Narrative Control – Episode 75 – Back Seat GMs

Welcome back to Narrative Control, season 3. This season we’re taking calls from listeners and offering up what advice we can about their gaming conundrums. This episode we talked to David McBride about handling a back-seat GM.

Hosts: Sean Nittner, Leonard Balsera, and Eric Fattig

Guest: David McBride

Length: 52:05

[00:27] Intro to the show. Explicit episode in both English and French.

[01:26] News: Fattig got a HOUSE!
[02:17] Fate Core is at print! http://www.evilhat.com/home/fate-core/
[04:08] Welcome David McBride to the show. Is it David or Dave?
[05:20] Regular player in a weekly group, very close friend – he back seat GMs games.
[07:03] Seven players, two hour sessions, powerful (11+ refresh) characters.  Brave GM!
[07:42] Big fight in the game – Player suggest using another system to adjudicate it.
[09:59] Does the player reflect the group consensus or is he an outlier?
[11:44] What happened? How does the story end?
[12:53] Starting point. Have you talked to him about this?
[13:33] Sean sympathizes. I could be that player.
[15:02] Worth noting that this behavior is not done out of malice. Look at his contributions.
[16:47] The GM itch. The Kinsey scale. Permissive games like Dresden encourage the player contributions.
[18:18] Concrete advice #1. Systematize and put constraints around how you are going to take input AND give the player something to be in charge in the game.
[20:50] Co-GM as an option.
[22:00] David has the dream group.
[23:44] How do we take this creativity and enthusiasm and channel it positively into the game?
[25:36] Familiarity may be contributing to the overwhelming flow of contributions. A history of GMing together.
[28:07] Dresden Files specific solution: Give ownership of specific locations.
[29:43] Where does the frustration come from?
[36:05] The issue at hand is reaching a saturation point. When it’s too much.
[35:57] This might be something a player needs to get out a game that they aren’t getting.
[38:04] Player expressing what they want out of a game.
[39:21] Get some pints!
[39:56] Easier to do when you’re not in the middle or running a game.
[40:52] Layout the process. A guideline for future communication.
[41:30] Bring it to the group. Diffuse tensions with transparency!
[43:20] Sean: But, but, but…
[45:25] Fate Specific – Setting aspects give guidelines where what input is appropriate and what isn’t.
[47:26] Recap. Practical Advice #1 – Give the player something to have authority over in the game.
[47:53] Recap. Practical Advice #2 – Talk to them about what’s going on. Don’t treat it like a problem.
[48:22] Recap. Practical Advice #3 – Recognize this comes from a place of love.
[48:53] Recap. Practical Advice #4 – Establish a baseline – a format for presenting ideas.
[49:21] Recap. Practical Advice #5 – Open the channels of communication to the group.

Direct download: NC_Episode_075.mp3

Narrative Control – Episode 74 – Hierarchies

Welcome back to Narrative Control, season 3. This season we’re taking calls from listeners and offering up what advice we can about their gaming conundrums. This week we talked to Austin Smith about hierarchies in game settings.

