The conventions and techniques of gaming (brainstorm)

[RangerWickett]

-The players pass their character sheets one to the left for a session, and try their best to portray the character as their owner has been playing it? Extra XP's to whomever does it best.

We had this one in my game. It was a 'catch-up' episode for one PC who'd been gone the previous week, so I wrote up an adventure just for him, then gave the other players one-time characters to play.

About fifteen minutes into the adventure, they started complaining that their characters sucked. I had given them the characters to encourage them to be something different -- the broody player was supposed to be a singing orc wizard, the cocky guy was a golem, the player who usually was the main 'hero' got to play the damsel in distress. But they decided to switch up, to everyone's amusement. Then half an hour later they switched again.

Then, right before the climax, they switched again, and this time even the guy who was playing his normal PC jumped in on the action, switching so he could be the damsel, and giving his gnome to the player that most despised his character. It actually ended up working nicely, because they were chasing after a spirit-stealing creature, and I was later on inspired by this to do a classic 'body swap' adventure.

But this is more plot-based, not style- or convention-based.

On that note:

* Giving the players new characters, either at the start of a session, or in the middle.

* Starting the session at different places in the story is a twist on a classic narrative technique. Starting in medias res, or even at the climax and working back. I've done these.

* Cliff-hangers.

* Seating arrangements can, apparently, play a big part in group dynamics. If you have two GMs, do you have them sit together, or on opposite sides of the group? What if you made the players sit in a straight line on one side of a table, with you in the middle (like Michaelangelo's Last Supper)?

* Unlike TVs, gaming is interactive. How might you play up the interactivity, by giving the players more agency in the world and the story. Maybe you let players say, "But then the ship's captain orders his men to dump all the oil overboard to create a slick that they can light, thus blocking the path of those pursuing us." Or maybe you get them involved in character, culture, and plot brainstorming early on, so that the world is more something they want to play in.

* Would you ever want to slow the pace of the game down dramatically? I know some GMs check every rule they're uncertain of (and I hate it when that happens), while I just play it by ear, but aside from rulechecking, what can you do to slow the pace of the game down, and why would you do it? Dramatic effect, possibly? To create a sense of calm before the storm?

* What speaking methods help the players know when it's time to have a fun free-for-all discussion, and when they should be quiet and listen? In normal fiction, you would almost never have a key character die without there being some attention to the drama of his passing, and if the character was whispering out his last words, you wouldn't want a different character to ask if there are any enemies around. You want people to pay attention to the death. How do you make that happen?

Now I'm just tossing out any old idea that comes up, but hopefully some of it will spur discussion.

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

Seinfeld: The "backwards" episode (Memento is somewhat built similarly).

AR

 

[jmucchiello]

Here's a thought: I've been playing Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced on my GBA SP when commuting to work. What if every combat was adjudicated by a Judge and you had to argue rules in character? And then there's the fun of getting yellow and red cards for using fire when fire is prohibited. Groups carry a white petrify card and activate it before taking on the medusa. Could be amusing.

I know that makes no sense if you have played the game. Basically, imagine there was a referee who magically appeared anytime combat occured. Everyday certain tactics are encourage or prohibited and if you violate the rules you get a yellow or red card (a la soccer). If you get a red card, you go to jail until your buddies pay or fine or you miss a set number of combats.

 

[LostSoul]

The GM is in control, the players react to his story.

I've heard of games where PCs have cards that they play, and playing these cards changes the plot. A PC might be able to throw down a "Nemesis" card in the middle of a battle (or a nice, cozy dinner scene) and face up against a nemesis of his. Or a sudden "Plot Twist" card might reveal some kind of surprise.

It doesn't really change the fact that the GM is in control, but the players have more say over what happens.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

I've heard of games where PCs have cards that they play, and playing these cards changes the plot. A PC might be able to throw down a "Nemesis" card in the middle of a battle (or a nice, cozy dinner scene) and face up against a nemesis of his. Or a sudden "Plot Twist" card might reveal some kind of surprise.

It doesn't really change the fact that the GM is in control, but the players have more say over what happens.

Torg was like that. A really cool game. Hmmm.....wonder if anyone ever did a d20 conversion of that. BRB.

