DrunkonDuty
he/him
Hey Jack7.
Look, I kinda get where you're coming from for the game styles.
One where, at its extreme, the game world (GM) bends over and gives the PCs everything they want merely because they want it. There's never any challenge and everything rings hollow. Gets kinda dull. At the other end there's theone where the world (GM) does it's damnedest to shaft the PCs at every turn. Also gets kinda dull.
Both of these examples of extremes strike me as games I wouldn't enjoy much. But there is a huge amount of middle ground between the two. For example:
I'm about to start a new Champions campaign. And at the moment I'm asking the players what they want to see in it. I've asked questions about the game world, the moral tone, all that, and their characters and they're giving me answers. We're all contributing to the game from the the start. Yes, at the end of the day it will be up to me as the GM to create specfic plot devices, NPCs, organisations, challenges etc. Hopefully I will be able to provide the sort of challenges the players want to see. Also I want to provide them with the opportunity to let their characters do their stuff/show off their cool powers, it is a supers game after all.
So I'd say the fun pay off comes from various sources. Overcoming great challenges, looking good while you do so, getting shiny stuff, getting more points. And many more I'm sure. The emphasis on which of them is more important depends on the individual player. ANd some people do want a game where they always win easily and there's always just the right shiny thing in the orc's chest. I put it to you that the people playing the game this way are getting much more substantial rewards than mere in game stuff. They're hanging out with friends, enjoying company, sharing food and bad jokes. The game itself is just one part of a wider social event.
ACtually, the game is always going to be just a part of a wider social event. Don't read too much into it.
cheers mate,
Glen
Look, I kinda get where you're coming from for the game styles.
One where, at its extreme, the game world (GM) bends over and gives the PCs everything they want merely because they want it. There's never any challenge and everything rings hollow. Gets kinda dull. At the other end there's theone where the world (GM) does it's damnedest to shaft the PCs at every turn. Also gets kinda dull.
Both of these examples of extremes strike me as games I wouldn't enjoy much. But there is a huge amount of middle ground between the two. For example:
I'm about to start a new Champions campaign. And at the moment I'm asking the players what they want to see in it. I've asked questions about the game world, the moral tone, all that, and their characters and they're giving me answers. We're all contributing to the game from the the start. Yes, at the end of the day it will be up to me as the GM to create specfic plot devices, NPCs, organisations, challenges etc. Hopefully I will be able to provide the sort of challenges the players want to see. Also I want to provide them with the opportunity to let their characters do their stuff/show off their cool powers, it is a supers game after all.
So I'd say the fun pay off comes from various sources. Overcoming great challenges, looking good while you do so, getting shiny stuff, getting more points. And many more I'm sure. The emphasis on which of them is more important depends on the individual player. ANd some people do want a game where they always win easily and there's always just the right shiny thing in the orc's chest. I put it to you that the people playing the game this way are getting much more substantial rewards than mere in game stuff. They're hanging out with friends, enjoying company, sharing food and bad jokes. The game itself is just one part of a wider social event.
ACtually, the game is always going to be just a part of a wider social event. Don't read too much into it.
cheers mate,
Glen