Hosts: Sean Nittner, Eric Fattig, and Lenny Balsera

Guest Caller: Austin Smith

Length: 52:26

Show Notes

[00:26] Introduction to the show. Brining back Austin Smith from Episode 70.
[01:20] Austin’s games. Built into the game setting was a hierarchy. Problems presented by power.
[03:24] Using hierarchy to reinforce an aspect of the setting. Embrace what it tells you about setting.
[04:43] How we deal with question of hierarchy in fiction is very different from the way we deal with it in life.
[07:25] If someone is pulling rank to get what they want, lots of other things have gone wrong.
[08:21] Orders vs. strong personal convictions. Good hierarchy drama!
[09:10] When we talk about hierarchies in a RPG, we are most often talking about them as they are portrayed in fiction.
[09:50] Authority allow a GM to present different ranked characters with different challenges.
[11:09] Make sure the players are using these potential conflicts to maximize drama between characters.
[11:56] Firefly game – NPC captain who was ignored and wasn’t developed. Another Firefly game, agreed to run without a captain.
[14:59] One way to handle an authority figure NPC. Pass the character around to the players.
[16:35] Ashen Stars handles the issue by giving the captain authority only while on the ship, but authority stops there.
[18:33] Werewolf does the same thing, where each pack member is in charge of their own niche.
[18:51] Authority is contextual. In TNG Picard is always deferring to other people.
[19:34] Difference between rank and status. Improv technique form Keith Johnstone’s Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre.
[21:17] We learn interesting things about character when high ranking characters have low status.
[22:57] In L5R rank was circumvented by having each character be a member of different clans.
[24:13] Hierarchies were avoided in games. Why was this? Avoiding being set up to fail.
[25:35] Dichotomy of wanting strict hierarchies in the setting but not wanting it to affect the game.
[27:18] Choosing how much hierarchy we want to enforce in our setting.
[28:28] Example of how this is handled in a setting. Worf kills Duras. Gets a stern talking to.
[30:23] Authority is best used with discretion in a game. Will it make for an interesting consequence to invoke authority?
[34:01] Lenny’s death haiku “Dude, you really suck.”
[34:17] Difficult to find the balance between actual consequences and making look like there are consequences.
[35:37] Different play styles made it difficult to get a consensus on how an authority figure should act.
[36:00] Example of our Blue Gene game that we have had to stop the game in play to question an action before it happens when it would threaten our ability to justify its acceptance in the setting.
[37:59] Player leader as antagonist? Discuss.
[39:40] System also effects this. Does the system let you force someone to do something, or does it just allow you to put pressure on them?
[41:22] Recap. Discussing the buy into to the authority. How would law enforcement work if mutants existed (ala X-men). How real is realistic?
[42:44] Ask what questions are meaningful in the story. How would normal people deal with having amazing powers? How do you respond to unknowable threats around you?
[44:59] Authority in the face of the unknown. Nobody has the answers. Authority in those cases just means you have a bigger gun to shoot yourself in the foot with.
[46:00] To ask questions, you need to give yourself permission to talk to about these things on a player level.
[47:36] Rich storytelling options to be mined. High ranking characters don’t have the opportunities to see things you can at a lower level.
[48:52] Have NPCs skip levels and not play the game right to cause intrigue.
[50:22] Some examples of mechanics for using authority form Apocalypse World: Leadership and Pack Alpha.

The converstaion continues…Here

Direct download: NC_Episode_074.mp3

Narrative Control – Episode 73 – Non-violent Opposition

Welcome back to Narrative Control, season 3. This season we’re taking calls from listeners and offering up what advice we can about their gaming conundrums. This week we talked to Jamil Walker about presenting non-violent opposition for his PCs. This really touched on a cornerstone of our GMing styles. It’s a good 40 minutes. Have a listen!