 

[reanjr]

Okay, so there's this episode of The X-Files where, in addition to having a nifty plot, the scene is unique because the first 45 minutes consist of just 3 shots. Rather than cutting back and forth to different angles, each segment of the show (between commercials) is filmed without cutting away, or at least if they do cut away, it's while the camera passes through an area of blackness to conceal the transition.

Can you remember the name of the episode or what it was about (or even what season it was)? I'm a big fan of that technique, though I can't remember an episode of X Files like that (and I've seen all of them)...

 

[reanjr]

I'm just going to toss out ideas here:

• The GM is in control, the players react to his story.
• Out of character discussion of the rules is fine.
• If the GM doesn't think you'll automatically succeed at an action, you have to use the rules to find out if you do.
• The results of the game have no bearing on the lives of the players. (I.e., no 'strip D&D.'
• The game is played indoors, at a table. (I.e., not outside, or on the floor, or in a closet, or while hiking).
• The speed of play slows down when the action intensifies, so that the rules can be properly used. (I.e., when a fight breaks out, we stop playing in real-time, and start spending 10 minutes for every 6 seconds).
• The characters in the game are unaware that they are characters in a game.
• You do not switch rule sets in the middle of the game.
• Due to the difficulty in timing event to music, music is typically not used, unless it is ambient music that can loop.
• Usually, all the player characters are allies.
• Usually, each player has one character.
• Players communicate with each other and with the GM by talking and body language, but there is limited or no physical contact. Players can see each other (i.e., no lights out), and, except for online games, hear each other.
• Games are run for the enterainment of those playing, not for spectators. That would be theater.
• You don't do re-runs in game format.
• Speech in foreign languages is not actually spoken in foreign languages. (Would it be possible for players to use subtitles somehow?)

So the basics are - pacing, player/character/game master interaction, setting, rules, and storytelling. Are there any key categories I'm missing?

Freeform role-playing breaks alot of these. GM in control, play location, action resolution... I've played freeform quite a bit.

I've also played with multiple simultaneous characters per player, but did not find it to be very entertaining. The second character seems to do absolutely nothing until in battle.

As for foreign language (not a direct response, but you made me think of this), alot of times common or a trade tongue is described as being simple and not able to convey complex thoughts. I limit the players to use one syllable words when conversing in this language. It makes them stumble over words (kind of like if you were'nt fluent) and have to describe things with multiple simple adjectives and adverbs, which does a good job simulating it.

 

[Umbran]

* Seating arrangements can, apparently, play a big part in group dynamics. If you have two GMs, do you have them sit together, or on opposite sides of the group? What if you made the players sit in a straight line on one side of a table, with you in the middle (like Michaelangelo's Last Supper)?

Seating arrangements can and do play a big part in the dymanics of the group. However, I think the "indoors, at a table" thing is broken so frequently that I'd hesitate to call it a convention of the genre.

Arranging players and GM so that they cannot comunicate easily is generally a very bad idea. The "Last Supper" arrangement might well sink a normal session. Use this sort of thing only when there's good reason to limit communication between players.

* Would you ever want to slow the pace of the game down dramatically? I know some GMs check every rule they're uncertain of (and I hate it when that happens), while I just play it by ear, but aside from rulechecking, what can you do to slow the pace of the game down, and why would you do it? Dramatic effect, possibly? To create a sense of calm before the storm?

There's slowing the pace, and seeming to slow the pace. I expect that most folks are more likely to want the latter than the former. Only rarely does one want players sitting around actually doing nothing at all.

The basic reason I see to do this is to influence the types of actions the players are taking. When things are going fast and furious, events tend to be action oriented. When things seem to slow down, they tend to be socially and intellectually oriented.

The best way I've seen to do this is with background music. Through TV and movies, we've been trained to respond to musical cues in our fiction, and a DM who can use these cues well has an extra handle on the moods of his or her game.

 

[jgbrowning]

There was a section in one of the Naked Guns movies where the main character walked around the sets wall while all the other went through the set's door. I laughed out loud because nothing was said of it. It was a straight sight gag which had no attention drawn to it.

joe b.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

Can you remember the name of the episode or what it was about (or even what season it was)? I'm a big fan of that technique, though I can't remember an episode of X Files like that (and I've seen all of them)...

Episode 120 - Triangle