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<blockquote data-quote="Bedrockgames" data-source="post: 7625896" data-attributes="member: 85555"><p>That is an interesting observation </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Well, if they had been there before I would have dealt with it differently, but there are still things that can change on their way there. I am not going to go over every little detail, but I do like to give the players the chance to comment and take action as they are heading somewhere (even if I think the result is a foregone conclusion). </p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p>If that is how you want to do it, I say go for it. That isn't how I would be comfortable running the situation. I think in part because it feels like player actions are being described to them and they don't really have the power when a description is structured like that to pivot in shorter increments. Or at least, it is harder for them to do so. I don't want to assume for example that they make a direct approach to Iron God Meng's private dining hall. For all I know they want to go there but take a less direct approach to dealing with him. </p><p></p><p>Also keep in mind, this was an artificial example. I excluded things like developments that occurred on their way to the hall (that stuff can come up which I will address below). </p><p></p><p>I </p><p></p><p>Again, this is an artificial example, it doesn't capture everything. In any given location I will know the sects present, the situation, the heroes nearby, etc. If the player's wander into a town, context is going to matter. Particularly in Tung On. If they are there as part of an organization that has rivalries in town, those could come up. But I also do have encounter tables for each city. And I use Surivival City rolls to get from one section of town to another. These tables include hawkers, potential allies, enemies, officials, etc. </p><p></p><p>I don't think I come to the game from a process sim approach (though I am not 100% clear on how that is conceived in GNS). My approach is rooted int he living adventure idea from the original Ravenloft Module and Feast of Goblyns, blended with sandbox concepts and Clash Bowley's ideas about situational adventures. It is something that works for me. In the wuxia context I call it Drama Sandbox. It isn't just about simulating a setting. There are dramatic elements occasionally. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>I totally get this. I am not objecting to other approaches. I am trying to explain my approach to Hussar and also explain why I take this approach. It isn't meant to suggest you can't do it another way, or to suggest I wouldn't experiment with other ways. But this is my preferred method of GMing. It is what works best for me over the course of long campaigns.</p><p></p><p>Just to give an example, here is the Tung-On encounter table I am working on for an upcoming book (I originally had a different table but decided to start revising it). This is still a work in progress and references several other tables not included below): </p><p></p><p>TUNG-ON ENCOUNTER TABLE I</p><p>Roll 2d10 Result</p><p>2 Roll on GRUDGE TABLE</p><p>3 Roll on Tung-On Encounter Table II </p><p>4 1d10 Constables</p><p>5 Aggressive fortune teller </p><p>6 Celestial Plume Peddler </p><p>7 Opera Troupe Performance</p><p>8 Merchant aggressively peddling goods </p><p>9 City Official </p><p>10 1d10 Bao Men </p><p>11 1d10 Eighty Seven Killers</p><p>12 Bao Chief </p><p>13 1d10 </p><p>14 1d10 Iron God Meng’s Men (Golden Way)</p><p>15 Hustle </p><p>16 1d10 Iron Guard (Golden Way)</p><p>17 Illegal Goods Peddler </p><p>18 Elderly thief with musician assistant</p><p>19 Roll on TUNG-ON PERSONALITY TABLE </p><p>20 Roll on MAI CUN LOCAL PERSONALITY TABLE </p><p> </p><p>TUNG-ON ENCOUNTER TABLE II</p><p>Roll 2d10 Result</p><p>2 Fated Encounter </p><p>3 1d10 Temple of Jade Mercies Nuns or Monks </p><p>4 2 Celestial Plume Disciples </p><p>5 1 Long Ma Hall Cub and 1-10 Long Ma Hall Heroes </p><p>6 7 Demons </p><p>7 3d10 Constables </p><p>8 1 Long Ma Hall Cub </p><p>9 1d10 Supreme Guard (Golden Way) </p><p>10 1d10 Long Ma Hall Heroes</p><p>11 2d10 Constables </p><p>12 A duel between two martial experts (roll randomly on FAN XU PERSONALITY TABLE)</p><p>13 1d10 Soldiers </p><p>14 1 