Hosts: Sean Nittner, Eric Fattig, and Lenny Balsera

Guest Caller: Jamil Walker

Length: 42.16

Show Notes

[00:26] Introduction to the show. Jamil Walker from http://www.meetup.com/Indie-Gamers-Network/ comes on to talk about non-violent opposition.
[01:08] Explicit warning on!
[01:26] Discussion about GMing styles. How does a player self-identify what kind of GM they are looking for?
[02:59] Diversity in the hobby making the term role-playing game and elusive term.
[05:55] Cons using symbols to designate content of games (legend). Big Bad Con will start using something like this. http://www.bigbadcon.com/
[08:18] Welcome Jamil Walker to the show. Playing Apocalypse world and trying to fight the knee jerk reaction of going straight to violence.
[09:43] Constant violence stalls character development long term.
[10:28] Apocalypse World tools for creating interwoven threats: Fronts!
[11:55] We start the cult discussion.
[12:15] Violence does work as an impetus to action. A threat you can’t ignore.
[13:24] Branching out to find other threats they have to respond to.
[14:00] Cult example, everyone leaving the hold to enter the wasting desert.
[14:42] What do the player characters care about?
[15:09] Real life example: Being blackmailed for breaking company policy, stakes are losing your job.
[16:01] Back to the cult. Threatening to change your home. Arguing with your boon companions…risking becoming a pariah in your own community.
[17:28] Trap with Apocalypse World: The setting depicts people focused only on survival but he process of play proves that image wrong.
[18:11] Start with questions. Find out where the dependencies are and work with those.
[20:04] Connect problems to scarcity – deny things. Have an NPC say “no”.
[22:28] Stop thinking about people in terms of their fantastic characteristics, and think of how people say no to you.
[24:04] Superman’s real Kryptonite – People being afraid of him.
[25:18] Push the denial strongly. Let the players initiate the violence.
[26:37] You can get a lot of mileage out of the repercussions of violence.
[27:35] Make NPCs as fickle as needed to present opposition.
[28:04] Give the players things. Allow them to win. Give them something they care about.
[29:09] Enforcement of denial. How’s it work? Jamil’s notes.
[30:52] Slow your roll there… use the details of the setting.
[33:44] Someone lied. Lies start a chain of consequences.
[35:16] It’s okay for the players to feel on top of the world. It makes defeat that mush more brutal.
[37:00] Letting the players win. Legitimate victories chip away at the problem of “only caring about being alive”.
[37:55] Get excited about their victories and defeats. Put your own emotions on the table.
[41:18] With that knowledge… you should run a game at Big Bad Con.
[41:37] Want to be on the show? Emails us narrativecontrol@gmail.com

Jamil’s notes from the show:

The trap of violence is that it demands action

Threaten What The Value

•      Their peace
•      Their resources
•      Their loyalty
•      Their homes
•      They’re resources

Give them stuff. Love it to death. Then break your own heart

To “Push There”

Threaten something they have (object/relationship/group/resource)

•      Someone wants to destroy it (to rebuilt, to consume, to make example of)
•      Someone wants to change it (to serve a new purpose, to signify something malevolent)
•      Someone wants it for themselves
•      The thing they have disagrees with them
•      The thing they have wants something harmful

And threaten via:

•      Greater numbers (violent or non-violent)
•      Denial of resources (shelter, supplies, protection)
•      A tempting offer (away from the thing being threatened)
•      A direct threat or warning

Someone can’t (or won’t) give them _______ because:

•      someone else says they can’t
•      they don’t think you deserve it
•      they don’t want to do _____ anymore
•      they don’t have it anymore (taken, spoiled, burned up, ran out)
•      they don’t want what your offering in exchange (anymore)
•      their supplier died/moved/cut them off.

The converstation continues…Here

Direct download: NC_Episode_073.mp3

Narrative Control – Episode 72 – The System for Your Game

Welcome back to Narrative Control, season 3. This season we’re talking about methos for finding a game that will suit your needs. It’s kind of the anti-hack episode (Episode 69) where our goal is to find you a system that will match your epectations without having to re-invent it yourself. We doing something special this year and hosting a fundraiser for Doctors Without Borders

Hosts: Sean Nittner, Eric Fattig, and Lenny Balsera

Guest Caller: Soren Ludwig

Length:

