Tag: narrative control

Narrative Control – Episode 56 – Can’t Touch This

Hi and welcome back to Narrative Control.  This week we’re talking about the sacred cows at the gaming table. What are the things that a player doesn’t want to see changed about their character.  Brought to you by a conversation between Sean and Leonard Balsera.

Length: 38:59

[00:27] Welcome back to the show.  We talk about the RPGGeek’s GoldenGeek Award.  We didn’t win, but congratulations to YSDC: Cthulhu Podcast.
[01:28] Shout out to Leonard Balsera of Evil Hat, lead system designer of the Dresden Files RPG and assistant designer of Spirit of the Century.
[02:05] High stakes gambling in Vegas! Wagering on RPG minutiae at Neoncon.
[03:37] The crux of the episode: What changes result in the character not being fun anymore
[03:48] Advancement versus change.
[04:04] Examples of change in Golden Geek winner Dresden Files and in Dogs in the Vineyard.
[05:28] Changing a core concept of a character.  Does it break the character?
[06:27] What is fixed and what’s open to change.  Fred Hicks’ concept of “the character sheet as a love letter to the GM”
[07:10] Beliefs in Burning Wheel; more about what is your character going to do.
[08:11] An example of a persistent trouble: Alcoholism in Iron Man.
[08:42] An example of a more evolving trouble.
[09:10] Fattig’s favorite foibles.
[11:52] Why would we change a persistent character element.
[12:26] Dresden example: A compelling plot twist that makes sense.  But it affects the character to the detriment of the characters fun.
[13:47] Mage game.  Changing a character element that doesn’t break the character.  On the contrary, it drives the character forward.
[15:34] Sean drives a player bonkers in Silver Age Sentinels.
[18:05] Players want to change on their own terms.
[18:25] Finding the untouchable elements on your own character sheet.
[20:29] Make no mistake though, change is critical.
[21:02] Communicate with your GM.  Let them know what is core that you don’t want to let go of.
[21:29] The character sheet won’t tell you what the character wants to change versus what they want to hold onto.
[22:27] As a GM, pay attention to the brainstorming sessions, and ask questions.
[24:28] “Just because your characters really good at something, may not be what they’re about.  It may be about not doing it.”
[25:15] The Odd Couple: a recurring problem.
[26:38] Reading into a player’s favorite issues based on tone.
[27:25] What to do when communication fails, and a sacred cow gets trampled in play.
[29:40] A core concept changed in play in a moment from Burning Wheel.
[31:28] Recognize that something’s gone wrong, and talk about it afterwards.
[35:59] If you do change something about the character as the GM, give the player options.
Direct Download: NC_Episode_056.mp3

Narrative Control – Episode 55 – Player Trust

Hi and welcome back to Narrative Control.  This episode starts with a rather raspy intro as I lost my voice while doing the editing, but rest assured the main portion of the show was done with all voices intact. This episode Ryan Macklin came on to talk with me about a tweet he made regarding player trust.  It resonated with me and I knew it would make for a good show.

Hosts: Sean Nittner and Ryan Macklin

Length: 33:27

Show Notes

[00:27] Intro to the show. Sean’s raspy voice
[00:52] On with Ryan Macklin.  In front of the mic rather than in front of the coffee.  Responding to this tweet.
[01:39] Player trust. What are we talking about? How did it resonate with Sean?
[02:02] Reactions one: Players jealously guarding their parts of the story.
[03:13] Reaction two: Players ignoring other player’s plot threads.
[03:58] Ryan’s confessional – Way back when he was a wee babe.
[04:32] What it feels like when people won’t validate your offers.  Why players turn away from each other?
[05:19] When story elements have mechanical effects, they become more precious.
[06:14] What to do when players are playing their own private game.
[07:35] Causes for players not to trust each other.
[08:36] “Why’d you eat my girlfriend?”
[09:12] Ryan’s game. A Fate Heist game.
[09:59] Game started with the characters distrusting each other.
[10:46] Players not familiar with collaborating on the narrative.  Oh… and I narrowly dodged being knifed by Ryan.
[11:49] Players all trying to do their own thing, intentionally separate from each other.
[12:20] Trusting the GM not to pull a “gotcha”. Player-GM baggage.
[13:49] Assertions of players being rejected/ignored.
[16:32] Secrets – notes passed.  Making a public secret to encourage players to make their characters vulnerable.
[17:42] How do we address this distrust?  Player-GM baggage, Player-Player baggage. “in character” distrust.
[18:14] It starts with the GM, who has to start forging connections between PCs by asking them questions.
[20:57] Game rewarding players for taking risks or doing things together (example: compels).
[23:00] Players building trust by backing another player’s offer.
[24:51] In a game of hyper competent sexy cool people, make the first thing you do make them look like hyper competent sexy cool people.
[25:18] Two set of advice here. How to encourage it as a GM and as a player.
[26:10] What do we do if we realize in the middle of the game that this has happened?  GM pulling back and creating interactions between the PCs.
[28:15] As a player, talk to the table about what’s going on in the game.  This is risky:  Schrödinger’s cooperative game.
[29:28] Advice to players who don’t want to share.  You’re characters will be more awesome if they have changed and gone through trials.
[30:31] John McClain is the dude who gets the crap kicked out of him and is awesome because of that.
[31:19] Or just bring a taser…
[32:26] Closing, thanks to Macklin and a few bits to date the show.

Direct Download: NC_Episode_055.mp3

Narrative Control – Episode 54 – Mad Props (Part 2)

Hi and welcome back to the second Narrative Control props show.  This episode we’re continuing the conversation of props in your game.  We’ll be talking about food, music, pictures, props you can hold and skype + wierd stuff!

