some time after the character attains this level, so we don't have an extended break to level up. Nothing's written in stone, but a portion of the process is fixed, and a lot of us have an idea where our characters are going (so we may now how skill points will be spent, but still waffle on that next Feat, for example).</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="N'raac, post: 5732672, member: 6681948"] Certainly unintended, and I apologize for any offense. I also intend my response more to thread readers in general who are having this problem than to you specifically. My experience, however, is that players come at problems and issues with historical experience, so if there's something I'd like to see them do in-game, I ask myself why they won't do it. In this case, possibilities include: - a history with one or more games where any hook the character has is exploited to the character's detriment. They need to be persuaded that this is not such a game. - the requirement is presented like work (which, I think, it is to some extent in the players' guide - "your 'homework' for Session 2 is to read this section of the Guide and write an essay on two persons, in two districts, whom you know" ) rather than as character building to make the character more effective and the game more fun ( "each character may have two player-defined contacts in the city, in different districts, who will be available to help in his investigations"). - some may have written backgrounds for their characters that were just ignored in prior games, so they can't be bothered any more. I would hope these contacts don't just vanish, never to be seen again, after the scenario in question. - some characters may have an easier time than others. Our gunslinger is born and raised in Flint and just setting off outside the family home for the first time. His contacts are his industrialist parents and a school buddy who's now in the navy, stationed on Capt. Rutger's ship. This is all pre-GM approval, and done in writing the character up. A wanderer only recently arrived in Flint may be more difficult to assess contacts for. A discussion with GM and player might also stimulate some ideas, as the GM is likely more familiar with Flint (and especially with his own vision of Flint) and may be able to bring some ideas consistent with the character's backstory and/or personality to the table. That wanderer has to eat somewhere - maybe one of his contacts is a restaurant employee or owner. If they're too similar, maybe some discussion of other possibilities is in order. But what's "too similar". In my example, two restaurants would not seem out of the question (and maybe establishes the character as a bit of a gourmet, adding some non-adventuring personality), and the two contacts could still be very different, whether by player design or by GM role playing. [LIST=1] [/LIST] While I don't disagree per se, I find those door-kickers aren't too happy in extensive investigation and NPC interaction scenarios. Best case, they nod off to sleep. Worst case, they become disruptive. Presumably, you're dealing with best case for any door kickers, or you wouldn't pick an adventure that's heavy in these elements. Or you simply downplay the aspects the group is less interested in, as we all customize scenarios to fit our, and our group's, preferences. Of course, then there is a risk that a player who does put thought and creativity in his contacts feels ripped off that they were glossed over. One answer may well be to make it non-mandatory. A character with no contacts can still investigate, whether on his own or with teammates, and seeing the personal stake other players have in the setting from designing these contacts might stimulate him to be more involved in similar areas in the future. I don't see any point forcing a player to "do his homework". As for levelling up, we normally have next level's character sheet ready to roll some time after the character attains this level, so we don't have an extended break to level up. Nothing's written in stone, but a portion of the process is fixed, and a lot of us have an idea where our characters are going (so we may now how skill points will be spent, but still waffle on that next Feat, for example). [/QUOTE]
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