Show Notes

[00:30] We’re doing good. In the holiday spirit we’re raising money for Doctors Without Borders. (see the link above)
[01:20] Sean is moving to the Bay Area! My last Davis summer.
[02:15] Fattig’s exciting story. The one not involving a donkey and three pounds of cocaine.
[03:29] Soren Ludwig’s question: How to pick out a tabletop RPG.
[03:57]Lenny’s strategy. Throw money at friends making games.
[04:44] Welcome Soren!
[05:17]The only advice you’ll ever need from Lenny. Look for the name “Leonard Balsera” on the spine of the book.
[07:07] And now we get back to the point, picking out a game (instead of hacking one)
[09:09] Don’t focus on premise when looking for a game. What we dig is more focused around systems.
[11:42] Instead figure out what do you want out of a system.
[12:30] Some examples that lead us to Swashbucklers of the 7 Skies
[13:35] Lets boil down what Soren is looking for in a game.
[14:30] Looking for discovery and mysteries leads us to Gumshoe.
[16:30] Asking the power questions of any game: Big Three and Power 19
[19:11] Highlighting “what makes it about that?” by looking at the character sheet.
[21:41] Places to find information about games. RPG.Net Reviews
[24:00] Search on Story Games Forum
[25:21]Actual play posts: Recommending The Walking Eye and Mom’s Basement and more at RPGpodcats.com
[27:00] Talking to peeps! Asking people who have played the game, immediate friends, the twitters…
[30:05] After a brief digression… is your Google-fu strong?
[31:28] Lets pimp out Josh Roby for a moment. @joshroby
[32:50] Go to cons and play lots of games… try them out. Local cons. Meet ups. Store game days.
[35:50] After games are done, talk to the GM of a game. Trust us, they want to talk.
[37:30] Online resources for playing: Online cons like AetherCon. Google Hangouts like CONcurrent
[40:46] If you’d like to be on the show, please contact us at narrativecontrol@gmail.com

Download: NC_Episode_072.mp3

Narrative Control – Episode 71

Welcome back to Narrative Control, season 3. This season we’re taking calls from listeners and offering up what advice we can about their gaming conundrums. This week we talked to Rich Rogers about a transgressive experience he had playing in a game and review both what he could have done differently and what both GMs and players should watch out for so that they don’t cross over boundaries inadvertently.

Hosts: Sean Nittner, Eric Fattig, and Lenny Balsera

Guest Caller: Rich Rogers, of Canon Puncture and RPG Crosstalk

Length: 50:27

Show Notes

[00:28] Welcome to the show. This episode is explicit because of the content. Specifically character rape.
[01:17] Welcoming the hosts on board. Discussion of secrets. Sean presents his theory.
[03:37] Lenny’s thoughts on secrets… or is that what we’re really talking about?
[05:53] Eric’s crazy project. Building the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A)

Presentig the situation

[07:42] Bringing Rich onto the show. Rich tells us about the game.
[09:50] A failed carousing roll results in his character being raped. We ask some clarifying questions.
[11:20] Player reacton: laughter and ridicule.
[13:06] After the game reaction from the group: tweets celebrating the game.
[13:54] Rich’s reaction: leaving the game.
[16:12] Our follow up questions. Reponse from the GM. Other experiences with the players.

Breakdown of what went wrong

[16:50] Issue: using lines and veils requires a discussion in advance, not after the fact.
[17:58] Issue: failure stakes never made explicit. Consequences way out of scope. Discussion of narrative authority, who gets it?
[20:33] Suggestion: Speak up when uncomfortable. Consider what is the worst thing that will happen? It is okay to not be okay with something.
[21:56] Issue: players response. Taken seriously and with respect virtually any subject matter can be handled with respect. But the reaction here was ridicule.
[22:39] Issue: deprotoganoizing a PC. A really hot button for Sean.
[23:35] Issue: appropriateness of the content and the player’s reaction. Lenny plays devil’s advocate.
[26:16] Suggestion: When playing online, pay much more attention to what is going on with the other players because of the missing the body language.
[27:27] Suggestion: elaboration on how to respond, halting the game right there and discussing what’s going on in the game.
[28:22] Suggestion: negotiate out of character, don’t work within the narrative.
[29:18] We have to laugh because it is so awful. Sean’s experience watching Brazil unprepared.
[30:23] 30 minutes into a game, hearing this, we’re surprised Rich didn’t just hang up the call.
[32:09] Suggestion: Games can handle very serious, transgressive and controversial issues. First thing to do is to check in with the other player.
[33:55] Recap of suggestions: Call the GM on the carpet or leave the game. Be very clear in skype/online games to communicate intent and check in with each other.
[36:25] Issue: it feels more uncomfortable to object the longer the game goes on and the more the other players buy into it.
[37:21] Issue: recap of he players response. In some ways even more offensive than the GM’s actions.
[39:42] Suggestion: If you bring a new player into a game, evaluate your existing group dynamic before trodding ahead.
[40:35] Suggestion: Response to the players is the same as response to the GM. Call them on their response.
[40:56] Sean is so upset by players teasing each other. It’s bullying.
[42:37] We wish we had more practical advice. We’re angry on Rich’s behalf.
[43:02] Rich is not only upset about what happened in the game, but also about his reaction.
[44:00] Issue: how to deal with players who are teasing you in game?
[46:18] Suggestion: The people watching this going down (a 3rd party) should call people out on this.
[48:07] Closing thoughts. This happens to other people. We’ve heard these stories.

