Do you like plots?

[Prince of Happiness]

Orcs. What's up with that?

NO POTION FOR YOU!!!

But uh...in the above I also meant to say that my tastes for plot and campaigning is also balanced with dungeon crawling, again all up to the skill of the players and DM.

 

[Elf Witch]

Plot is very important to me. I hate really hate boring non connected dungeon crawls. I want what my character does to have meaning beyond just killing and getting loot.

A well crafted plot makes me exicited to play just to see what is going to happen next.

 

[3catcircus]

But who says your PC *should* affect the *whole* world? Sure, if you are an Elminster or Mordenkainen, this can happen. However, if you are just Noob the 1st level (or even Noobu the Magnificent, a 10th level PC), why in the hell should your actions affect the whole world? This really is, I think a player misconception that goes hand-in-hand with players charging the DM with railroading. Sure - your actions can affect your little slice of the world (that single village or kingdom, and that one bad-guy or evil organization), but to expect that your actions are going to attract the attention of multiple baddies seems to me a little too much to be expecting.

As a pc I need to know that my actions are effecting the world which usually means I need a good plot. Dungeoncrawl adventures are fun for one shotters and conventions but in a campaign I'm in I need to know that there is an a b c and d. But dungeoncrawls usually havea definative ending whereas I know if there is a plot there are multiple ways I can go and change things.

 

[Westgate Polks]

The Shamen touched on something very important. I love the deep convoluted plots, as do many of my players. One thing that helps me bring these threads to life is for each plot line, develop a short list of events that might/will occur over the course of the current gaming session. Then have these events happen regardless of whether the PCs witness them or not. Don't discount PC action, but don't require everything to happen in front of them.

If you are running a modern game set in SF and Chinese New Year comes up, have the parade whether the characters see it or not. Not only does this technique provide a sense of time elapsing BUT it gives you stuff to describe as the PCs do there thing. If they end up chasing a villain and turn up Market Street, then they (and the villain) will have to dodge / disrupt / join the Dragon Parade.

 

[Deadguy]

I vastly prefer an intricate, ongoing plot to a "dungeon of the week." I can play the latter, but I will never enjoy it nearly as much as the former.

Of course, it's possible to go too far. That way lies railroading and pet NPCs. But it's possible to have a story- and plot-intensive campaign without those, if the DM knows what s/he's doing.

Another aspect of the over-plotted campaign is simply player confusion. I am experiencing that myself (albeit in an Ars Magica campaign ratehr than a D&D one). There are now so many threads and subplots and personal quests that the campaign feels like a morass. I know that it's straight in the GM's head (more or less), but to the players, we can no longer distinguish significant from unimportant, and we are losing focus (and in my case enthusiasm).

So, yes, don't get too carried away with plot. That way lies (player) madness!

 

[diaglo]

i like plot.

but sometimes i just want to kill things and take their stuff.

last session as a referee (june 5), the party found out a ton of stuff about the campaign which had been hinted at for months.

which was good for many of the players... but we had 2 new players, 1 newish player, and 1 returning player that ... well most of the information went right by them... they will catch up i'm sure. it's just that thsi session was more fact finding then most.

as a player, i like to stay in character. so as long as my PC is doing what he'd do, i don't care one way or the other about what's happening. currently i'm playing a neutral hin dragonhunter. i want to kill things.. dragons mostly.. and take their stuff as trophies. eventual retire to my hobbit hole and write my memoirs

 

[tonym]

Yeh, what Deadguy said. Too many layers upon layers of plot can lead to player confusion and apathy. And heaven help you if you miss a session in a game like that! When you come back, it's like having missed a class in Bomb School.

"Wait! Which wire do I cut again? Hello? Anybody? Dammit, I cut the blue one and see what happens."


Tony M

 

[Henry]

I prefer plot to no-plot, but it depends on the mood I'm in. Sometimes I want to game like I'm 12 again, and face down Orcs guarding pies. (Mmmm. Blueberry Pie.)

 

[johnsemlak]

PLOT

Is that something that tastes good on popcorn?

 

[Deadguy]

Yeh, what Deadguy said. Too many layers upon layers of plot can lead to player confusion and apathy. And heaven help you if you miss a session in a game like that! When you come back, it's like having missed a class in Bomb School.

"Wait! Which wire do I cut again? Hello? Anybody? Dammit, I cut the blue one and see what happens."

Ahhhh... yes, the missed session in the plot-intensive campaign. It might not matter, if only minor plots are resolved, but it can be that you miss the key bits. Heck, I've seen PCs attack people who were allies, because they'd missed a session where previous expectations were turned upside down! No matter what notes you get given, or discussions with fellow players, there's always somethis important that doesn't get mentioned.

Lest it sound like I don't want plots - I like a plotted campaign. But I realise that you don't need as much plot as you might imagine, in order to to keep players occupied. I think that comes back to Quasqueton's query - much of that unseen 80% can be dispensed with if you, as DM, aren't enjoying writing it.