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Volar the Healer
Jedi
Joined: 04 Aug 2003
Posts: 664
Location: Arizona, USA
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 Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2003 1:02 pm Post subject: |
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When I say 50/50 I mean the director must allow the players to decide what their characters do. He cannot "railroad" them into decisions - well, sometimes he can, but not all the time.
I have run adventures that were 90/10. The players made all the choices and the director merely facilitated them. Those are the players I like best.
With new characters it may be the otherway around for the first few adventures until they learn. Most of the youth I meet today grew up on video games (I was already old when the very first video game was shown before production at the Seattle science fiction fair. For those of you who don't know it was Asteroids) and have no idea they don't have to follow the script. It helps if you start new players with the idea "If you could do anything you wanted in the Star Wars universe, what would you want to do?"
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Hellstorm
Commander
Joined: 22 Dec 2003
Posts: 253
Location: Montreal, Canada
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| Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2003 12:28 am Post subject: |
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| Rathe Ehtar wrote: | | What I ment was that the GM is an intangible idea when the stories underway. Say your reading a book, do you think about the writer while your doing it? The characters in books have no idea that their characters. Its a story. The point is, players choices while in the game effect themselves and the game at large. While the GM is in controll, s/he can't die. |
While I completely agree with everything that you say, if "While the GM is in controll, s/he can't die" means the Players can't die, that I don't aggree with. I like my players knowing (or thinking) they can die. 8)
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Tuco: "But if you miss you had better miss very well. Whoever double-crosses me and leaves me alive, he understands nothing about Tuco."
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Hellstorm
Commander
Joined: 22 Dec 2003
Posts: 253
Location: Montreal, Canada
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| Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2003 12:38 am Post subject: |
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| Volar the Healer wrote: | When I say 50/50 I mean the director must allow the players to decide what their characters do. He cannot "railroad" them into decisions - well, sometimes he can, but not all the time.
I have run adventures that were 90/10. The players made all the choices and the director merely facilitated them. Those are the players I like best.
With new characters it may be the otherway around for the first few adventures until they learn. Most of the youth I meet today grew up on video games (I was already old when the very first video game was shown before production at the Seattle science fiction fair. For those of you who don't know it was Asteroids) and have no idea they don't have to follow the script. It helps if you start new players with the idea "If you could do anything you wanted in the Star Wars universe, what would you want to do?" |
I GM with the idea that "every road leads to Rome", EXAMPLE : if I want the players to face the 6 Stormtroopers behind the door thats what they'll do. Either they open the door themselves or the Stormtroopers will open it for them., if I want them to meet a specific NPC on Tatooine and they decide to go to Endor, then thats where the NPC will be, not forcing them to go to Tatooine.  8)
While I like giving them freedom, I still have to be in control of the game. 8)
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Tuco: "But if you miss you had better miss very well. Whoever double-crosses me and leaves me alive, he understands nothing about Tuco."
-The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
Peter Griffin: "Embrace The Fear." -Family Guy |
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Volar the Healer
Jedi
Joined: 04 Aug 2003
Posts: 664
Location: Arizona, USA
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| Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2003 11:22 am Post subject: |
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| Hellstorm wrote: | I GM with the idea that "every road leads to Rome", EXAMPLE : if I want the players to face the 6 Stormtroopers behind the door thats what they'll do. Either they open the door themselves or the Stormtroopers will open it for them., if I want them to meet a specific NPC on Tatooine and they decide to go to Endor, then thats where the NPC will be, not forcing them to go to Tatooine. 8)
While I like giving them freedom, I still have to be in control of the game. 8) |
Certainly, some encounters must occur for your adventure to move forward. Changing your placements to match the player's action is an excellent way to accomplish this.
As long as the players don't realize "all roads lead to Rome" they don't feel railroaded. Yours is an excellent idea other directors can use. I know I will.
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Hellstorm
Commander
Joined: 22 Dec 2003
Posts: 253
Location: Montreal, Canada
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| Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2004 11:47 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | As long as the players don't realize "all roads lead to Rome" they don't feel railroaded. Yours is an excellent idea other directors can use. I know I will. |
If they feel I'm leading them to something and try to avoid it then I let them escape what ever I had planned with a little side adventure and when they don't expect it, a game or two later, "BAM!", right where I wanted them to begin with. In the end I always end up telling the story I wanted to tell and they always play it Beautifully> 8)
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Tuco: "But if you miss you had better miss very well. Whoever double-crosses me and leaves me alive, he understands nothing about Tuco."
-The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
Peter Griffin: "Embrace The Fear." -Family Guy |
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Hellstorm
Commander
Joined: 22 Dec 2003
Posts: 253
Location: Montreal, Canada
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| Posted: Sat Jan 03, 2004 5:18 pm Post subject: Re: Newbie GM tips |
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| SNiPE wrote: | OK guys I might decide to start my own campaign, and become a GM. I am pretty well versed in the StarWars universe, but as for gameplay I know d20 better than d6. I will begin reading the Game Masters guide and the other source books for d6, once i am finished moving. What i would like to learn from you guys are the little things that you have discovered to make it a more enjoyable and exciting gaming experience. So any tips for me  |
when I started DMing, the hardest thing I found, was that I was embarassed to talk in front of a crowd. Don't be affraid to practice with the friends you are most comfortable with. Read story book parts to get some practice. After two DMing sessions, I found that I really enjoyed telling the stories. 8)
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Tuco: "But if you miss you had better miss very well. Whoever double-crosses me and leaves me alive, he understands nothing about Tuco."