Direct download: NC_Episode_071.mp3

Narrative Control – Episode 70 – Mysteries

Welcome back to Narrative Control, season 3. This season we’re taking calls from listeners and offering up what advice we can about their gaming conundrums. This week we talked to Austin Smith about both dropping clues to your players, keeping them attached to the outcomes, and introducing a rich setting.

Hosts: Sean Nittner, Lenny Balsera, and Eric Fattig
Guest Caller: Austin Smith

Length: 1:01:36

Download: NC_Episode_070.mp3

Narrative Control – Episode 69 – Hack my Shadowrun

Welcome back to Narrative Control, Season 3. This season we’re taking calls from listeners and offering up what advice we can about their gaming conundrums. This week we talked to Joe Harney about hacking settings from one game into the system of another’s. In this case we focus on Gordian Knot of Settings: Shadowrun

Hosts: Sean Nittner and Lenny Balsera

Guest Caller: Joseph Harney

Length: 45:07

Show Notes

[00:25] Intro to the show – Hacking settings to systems.
[00:55] Joe starts the call. Used to run Shadowrun, but the system doesn’t do what I want it to do.
[02:36] What isn’t the existing system doing? – Discuss.
[03:41] Are you interested in changing or emphasizing parts of the setting as well? – Discuss.
[05:11] First suggestion – Prime Time Adventures for interpersonal drama.
[06:33] Discussion – PTA will not provide the level of crunch some players are looking for.
[07:14] Tangible advice – Pick a system that allows you to identify: X is important -> assigned to Y mechanic.
[07:35] One system that does this well: PDQ – Scoped qualities.
[09:30] Tangible advice – If you know another system with a high concept similar to the game you’re converting, those might be early options.
[10:12] That’s Leverage – Same high concepts, just need race, magic, and cyberware.
[11:33] Cortex+ is very easy to represent what is important: they get a die.
[13:08] Challenge: Represent the exclusionary force between Magic and Cyberware. Discuss.
[19:05] System: Don’t Rest Your Head – Hackable so long as there is a limited number of places to gain power from.
[20:53] General advice: Find games that focus in design toward a concept that closely matches the concept of the game you want to run.
[21:50] This flies in the face of the idea of using a generic system (Gurps, FATE, d20, etc.)
[22:43] Focused games also self-identify what won’t work. Example: Dogs in the Vineyard.
[24:06] If you were doing d20 Shadowrun look to Spycraft.
[25:10] If you want to do a ton of work reskin Apocalypse World.
[27:07] Hacking Fate – Time required to develop it. Using skills vs. stunts to represent.
[30:30] How tight or how loose do you need to enforce the setting expectations? – Discuss.
[32:12] Introduced a new group to the setting. Concerned that the existing mechanics would turn off new players.
[33:09] The foundation of your hack should be relevant to what enthuses you about a setting.
[34:33] Decide what mode of play you want. Combat-centric? Investigation? Interpersonal Drama?
[35:24] You will have more success selling your own enthusiasm than anything else.
[35:40] Challenge: Present a world where the consequences of actions matter.
[36:33] Suggestion: Technoir. Tools for developing, as you play, the web of interconnections.
[37:33] Challenge: Present juxtaposition of technology and magic.
[37:51] Suggestion: Look at Mortal Coil as it helps you define what magic is (as well as what is important in the setting). Mechanizes that which is special.
[38:39] Tangible advice – Read a lot of games. Steal liberally.
[41:16] Suggestion: Making the world respond: Fronts from Apocalypse World.
[42:19] Suggestions: Aspects from Fate or Distinctions from Cortex+
[43:20] Recap of practical advice.
[44:31] Want to be on the show. Emails us at narrativecontrol@gmail.com or post on the forums.