Celestial Plum Disciple </p><p>15 2d10 Soldiers </p><p>16 Sheriff and 4d10 Constables </p><p>17 1 of the 7 Vermillion Stars (Vermillion Tea House) </p><p>18 2d10 Bandits </p><p>19 Aggressive Physician peddling cures </p><p>20 Official Bureaucrats checking passports</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Bedrockgames, post: 7625896, member: 85555"] That is an interesting observation Well, if they had been there before I would have dealt with it differently, but there are still things that can change on their way there. I am not going to go over every little detail, but I do like to give the players the chance to comment and take action as they are heading somewhere (even if I think the result is a foregone conclusion). If that is how you want to do it, I say go for it. That isn't how I would be comfortable running the situation. I think in part because it feels like player actions are being described to them and they don't really have the power when a description is structured like that to pivot in shorter increments. Or at least, it is harder for them to do so. I don't want to assume for example that they make a direct approach to Iron God Meng's private dining hall. For all I know they want to go there but take a less direct approach to dealing with him. Also keep in mind, this was an artificial example. I excluded things like developments that occurred on their way to the hall (that stuff can come up which I will address below). I Again, this is an artificial example, it doesn't capture everything. In any given location I will know the sects present, the situation, the heroes nearby, etc. If the player's wander into a town, context is going to matter. Particularly in Tung On. If they are there as part of an organization that has rivalries in town, those could come up. But I also do have encounter tables for each city. And I use Surivival City rolls to get from one section of town to another. These tables include hawkers, potential allies, enemies, officials, etc. I don't think I come to the game from a process sim approach (though I am not 100% clear on how that is conceived in GNS). My approach is rooted int he living adventure idea from the original Ravenloft Module and Feast of Goblyns, blended with sandbox concepts and Clash Bowley's ideas about situational adventures. It is something that works for me. In the wuxia context I call it Drama Sandbox. It isn't just about simulating a setting. There are dramatic elements occasionally. I totally get this. I am not objecting to other approaches. I am trying to explain my approach to Hussar and also explain why I take this approach. It isn't meant to suggest you can't do it another way, or to suggest I wouldn't experiment with other ways. But this is my preferred method of GMing. It is what works best for me over the course of long campaigns. Just to give an example, here is the Tung-On encounter table I am working on for an upcoming book (I originally had a different table but decided to start revising it). This is still a work in progress and references several other tables not included below): TUNG-ON ENCOUNTER TABLE I Roll 2d10 Result 2 Roll on GRUDGE TABLE 3 Roll on Tung-On Encounter Table II 4 1d10 Constables 5 Aggressive fortune teller 6 Celestial Plume Peddler 7 Opera Troupe Performance 8 Merchant aggressively peddling goods 9 City Official 10 1d10 Bao Men 11 1d10 Eighty Seven Killers 12 Bao Chief 13 1d10 14 1d10 Iron God Meng’s Men (Golden Way) 15 Hustle 16 1d10 Iron Guard (Golden Way) 17 Illegal Goods Peddler 18 Elderly thief with musician assistant 19 Roll on TUNG-ON PERSONALITY TABLE 20 Roll on MAI CUN LOCAL PERSONALITY TABLE TUNG-ON ENCOUNTER TABLE II Roll 2d10 Result 2 Fated Encounter 3 1d10 Temple of Jade Mercies Nuns or Monks 4 2 Celestial Plume Disciples 5 1 Long Ma Hall Cub and 1-10 Long Ma Hall Heroes 6 7 Demons 7 3d10 Constables 8 1 Long Ma Hall Cub 9 1d10 Supreme Guard (Golden Way) 10 1d10 Long Ma Hall Heroes 11 2d10 Constables 12 A duel between two martial experts (roll randomly on FAN XU PERSONALITY TABLE) 13 1d10 Soldiers 14 1 Celestial Plum Disciple 15 2d10 Soldiers 16 Sheriff and 4d10 Constables 17 1 of the 7 Vermillion Stars (Vermillion Tea House) 18 2d10 Bandits 19 Aggressive Physician peddling cures 20 Official Bureaucrats checking passports [/QUOTE]
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