| From: | TopCat <topcat@***.NET> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Re: Long Range Game Designs [was: Re: We Don't Need No Stinkin' |
| Date: | Thu, 17 Jul 1997 23:19:46 -0500 |
>This is exactly the approach that we have always taken, especially with
>Shadowrun. The setting lends itself more to this type of setup than
>many other game settings. It also encourages the players to think more,
>and since this is a mental game anyway, thinking is good.
Agreed :)
>> Now this sounds like I am borderline absurdly flexible in what I'll let into
>> my game. Remember that I set the game, then have the characters made to fit
>> it, then let it play out.
>Do you make all of the characters yourself to fit the campaign, or do you
>give some guidelines for the players to use?
Hell no! I'm too lazy to do that. I guess it could be said that I give
guidelines though it's more me giving help in chargen.
>> If you make the characters before teh setting, you can have continuity and
>> association problems (why would an ex-Wildcat hang out with an ex-SEAL and a
>> mage from Tir Tairngire). You can also run into power-level problems (Troll
>> Tank and GBD join a group of gangers...ugh).
> I'll share what we did on our newest campaign. The GM (Travis this time)
>announced that he would be running a campaign and told us what the
>specific limitations were, as well as which optional/house rules we
>should pay close attention to while creating our characters. He did
>not specify what type of characters we should make.
>[snip]
> We came up with a refreshing mix: 2 hermetic mages, 1 PhysAd, 1 rigger,
>a decker (who's now an NPC), a face-man and 2 B&E types. Note, we do
>not have a single street sam or merc. We've put some 20 hours into this
>campaign so far and the group is working like a finely tuned machine.
>It promises to be one of the more enjoyable campaigns too, if we can
>keep it going and not be disturbed by too many spouses too often...
Sounds good to me. The GM gave the players a level to be at and rules to
know. I assume that he also gave basic campaign information (e.g. B&E team,
Lone Star undercover, gangers, organized crime, whatever). That's all I
did. I run it at a "realistic" level where it's bad to be noticed and
things that are tough are *tough*. The city was chosen beforehand, as was
the number of chargen points. I didn't tell anyone what to make, nor would
I have done that. I helped almost everyone make their characters, though
that was because I was asked to do so.
>In our group experience, doing things this way has always been the best
>method when starting a campaign. We've experimented with the GM handing
>out pre-made characters for the players to use and that didn't last
>too long. In fact, only one character made it out of that campaign
>to play in one or two more (Cherry, the psycho gang chick...).
I'll never hand out premades for a campaign. I do it at conventions all the
time though, because not doing so there *will* cause all manner of
headaches. ("I play a first edition physad" is something all GMs love to
hear...)
--
Bob Ooton
topcat@***.net