The conversation continues… Here.
Direct download: NC_Episode_069.mp3

Narrative Control – Episode 68 – Selling players on Complications

Welcome back to Narrative Control, season 3. This season we’re taking calls from listeners and offering up what advice we can about their gaming conundrums. This week we talked to David Bozarth talking about selling players on complicating their characters.

Hosts: Sean Nittner, Eric Fattig, and Lenny Balsera

Guest Caller: Dave Bozarth

Explicit. This episode contains a smattering of explicit language.

Length: 37:14

Show Notes

[00:27] Intro to the show. Dave Bozarth coming on and talking about adapting your play style to the group, games that help sell players on character complications and Rob Donoghue’s “The Trick”
[00:55] Daniel Hodges of the game Victoria had me on his podcast Penny Red. You can download it here.
[01:22] Want to be on the show. Email us at narrativecontrol@gmail.com or on the forum
[01:53] The hosts arrive, Eric Fattig and Lenny Balsera
[02:04] But I digress. I just play tested Durance. Here’s my AP report
[02:40] Dave recounts his situation. A player character that killed off his brother because he was a liability.
[04:15] Our discussion begins. Why was this a problem and not just grist for the mill of character drama and story?
[04:33] What happened next? Was this discussed?
[05:26] What system were we playing? Mage. System isn’t going to help us here.
[06:22] More context. Was this important in the setting?
[07:06] Future of the game? Did it keep going?
[07:27] Player motivation: Dodging the issue or generating new conflict?
[09:22] A common occurrence. Players protecting their characters from weakness, liability and responsibility. Result = no story.
[12:01] Some games work really well for power fantasies and crazy awesome competence. Leverage!
[12:58] A Hard sell. Selling players on accepting weaknesses. Ideas?
[13:45] Suggestion: Show how connections to the game can be strengths as well as weaknesses.
[15:19] Suggestion: Dropping offers meaning fewer offers made. More of them made to other players? Would this satisfy the player?
[17:27] Suggestion: If this is something that seriously detracts from the game experience. Play a different game?
[17:52] Changing the group dynamic, other players doing the same thing.
[18:28] Good experiences playing Apocalypse World.
[18:55] Players accepting complications in that system.
[19:10] Use the system! AW will change your game.
[20:37] Suggestion: Talk about how you are mimicking the success/complication model from Apocalypse World.
[21:47] We are pretty horrible about knowing what we really want.
[22:10] Suggestion: Conditioning the group. Play enough games with explicit rules for complications so that they can be made implicit in other games.
[22:53] Sean’s “Plot Hammer” voice.
[23:11] Forming new habits. Changing old capital “H” habits.
[23:35] Suggestion: Being explicit with the group about what you like. Positive reinforcement of players embracing change, consequences, etc.
[25:50] Some systems are better for encouraging this.
[26:55] Suggestion: Maybe you should change your GMing style.
[29:00] Suggestion: Many players give a lot respect to the “system” over a GM’s style.
[30:00] Suggestion: Point to the mechanics and get the player’s feedback so you’re not in the line of fire.
[30:57] Rob Donoghue’s “The Trick” – Threatening the things “around” the players.
[32:27] Looking at an iconic (vs. dynamic) character. Jack Bauer.
[34:32] Learning which buttons to push.
[35:25] Suggestion: Authoring your own tragedy. Sometimes players just want to control that.
[36:00] Set an example: “Die in the first scene!” We’re playing weekend at Bernie’s and I’m Bernie.

The conversation continues… Here.

