Meta Plot Discussion

[Zombie-a-GoGo]

Sounds good to me. My last sentence was pretty loaded... guess we know which side of the fence I sit on re: metaplot, eh?

 

[Kichwas]

Meta-plots invariably make older material incompatable with current material - the older the book is the harder it becomes to incorporate it.

The strongest example in the DnD world of a setting with no meta-plot is Kalamar - it is a setting, and that is all it is. There is no storyline to it. Kalamar exists soley to be taken by a group and claimed as their own.

The strongest example in the DnD world of a story which claims to be a setting, but has an extremely heavy meta-plot is Forgotten Realms - it's a novel line and video game license first, and the setting exists only to suppliment interest in these other aspects. As a result the setting frequently undergoes major adjustments to accomdate events in the novels or video games and what was Forgotten Realms at one point often is very different than what is Forgotten Realms only a short while later.

Everything else falls somewhere between these two extremes - though most of the options from WotC fall so close to the extreme set forth by Forgotten Realms that they may or may not be on the same level. Dragonlance for example could be seen as more severe than Forgotten Realms, save that gaming campaigns in it -as far as I know- are always set in an age that is after the novels, though early modules were set right in the novels.

 

[Paka]

Yeah, I hate when publishers come to my house and force me to use things.

LightPhoenix,

I understand that no one has a gun to my head, forcing me to take into account what every book says has happened to X setting. I am a big proponent of taking a published setting and making it your own.

However, when a setting has a certain ethos behind it, it is a bother to work against that rather than a setting whose philosophy lines right up with mine, where the books and I work together. That is nice and for my money, it is what I want.

 

[Zombie-a-GoGo]

My complaint with meta stems from that master of meta, the WoD.

We had a pretty decent VtM anarch game going, what with us traveling up and down the east coast, forging alliances with different anarch cells and trying to put together a large-scale revolution. Our cell was based in NYC, which was Sabbat-controlled, and this was an intentional decision on the characters' parts because the Camarilla wanted to destroy us - we were rapidly becoming quite a nasty thorn in their side for trying to get the anarchs to work together/

Then one day, our ST tells us "oh, by the way, NYC is now back under Camarilla control."

What???

Now, I didn't mind that the Camarilla was trying to retake NYC, but our group was given absolutely no way to try and influence the war for the city. Perhaps in the chaos we could have forged a compact between the Camarilla and the anarchs in exchange for our help in driving out the Sabbat. Probably not, but I would have liked to have tried. But, no. The metaplot was going to occur, it was going to occur as was described by White Wolf, and nothing that we the players could do had the slightest chance of changing it.

That was pretty much the beginning of the end of my VtM days, btw.

 

[DragonLancer]

Do you use it in your game?

Yes. I am a fan of using metaplots. I like the idea that the world goes on around the group with events that they may or may not know about, or be able to influence. It helps give the feeling that the world is alive.

Is it a part of your game or a substitute for it?

Its a part of the game. The metaplot doesn't overrule something I want to do, but it may influence outcomes or actions, or even throw a spanner in the works of the party's actions. It all adds to the game.

What happens when the meta-plot and your game's plot diverge?

My game takes the dominence. I run a Dragonlance campaign and its moving into the beginning of the Age of Mortals/5th age, but some major events have changed and others have been removed. A metaplot is a good thing but the DM/ST/GM needs to really decide if something is too much.

 

[Paka]

Thanks, Dragonlancer, for weighing in on the pro-meta-plot side of things.

Appreciated.

I had a long and involved debate with a buddy of mine over IM and that conversation, coupled with the Pros and Cons of a setting thread made me want to post this.

Thanks.

 

[Paka]

That said, I would really like to hear some more pro-meta-plot points of view. I feel like those who are against it are weighing in and while I don't want a flame war, I would like to hear what people do like about it.

Thanks.

 

[Mystery Man]

That said, I would really like to hear some more pro-meta-plot points of view. I feel like those who are against it are weighing in and while I don't want a flame war, I would like to hear what people do like about it.

Thanks.

Generally those who complain are usually heard most often and loudly about anything. Those who have little no problem with a certain thing usually find no reason to discuss it.

 

[Psion]

Yeah, I hate when publishers come to my house and force me to use things.

Publishers can't make you do anything. But they sure can make you regret doing something.

When you decide to deviate from the world as written, and follow on supplements and adventures assume that the alluded to events happen, it compromises the utility of those supplements for you, which is aggravating.

 

[Paka]

Generally those who complain are usually heard most often and loudly about anything. Those who have little no problem with a certain thing usually find no reason to discuss it.

Fair enough, but I would like this to be a discussion rather than a kvetch-fest.