Comments on: Never According to Plan

By: Marek

Marek — Wed, 20 May 2009 04:44:51 +0000

There is a silver lining when it comes to making open-ended content for digital games that doesn’t exist for tabletop games, too.

When you’re making a digital game you have the reassurance that the player will be able to replay the game at any time and see any content that they missed the first time through. This means never have to really worry about wasting time creating some part of the game that the player will never see, the way you might when making a tabletop game.

On top of that, when you make a digital game world with that kind of open-ended design paradigm, you encourage the player, if they enjoyed the game, to play through the game a few more times than they otherwise would have, while still giving them the option to finish the game without forcing them to sit through every scrap of content you made.

Loving your blog, by the way. It’s inspiring me to make one of my own :)

By: Shane

Shane — Tue, 19 May 2009 22:06:33 +0000

In the World Of Darkness book concerning hauntings and apparitions, they have an interesting idea on how to do complex buildings.

The mansion that they describe is x number of rooms, and a room doesn’t settle on what it is until the players enter the room.

Assuming that I remembered everything correctly.

By: Gregory Weir

Gregory Weir — Thu, 14 May 2009 19:04:35 +0000

That is indeed the title. I’m personally quite satisfied with it.

By: Nels Anderson

Nels Anderson — Thu, 14 May 2009 18:47:14 +0000

I think the best way to prep for any tabletop session is to think of a handful of completely outlandish outcomes, because that’s probably what the players will end up doing ;) I think there’s some corollary to Murphy’s Law that players always do the thing you least expected.

But it can be one of the most satisfying moments, on both sides of the table. Plus, I often find that even if the players sidestep some big chunk of content I prepped, I can usually find a way to repurpose it before long, maybe with the window dressing tweaked.

And if “Solve et Coagula” is the title of the Promethean campaign, that’s très awesome.

By: Jazmeister

Jazmeister — Thu, 14 May 2009 17:45:23 +0000

You could also use an ever-expanding expert system, like a wiki knowledge base! Although yeah, sentient AI is clearly the superior option. All hail Helios!

By: Gregory Weir

Gregory Weir — Thu, 14 May 2009 15:54:45 +0000

something digital games can never truly achieve.

Never say never. Let’s just say that it would take a rather complex simulation and possibly a sentient AI. :)

By: Jonas

Jonas — Thu, 14 May 2009 13:52:58 +0000

This is the greatest joy of playing/running pen & paper RPGs, and something digital games can never truly achieve. My most important rule as a game master is this: I run the world, not the story. My players are fully aware that I will let them try anything, as long as it makes sense. And boy, this has been an amazing experience – they regularly take the story in directions I could never have anticipated.

By: Lissa

Lissa — Thu, 14 May 2009 00:07:21 +0000

I’m glad we foiled you! Good thing we stopped when we did. :-)