| From: | Brett Borger <bxb121@***.EDU> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Re: Little Help Please(Long)..... |
| Date: | Fri, 5 Dec 1997 09:14:07 +0000 |
One thing you may want to include in your ability to handle plots is
the ability to handle different types of plots. Here are the basics
of an article I eventually plan to submit to Shadowland:
Plots come in several varieties:
1)Dungeon Crawl: Adventure is separated into different areas.
Events at each area happen when the characters arrive, and the
situation at each is pretty much the same regardless of what order
the areas are visited in or what happens at other areas. (Some major
events can change the composition at each area) The advantage of
this variety is that it is the easiest to create and manage. This
also falls into two subtypes: THe Linear adventure, where all the
areas are visited in a pretty much pre-determined order, and the
Branching adventure, where there are a set of choices to go to next
from each area.
2)Timeline: Events happen in the adventure at different places
according to a preset timeline, regardless of where the characters
are. This allows the possibility of the characters "missing the
boat" and keeps the illusion of a universe that does not revolve
around them. REsults of certain actions can change the timeline, but
overall it remains static.
3)Players: The adventure consists of a few major players and the
cahracters. each of the "players" has a preset set of goals, and
work towards them just as the characters do. These "Players" can
react to the events happening around them, and modify their actions
and goals appropriately. This is a good type to use when you have
the characters facing off against enemies with peons to do their
work, or against multiple enemies with different goals. This is a
fairly easy one to set up, but the hardest to control and keep track
of. PC's also must work harder, as there are no preset clues as to
what is going on or what should happen next.
As you see, for a "GM Program", each the different methods above
would require a totally different method of storage. As a GM, I've
used them all at one point or another (Except Linear. I never use
Linear. No wait, that's not true. I used one Linear, but that was
because the characters were being led by a third party...it took them
weeks to figure out why I was being so linear about what was next
when I never had been so before, and by the time they did, the third
party had sprung his surprise :) But I'm rambling....
-=SwiftOne=-
Brett Borger
SwiftOne@***.edu
AAP Techie
