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How to prepare new PCS to a Zeitgeist campaign (NO SPOILERS)
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<blockquote data-quote="efreund" data-source="post: 7327986" data-attributes="member: 6799797"><p>Keep expectations in line. As the author states in adv2: "this is like a slow-burn novel." The game introduces a ton of things before it starts resolving any of them. It can be easy for the campaign to simply come across as 'unsatisfying' and it's easy for in-game frustration of feeling like they're in the dark to bleed into out-of-game frustration that the plot is too damn unresolved at any given point in game. When you don't have all the answers (from the GM's guide), and only have the details that have been revealed (through real play), the game is incredibly hard to follow. Let them know the wins will come, but that they may literally a year away (of OOG time).</p><p></p><p>Do frequent recaps. If you can get players to own them, awesome. Else, you'll have to yourself. This can be done voice-of-narrator before session, as a "here's what's happened so far on ZG", or do it like we did, in-game, as we RP'd out the time when the agents sat in their office with their boots up on the table "going over the facts of the case." This is essential IMHO.</p><p></p><p>DMNPCs never feel good. But consider letting the PCs have an intern, or another explicitly junior-member of the RHC with them <em>that they control</em> to go on cases with them. I think it's important to have at least four bodies on the map because of the way that ZG structures combats. Unlike 99% of Paizo combats, where the goal is just to "kill the other side", over 80% of combats in ZG have a specific goal (like "escort the VIP to the safepoint", or "destroy the McGuffin in 4 rounds or less", or "maintain king of the hill for more rounds than the other team", etc.). These are awesome, but they often require more "bodies on the field" in order to accomplish, and simply leveling up (or gearing up, or gestalting, etc) won't compensate for a small team size. Study some of the early combats carefully, and you'll see what I mean. (I'm trying to avoid spoilers.)</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="efreund, post: 7327986, member: 6799797"] Keep expectations in line. As the author states in adv2: "this is like a slow-burn novel." The game introduces a ton of things before it starts resolving any of them. It can be easy for the campaign to simply come across as 'unsatisfying' and it's easy for in-game frustration of feeling like they're in the dark to bleed into out-of-game frustration that the plot is too damn unresolved at any given point in game. When you don't have all the answers (from the GM's guide), and only have the details that have been revealed (through real play), the game is incredibly hard to follow. Let them know the wins will come, but that they may literally a year away (of OOG time). Do frequent recaps. If you can get players to own them, awesome. Else, you'll have to yourself. This can be done voice-of-narrator before session, as a "here's what's happened so far on ZG", or do it like we did, in-game, as we RP'd out the time when the agents sat in their office with their boots up on the table "going over the facts of the case." This is essential IMHO. DMNPCs never feel good. But consider letting the PCs have an intern, or another explicitly junior-member of the RHC with them [I]that they control[/I] to go on cases with them. I think it's important to have at least four bodies on the map because of the way that ZG structures combats. Unlike 99% of Paizo combats, where the goal is just to "kill the other side", over 80% of combats in ZG have a specific goal (like "escort the VIP to the safepoint", or "destroy the McGuffin in 4 rounds or less", or "maintain king of the hill for more rounds than the other team", etc.). These are awesome, but they often require more "bodies on the field" in order to accomplish, and simply leveling up (or gearing up, or gestalting, etc) won't compensate for a small team size. Study some of the early combats carefully, and you'll see what I mean. (I'm trying to avoid spoilers.) [/QUOTE]
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