Next Time On ... Games As TV Shows
- Thread starter Angelsboi
- Start date
Thanks to your inspiration actually...
After having some conversations with you late last year, I designed my current campaign loosely using stylings of a television series (specifically, a Buffy like season - ie, big bad/little bad, etc.). I think it's going pretty good (my season one finale is this Thursday), but I suppose you'd have to ask my players how it is really doing.
The article in Dragon just codified a lot of things I had already realized about this type of campaign (and actually, they're ideas that probably hold to a lot of campaigns) - specifically: episodes that focus on one or two characters, whole group episodes, and change-of-pace episodes.
It's kind of fun describing cut scenes and using cliffhangers and the like (which I didn't use as often in previosu campaigns). It's also cool to think of scenes in a different way - instead of imagining them for real, I picture how it would be shown on television along with a musical score (although I have no musical talent, and probably wouldn't attempt to add music to the game, having a score in my head helps me describe the mood I want in a particular scene). I don't want to go into too much detail, because some of my players read these boards and I don't want to give away spoilers for my season finale.
After having some conversations with you late last year, I designed my current campaign loosely using stylings of a television series (specifically, a Buffy like season - ie, big bad/little bad, etc.). I think it's going pretty good (my season one finale is this Thursday), but I suppose you'd have to ask my players how it is really doing.
The article in Dragon just codified a lot of things I had already realized about this type of campaign (and actually, they're ideas that probably hold to a lot of campaigns) - specifically: episodes that focus on one or two characters, whole group episodes, and change-of-pace episodes.
It's kind of fun describing cut scenes and using cliffhangers and the like (which I didn't use as often in previosu campaigns). It's also cool to think of scenes in a different way - instead of imagining them for real, I picture how it would be shown on television along with a musical score (although I have no musical talent, and probably wouldn't attempt to add music to the game, having a score in my head helps me describe the mood I want in a particular scene). I don't want to go into too much detail, because some of my players read these boards and I don't want to give away spoilers for my season finale.
Not sure if this is what you mean but my group and I run our campaigns as TV shows in that each session is an episode, and we begin with a pilot episode a couple weeks before we start proper.
We played a Call of Cthulhu campaign a couple year ago (Mountains of Madness) which was run in the style of an old TV adventure serial. It worked well.
We played a Call of Cthulhu campaign a couple year ago (Mountains of Madness) which was run in the style of an old TV adventure serial. It worked well.
Angelsboi
First Post
*smiles*
Glad i could be of some help. I had a friend of mine compose a musical score for me taking bits and peices of existing songs and reworking them.
Do you have a story hour? Id love to see what influence i had. My group has met both big bad and little bad and its episode 3 as of tonight =)
Glad i could be of some help. I had a friend of mine compose a musical score for me taking bits and peices of existing songs and reworking them.
Do you have a story hour? Id love to see what influence i had. My group has met both big bad and little bad and its episode 3 as of tonight =)
Angelsboi said:
I was maintaining a website for it, but between it and my PbeM game, I wasn't giving myself much time for my actual schoolwork, so I cut back to just the PbeM game site. However, after Thursday, my campaign is going on hiatus for a few weeks while I travel home, so I may get a chance to write up the first season and either put it on a website or post a story hour.
shadow
First Post
In one gaming group, we played a campaign called Files of Section M using the FUZION rules. It was played like a cross between James Bond and the X-files with the PC's playing paranormal investigators. Since it was supposed to be a television show it wasn't taken all that seriously. We would start with a brief scenario which had nothing to do with the main adventure. It was supposed to be a televsion lead in. After the lead in we would take a "commercial break" for food and goodies. Our game was supposed to be a FOX prime time show, but after several, umm... mature scenarios, we decided that it was moved to late night Cinemax. The television formula really worked since it essentially allowed for a series of episodic one shot adventures. Plus it meant that a huge amount of continuity was required.
I'm A Banana
Potassium-Rich
I never really realized that I played this way, but I do. Cliffhangers, seasons, episodes, big, overreaching plots, and little mini-plots. Oh, yeah!
I just hope the D&D shows follow the same idea, sticking with the same group, occasionally centering on a few characters, etc.
Only minor problem is that when you focus on a few characters in-game, the rest get bored, and the players don't always go by the script. But it's a good ideal.
I dunno. I've never read that Dragon. ^_^
I just hope the D&D shows follow the same idea, sticking with the same group, occasionally centering on a few characters, etc.
Only minor problem is that when you focus on a few characters in-game, the rest get bored, and the players don't always go by the script. But it's a good ideal.
I dunno. I've never read that Dragon. ^_^
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