From:	Matt Hufstetler <gt2778a@*****.GATECH.EDU>
Subject:	Re: Little Help Please(Long).....
Date:	Fri, 5 Dec 1997 12:12:25 -0500

>
> I'll post this here since it applies to GM'ing in general.
>
> 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.
>
> 2)Timeline: Events happen in the adventure at different places
>
> 3)Players: The adventure consists of a few major players and the
> 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

I would argue that they require a different method of storage. As it stands
now, the program would keep track of Main Plots, subplots, doublecrosses,
plot hooks for adventures and other campaign notes.
Dungeon Crawl would be fairly simple, and for each of the
other ones, it should be fairly easy to represent each of them in
a divided up format like so. For the dungeon crawl,
you wouln't need much more than a description of the different areas you
want to take your PC's into in the main plot area, and a more detailed
description(with creatures) in the subplots area.
With the Timeline plot, you give a general description
of the events which are going to happen, and then flesh the individual
events out in the subplots area(which IMHO would be a correct use, in addition
to actual sub-plots you might want to throw in).
Now, with the players, You would give a description of what their goals are
in the main plot area. The subplot area would be for how their minions plan
to achieve such goals.
For a program which detailed out an entire adventure, it would be worth looking
at to see if a different representation for each plot type is called for. But
for a overall view of a campaign, it wouldn't be necessary.

MH