Whizbang Dustyboots said:
So, what are these techniques, in general terms?
I'll be honest, I don't remember everything (which is why I'm glad to have the book!), but Tracy talks about things such as playing characters to the hilt. For example, he once played a barbarian and was bored to tears as the rest of the party would spend an entire session examining every little rune in a room. He talked to another player about how he wasn't having much fun, and she told him, "You're a barbarian, right? Be barbaric." So next session, he played the part to the hilt (regardless of consequence!), and started busting down doors. They had more action and more fun than they had seen in six months.
He also talks about things such as making associations with NPCs. For example, I recently played in a sci-fi game where my character needed a medic for a mission. He went down to the infirmary and found a guy. Without waiting for the DM, he said, "Simons!". I named the character, and we formed a bit of backstory right then and there. This technique can produce several different results, each one fun in its own right.
In broad strokes, the seminar is about taking steps to make the game fun. This is a product that can work with any rules system. It gives some tools for players to really mess with their DM's heads, and vice versa!
And I do apologize, I don't remember everything Tracy had in his seminar, so I'm really not doing this product the justice it deserves. What I can say, though, is that my friend and I came out of the seminar energized about playing, and smiling devilishly.
