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Payn's Ponderings' To script, or not to script?
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<blockquote data-quote="Haiku Elvis" data-source="post: 8576738" data-attributes="member: 7032874"><p>I agree Its hard with using tropes from film, books etc successfully, as they can be great framing devices and in story constraints can lead to improvising and interesting outcomes but they can also just be frustrating GM fiats. it's all about the details, whys and wherefores and context.</p><p></p><p>It's interesting when you talk about success and failure in regard to things like getting captured as that always makes me think of James Bond as here is this world class secret agent but he gets captured often multiple times on EVERY GODAMN MISSION!</p><p> For a guy whose whole job is about secrecy, spying and stealth that's pretty rubbish but it makes for good movies as we get to see Bond meet the villian and engage in some quips (possibly about centrifugal forces) then stage a dramatic escape.</p><p></p><p>Transfer it to a game and it depends wildly. As with most successful life coaching advice this can be illustrated with the 1967 movie You Only Live Twice.</p><p>(I would give a spoiler warning but seriously it came out over 50 years ago how much time do you need to catch up)</p><p></p><p>In You only live twice there is a scene where Bond fights across Kobe docks defeats all comers, girl safely in tow then just when it looks like he's won, a mook steps out from behind some crates bonks him on the head and lights out - captured. If you tried this, your players would be fully justified in protesting it would just feel like I don't care what you do this is the way the story is going. GM ex machina. </p><p></p><p> But later on in the film he is caught sneaking in to (an evil) spaceship (in a volcano) by a superior force and frog marched off to the headquaters to meet Blofeld and then use his skills to escape and save the day (nay the world). </p><p>This sort of scenario I've used (or variations, you know you despatch the last of the castle guards and then twice as many reinforcements turn up to surround you swords drawn) and it can work great and the players liked it.</p><p></p><p>One. it's more tied in with the fiction. That is realistically what would happen if caught sneaking in to a well armed location. It doesn't have to feel thwarty from the GM more natural consequence.</p><p>Two. You may be taking straight hack and slash off the table but you are leaving a huge range of other options. Create a distraction and try to run, create an obsticle so someone can escape to get help, try to bribe the head good or sow division between them and their boss, wait for an opportune moment to escape later when less heavily guarded, let them take you to the boss inadvertently getting you through most of the defences. It may be failure in a way but the players are actually being set up for success in a different way and still have a lot of agency.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Haiku Elvis, post: 8576738, member: 7032874"] I agree Its hard with using tropes from film, books etc successfully, as they can be great framing devices and in story constraints can lead to improvising and interesting outcomes but they can also just be frustrating GM fiats. it's all about the details, whys and wherefores and context. It's interesting when you talk about success and failure in regard to things like getting captured as that always makes me think of James Bond as here is this world class secret agent but he gets captured often multiple times on EVERY GODAMN MISSION! For a guy whose whole job is about secrecy, spying and stealth that's pretty rubbish but it makes for good movies as we get to see Bond meet the villian and engage in some quips (possibly about centrifugal forces) then stage a dramatic escape. Transfer it to a game and it depends wildly. As with most successful life coaching advice this can be illustrated with the 1967 movie You Only Live Twice. (I would give a spoiler warning but seriously it came out over 50 years ago how much time do you need to catch up) In You only live twice there is a scene where Bond fights across Kobe docks defeats all comers, girl safely in tow then just when it looks like he's won, a mook steps out from behind some crates bonks him on the head and lights out - captured. If you tried this, your players would be fully justified in protesting it would just feel like I don't care what you do this is the way the story is going. GM ex machina. But later on in the film he is caught sneaking in to (an evil) spaceship (in a volcano) by a superior force and frog marched off to the headquaters to meet Blofeld and then use his skills to escape and save the day (nay the world). This sort of scenario I've used (or variations, you know you despatch the last of the castle guards and then twice as many reinforcements turn up to surround you swords drawn) and it can work great and the players liked it. One. it's more tied in with the fiction. That is realistically what would happen if caught sneaking in to a well armed location. It doesn't have to feel thwarty from the GM more natural consequence. Two. You may be taking straight hack and slash off the table but you are leaving a huge range of other options. Create a distraction and try to run, create an obsticle so someone can escape to get help, try to bribe the head good or sow division between them and their boss, wait for an opportune moment to escape later when less heavily guarded, let them take you to the boss inadvertently getting you through most of the defences. It may be failure in a way but the players are actually being set up for success in a different way and still have a lot of agency. [/QUOTE]
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