Comments for Enthusiastick Blog http://blog.enthusiastick.com A little something for the geek in all of us. Wed, 19 Mar 2008 21:14:03 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 Comment on Game Tempo: A Question of Pacing by eben http://blog.enthusiastick.com/2008/03/11/game-tempo-a-question-of-pacing/comment-page-1/#comment-6 eben Wed, 19 Mar 2008 21:14:03 +0000 http://blog.enthusiastick.com/2008/03/11/game-tempo-a-question-of-pacing/#comment-6 That's interesting. My experience with Story Games has been very different. Social contracts are all well and good, but I've found that in the absence of concrete rules, all pre-game discussions and agreements can often go out the window without anyone quite meaning for them to. It happened when Jaywalt and Robert and I played <a h href="http://www.contestedground.co.uk/coldprev.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Cold City</a>, for example; we talked about what kind of game we wanted to have, beforehand, and then just had a totally different kind of game, instead. It wasn't bad, per se, but we didn't stick to what we laid out. The idea of using a map I will admit is very intriguing. It was not in my head at all, but I kind of like it. The manipulation of physical objects and tokens is almost always a plus in my opinion; it would be interesting to combine the PTA screen presence chart and an abstract map of the story and tie some of the game mechanics tie into the progression of the PCs along it. Clearly further consideration is needed. That’s interesting. My experience with Story Games has been very different. Social contracts are all well and good, but I’ve found that in the absence of concrete rules, all pre-game discussions and agreements can often go out the window without anyone quite meaning for them to. It happened when Jaywalt and Robert and I played Cold City, for example; we talked about what kind of game we wanted to have, beforehand, and then just had a totally different kind of game, instead. It wasn’t bad, per se, but we didn’t stick to what we laid out.
The idea of using a map I will admit is very intriguing. It was not in my head at all, but I kind of like it. The manipulation of physical objects and tokens is almost always a plus in my opinion; it would be interesting to combine the PTA screen presence chart and an abstract map of the story and tie some of the game mechanics tie into the progression of the PCs along it. Clearly further consideration is needed.

]]> Comment on Game Tempo: A Question of Pacing by Dev Purkayastha http://blog.enthusiastick.com/2008/03/11/game-tempo-a-question-of-pacing/comment-page-1/#comment-5 Dev Purkayastha Wed, 19 Mar 2008 05:03:35 +0000 http://blog.enthusiastick.com/2008/03/11/game-tempo-a-question-of-pacing/#comment-5 I feel like you can achieve this rhythm with some pacing guides, if not outright mechanics. Imagine something like one of JW's maps, or perhaps like PTA's season chart, where you graph the plotlines of each character. Let me extend that example. Our upcoming episodes are about some central thing (unmasking a hero known as The Poet). We each need a moment to describe our feelings about this guy and the issues he brings up before he is revealed. We fill out the PTA-style screen presence chart, and as we go through scenes, we progress through the chart (taking varying amounts of spotlight as we discuss The Poet). It's understood we won't start really revealing and resolving things about the Poet until we work our way through this chart. We're committing to chilling out on conflicts and focusing on the overture, up until a certain point. I feel like you can achieve this rhythm with some pacing guides, if not outright mechanics. Imagine something like one of JW’s maps, or perhaps like PTA’s season chart, where you graph the plotlines of each character.

Let me extend that example. Our upcoming episodes are about some central thing (unmasking a hero known as The Poet). We each need a moment to describe our feelings about this guy and the issues he brings up before he is revealed. We fill out the PTA-style screen presence chart, and as we go through scenes, we progress through the chart (taking varying amounts of spotlight as we discuss The Poet). It’s understood we won’t start really revealing and resolving things about the Poet until we work our way through this chart. We’re committing to chilling out on conflicts and focusing on the overture, up until a certain point.

]]> Comment on A Gnostic Allegory (Part 1) by FGJ Games » Blog Archive » Brief Matrix Notes http://blog.enthusiastick.com/2008/03/10/a-gnostic-allegory-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-4 FGJ Games » Blog Archive » Brief Matrix Notes Wed, 19 Mar 2008 04:04:44 +0000 http://blog.enthusiastick.com/2008/03/10/a-gnostic-allegory-part-1/#comment-4 [...] Follow along as Eben works on a gnostic parable: link. [...] [...] Follow along as Eben works on a gnostic parable: link. [...]

]]> Comment on No, really — why are we here? by eben http://blog.enthusiastick.com/2008/03/06/no-really-why-are-we-here/comment-page-1/#comment-3 eben Mon, 10 Mar 2008 22:03:27 +0000 http://blog.enthusiastick.com/2008/03/06/no-really-why-are-we-here/#comment-3 Thanks, man. I hope so too. Thanks, man. I hope so too.

]]> Comment on No, really — why are we here? by Nathan P. http://blog.enthusiastick.com/2008/03/06/no-really-why-are-we-here/comment-page-1/#comment-2 Nathan P. Sat, 08 Mar 2008 03:17:26 +0000 http://blog.enthusiastick.com/2008/03/06/no-really-why-are-we-here/#comment-2 Rock on, buddy. I hope we get to game soon! -N Rock on, buddy.

I hope we get to game soon!

-N

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