Direct download: NC_Episode_068.mp3

Narrative Control – Episode 67 – Setting Expectations

Welcome back to Narrative Control, season 3. We’ve taken a break for Gen Con and my very own Big Bad Con and now we’re back in the saddle. Season 3 has a new format. We’re taking calls from listeners and offering up what advice we can about their gaming conundrums. This week we talked to David Miessler-Kubanek from dmkcreative.com. We’re talking about intellectual properties, setting expectations and finding out what’s going on with an unhappy player.

Hosts: Sean Nittner and Lenny Balsera

Guest Caller: David Miessler-Kubanek

Length: 32:01

Show Notes

[00:31] Welcome back to Narrative Control. Intro to the season three format.
[01:22] Eric Fattig is out for today. Welcoming guest host Lenny (not Leonard) Balsera.
[01:45] What real friends are for.
[02:57] “Shuu Nittner” – A name that will never been used.
[03:13] Sean’s current project – Apocalypse Galactica.
[04:09] Lenny working on Fate Core and Paranet Papers for Evil Hat and just moved to Austin, TX.
[04:34] Bringing on David Miessler-Kubanek from DMKcreative.com
[04:57] David’s “Dragonfly” game (Star Wars mashed up with Firefly)
[05:54] Problems started when some new players joined the game. Specifically a player with a LOT of Star Wars lore. Problem identified: One player’s expectations not matching up with the rest of the group’s expectations.
[07:49] Lenny’s first salvo – setting expectations. Why do we do it? Not to adhere to them but to have a framework for talking about them when it comes up in the future.
[09:34] David noticed a play style difference. One player who has read all the rules, knows all the mechanics, versus his own play style which was much less tied to mechanics. Problem re-identified: Player was unsatisfied by the mechanics, and uncomfortable with the rules system. Trad player walking into an indie game.
[11:28] Communication was poor. Can we revisit that communication? Start the game over, start the discussion over?
[12:40] Is David’s gaming style compatible with this player? Looking back, would he want to start up the game again with just a few of the players? All of them?
[14:09] Problem re-re-identified. Is it hurtful or malicious to be concerned with whether or not a group is going to have a good time, if that means not including a previous player?
[16:05] GM’s confidence being shaken by a bad experience. An experimental game with an experimental system. Was it his fault. What to do to get back in the saddle?
[18:49] Role-playing games are a conversation. Internalizing that very hard to do. Identifying if the problem is about the game or the social dynamic?
[19:56] Getting the conversation away from the trappings of the game. Problem is potentially fixable as soon as it is out in the open.
[21:37] Often discussion in RPGs is about trying to manipulate the game “If I make it about how this system works, I’m not being a dick.”
[22:52] “I want what I want for me. But I don’t want to look like a jerk, so I’ll use the game mechanics to get it.”
[23:10] When it is the games fault. But that is still a human problem.
[25:00] Regrets about the game. David starting the game back up again. The game was fine, the mechanics were fine. Start this bad boy back up again!
[28:01] Why setting expectations is important (redux)? It creates a foundation for change and a place for the conversation to start from.
[29:26] The future of David’s gaming group.
[31:01] Would you like to be on Narrative Control? Email us at narrativecontrol@gmail.com, hop on our forums, or tweet me @seannittner.

The conversation continues…. Here!

Direct download: NC_Episode_067.mp3

Narrative Control

Narrative Control is a podcast about our gaming experiences, the conversation continues here!

Season 1: Our gaming experiences. Justin Evans and Sean Nittner riff about hacks we’ve made, systems we’ve tried, and techniques we’re excited about.

Season 2: The conversation continues. Sean Nittner and Eric Fattig look at other gamers, podcasters, writers, actors, and any other source material we can find that excites us about gaming. Then we give our spin about what it means to us in our game.

Season 3: Recording Now. Eric Fattig, Leonard Balsera, and Sean Nittner take calls from gamers with questions about their game. Our replies are specific to the caller and then made more general for our audience.

Subscribe our download at www.narrativecontrol.com

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