-The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
Peter Griffin: "Embrace The Fear." -Family Guy |
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Jace_Terrik
Lieutenant
Joined: 02 Jul 2004
Posts: 85
Location: Helsinki, Finland
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| Posted: Sat Jul 10, 2004 8:05 am Post subject: |
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Hey, here's a tip!
Be *unpredictable*!
To avoid such things, take a look at this link:
http://project-apollo.net/text/rpg.html
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There is no emotion; there is peace.
There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.
There is no passion; there is serenity.
There is no chaos; there is harmony.
There is no death; there is the Force. |
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Hellstorm
Commander
Joined: 22 Dec 2003
Posts: 253
Location: Montreal, Canada
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| Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2004 2:17 am Post subject: |
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Those were pretty fun 8)
_________________
Tuco: "But if you miss you had better miss very well. Whoever double-crosses me and leaves me alive, he understands nothing about Tuco."
-The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
Peter Griffin: "Embrace The Fear." -Family Guy |
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Jace_Terrik
Lieutenant
Joined: 02 Jul 2004
Posts: 85
Location: Helsinki, Finland
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| Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2004 6:17 am Post subject: |
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I especially like this one:
"170. Luke, I Am Your Tedious, Overused Plot Device (Lynx Rule)
If there is any chance whatsoever that major villain X could be the male lead's father, then it will turn out that major villain X is the male lead's father."
Such is life. 8)
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There is no emotion; there is peace.
There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.
There is no passion; there is serenity.
There is no chaos; there is harmony.
There is no death; there is the Force. |
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Hellstorm
Commander
Joined: 22 Dec 2003
Posts: 253
Location: Montreal, Canada
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| Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2004 10:47 pm Post subject: |
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Me , I like 32 :"You Can't Kill Me, I Quit (Seifer Rule)"
The good guys never seem to get the hang of actually arresting or killing the bad guys. Minor villains are always permitted to go free so they can rest up and menace you again later -- sometimes five minutes later. Knowing this rule, you can deduce that if you do manage to kill (or force the surrender of) a bad guy, you must be getting near the end of the game. 8)
_________________
Tuco: "But if you miss you had better miss very well. Whoever double-crosses me and leaves me alive, he understands nothing about Tuco."
-The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
Peter Griffin: "Embrace The Fear." -Family Guy |
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Jace_Terrik
Lieutenant
Joined: 02 Jul 2004
Posts: 85
Location: Helsinki, Finland
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| Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2004 11:37 am Post subject: |
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Yup, I remember this one Rodian Bounty Hunter, who *just* wouldn't stay dead.
_________________
There is no emotion; there is peace.
There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.
There is no passion; there is serenity.
There is no chaos; there is harmony.
There is no death; there is the Force. |
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Hellstorm
Commander
Joined: 22 Dec 2003
Posts: 253
Location: Montreal, Canada
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| Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2004 3:57 pm Post subject: |
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Well thats understandable...as a GM, if you find an NPC or Vilain that the Characters seem to have "fun" interacting with, you don't just let him get killed off, besides, its the Star Wars Universe...Ever heard of "CLONING" 8)
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Tuco: "But if you miss you had better miss very well. Whoever double-crosses me and leaves me alive, he understands nothing about Tuco."
-The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
Peter Griffin: "Embrace The Fear." -Family Guy |
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Jace_Terrik
Lieutenant
Joined: 02 Jul 2004
Posts: 85
Location: Helsinki, Finland
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| Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2004 9:25 am Post subject: |
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Yeah, but I cloning seems like cheating. If characters (PC's and NPC's alike) can simply clone their characters, it takes the fun outta the game.
But anyway, if you- as a GM- create a really cool character, how do you present him to the PC's, without giving a chance to shoot at 'im?
I mean, I could take away their guns and stuff, but I'd rather have them HAVE the chance to shoot him, but won't do it, because he/she is a cool character.
How do you do that?
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There is no emotion; there is peace.
There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.
There is no passion; there is serenity.
There is no chaos; there is harmony.
There is no death; there is the Force. |
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Crell Damar
Line Captain
Joined: 31 Jul 2003
Posts: 845
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| Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2004 2:26 pm Post subject: |
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The cool character could be introduced by a friend or something, so they don't know that he's an enemy at the time. Maybe at a party or the like.
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Jace_Terrik
Lieutenant
Joined: 02 Jul 2004
Posts: 85
Location: Helsinki, Finland
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| Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2004 7:24 am Post subject: |
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As in:"Hi, I'd like you to meet my new friend, Rabid-Cookiee-Monster. He froths at the mouth when he wants to eat you, but he's taking his medicine, so he shouldn't freak out and kill us all." 
I can't really see Darth Vader going to parties, you know.
Then again, minor villains might, though. I mean, Boba Fett hangs out in Jabba's court, looking all cool.
_________________
There is no emotion; there is peace.
There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.
There is no passion; there is serenity.
There is no chaos; there is harmony.
There is no death; there is the Force. |
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