How to find the "joy of prep" in PbtA games?

[RenleyRenfield]

The way it works (or doesn't) is that driven characters will come into conflict (or not) and that will produce story. I don't have to think about what's good for the story, I can just think about what the characters would do.

There might be more chance of stuff falling flat that way but it seems like a better creative relationship to have (For me anyway).

I understand, that's fair.

 

[pemerton]

The way it works (or doesn't) is that driven characters will come into conflict (or not) and that will produce story. I don't have to think about what's good for the story, I can just think about what the characters would do.

It seems that there are other options besides the two you mention. For instance, and as I think @niklinna was getting at, you might think about what would be compelling right now. That is different from thinking about what a character would do, but is also different from thinking about what's good for "the story".

 

[thefutilist]

It seems that there are other options besides the two you mention. For instance, and as I think @niklinna was getting at, you might think about what would be compelling right now. That is different from thinking about what a character would do, but is also different from thinking about what's good for "the story".

I think me and you have discussed this before. It's game dependant but yeah you can just go with what's compelling in the moment. Although what that means depends on other procedures and aesthetic criteria.

I think the aesthetic process of Sorcerer is in the fixed backstory, what does this NPC do, camp. You can of course play it like @niklinna suggests but I personally wouldn't find it much fun.

 

[zakael19]

Why would you “Think about NPCs” beyond an instinct/drive/purpose, and a couple features to convey them? NPCs only matter insofar as the players interact with them or their actions (if a Front/Threat/etc). When we build a relationship web in Stonetop - it’s just name, why they’re important (my one true love, the orphan beloved of Danu, the cannibal brother …dead?), a tag to help RP, and then whatever grows from play.

Going beyond that feels like dictating play space.

 

[thefutilist]

Going beyond that feels like dictating play space.

It absolutely is.

The first reason is just that it's fun to do. I don't agree that they matter only in so far as the pc's react to them. They're my artistic creations, a load of little imaginary people who are expressing my various points of view as expressed through character.

Then the next things are stuff I don't want to conflate. Which is when it's fixed v how much is filled out.

How filled out they are is maybe a continuum.

For instance as a Sorcerer character I don't think the following is filled out enough. I'd want to add more backstory as it relates to the other npcs.

Milan Zelenovic

A child during the Bosnian war he was both abused and abused to survive. During that time he ended up reading an art book and within was a reproduction of the 'Flaying of Marsyas'. Within the art there was a recognition that this was wrong, not on some kind of moral absolutist level but that an individual person could stand in judgement against the world. With this the recognition that almost no one does.

So Milan became a violent criminal. He considers most people morally inferior and uses them as he wants. In a sense he sees them as 'asking for it.' This also makes him isolated except he has art. He's not someone who is interested in dominance and he's not a sadist. There's a thrill he gets from crime but he considers it a bit lowly in some respects.

He doesn't have class based taste. He likes a lot of fine things but not as status symbols. He's bisexual. There is a growing discontent within him. Inability to form connection, a rage at the world.


Where as if you look at my example situation in my post 56. We have:

Baron Strict: Loyal to Ald. Has the most men under his command. A great supporter of Stern and a hater of Goldheart.

Which would be all I'd need in a game similar to In a Wicked Age. (well kinda. I'd rewrite it to be more proactive)

When they are fixed in something like Sorcerer or In a Wicked Age is before play begins. So using my example on my post 56. You have seven characters. They could be as filled out as Milan or as sparse as Baron Strict. They have been established as fixed though.

From what I know of Stonetop I'm not sure the above processes would be suitable for that game?