Hosts: Sean Nittner and Eric Fattig

Show Notes

[00:28] Intro to the show.  A continuation of Episode 53.  More props.

[01:05] Food! Breaking bread while you bash some heads.  This segment will make you hungry.
[02:09] Sushi in an L5R game.
[02:50] Sean brought coffee and doughnuts to his Dresden Files Chicago PD game.
[02:57] Division through beer: Sean’s running of The Gift.
[04:08] Be a rock star and drink a Rockstar.  Sean’s Exalted Unplugged game.
[04:26] Root beer kegs.  It turns out they contain a lot of root beer.
[05:06] A little game music.
[05:15] Sean’s Matrix game: even a ringtone can evoke a sensation.
[05:42] Recording audio for use in games.  Simulating a telepathic link in Mage: the Awakening
[08:03] A game where music is central to the game: Sean’s Exalted Unplugged game.
[09:20] Where music falls short.  An example from a Buffy game.
[09:58] Sean recalls a misstep from his Mage game.
[10:32] Avoiding mistakes in music.  Also, Fattig mispronounces Haydn.
[11:40] One last example of music used well in an L5R game
[12:17] Pictures!
[12:30] How pictures can help your games.
[13:27] Brainwash your players! Or maybe not.
[13:43] Bringing the swamp to life in Apocalypse World.
[16:14] Stuff you can hold.  Adding some weight to your games.
[16:47] The objects of Apocalypse World. Turns out rusty crap is mostly free.
[17:45] A skull and gas mask for an Apocalypse World game.  Not as free, but re-usable come next Halloween.
[18:07] One man’s garbage is another man’s prop.
[18:51] Keep your props safe to handle.
[19:33] An box of evidence from Sean’s Dresden cop game.  Variety is key.
[21:21] Tailoring the prop to the setting.  Variety versus a central object.
[21:59] Weapons as props.  Usually a bad idea, but Sean did it once.  His story.
[23:40] Draped cloth in The Gift.  Turning an ordinary chair at a con into throne.
[24:43] Mouse ball! A prop used in an icebreaker for Mouse Guard.
[26:17] The miscellaneous category.  Props that defy categorization.
[26:42] Gods and Heroes.  Using Skype in a game.
[30:35] How not to use props.
[31:51] Finding inspiration for your game through props.
[32:33] A cautionary tale of a terrible prop. Warning, moderately gross.
[34:29] Players should always be able to engage a prop if they want, but don’t force it on them.

Direct Download: NC_Episode_054.mp3

Narrative Control – Episode 53 – Mad Props (Part 1)

Hi and welcome to Narrative Control.  This episode and the next are all about props we’ve used in games.  This show we’re talking about maps, apparel and dressing up existing game elements like dice, character sheets, etc.

Hosts: Sean Nittner and Eric Fattig

Length:  34:00

Show Notes

[00:28] Intro to the show.  Talking about props.
[01:40] We already talked about some of this in Episode 17 – Included props on the cheap, documents and customized character sheets. Check it out .
[03:30] Maps… the forgotten prop. [04:39] Map of Bel in Apocalypse World:

[05:29] Island map for Agon.  Showed which gods held dominion. Blank version.

[06:31] The Map of Rokugan showing off all the problems we had to handle.

[08:28] Territories in Mouse Guard. Big Map:

Little Map:

[10:30] The map of our memories in 4E.  I put in mud pots for you Babe.
[11:50] Dress like the fiction. Costumes.
[13:06] Gnome spies got (from such classics as Gnomes Like Us, Dr. Gnome and Gnome Impossible) got different hats for each important NPC.
[12:48] Put on a Chiton when you play a Greek.  Dressing up for Agon:

[15:30] Liberty spikes and “distressed” wear for Apocalypse World:

[16:22] Laurel wreaths for the gods: Laural wreaths at Amazon.
[17:02] Getting costumes at local costume shops, like this one at UC Davis: Enchanted Cellar.
[18:21] Mons in our L5R game. Badges of office, clan, family or post.
[20:07] More subtle effects.  Dresden Files cops game, I took the role as the police chief, I kept adjusting this:

[22:07] Dressing up the existing gaming elements: Dice, character sheets, game currancy (style dice, fate chips, artha, etc).
[22:50] Police Dresden game: Badges on Fate chips made with Token Tool.
[23:31] Used Gwendolyn and Liam for Persona and Fate in Mouse Guard:

and

[24:05] Matrix: There is no spoon.  Currency in RAM:

[24:49] More generic. Poker Chips: Discount Poker Shop. [25:43] Apocalypse World: Shotgun Shells.

[26:53] Mouse Guard – Dice color matched the cloaks:

[27:51] My Life with Joker: Purple and Green Dice at Chessex.
[28:12] Burning Empires.  Blue became the color of the common people.  Nobody wanted the blue dice.
[29:03] Burning Wheel. The Gift.  Dwarves get red dice, Elves get blue.
[29:44] Character tents.
[30:00] Pretty character tents.  Clear picture frames at Bed, Bath and Beyond
[30:36] Including other bits like characters keys (from Shadow of Yesterday), aspects (from Fate), etc.
[31:12] “Dude, where’s my sword?”  Players poking each other in the keys.
[32:23] Aspects on sticky labels to add to character tents.  Here’s my Mouse Guard traits:

[33:26] A hint of the topic to come soon.

Direct Download: NC_Episode_053.mp3

Narrative Control – Episode 52 – Indirect Effects

Hi and welcome back to Narrative Control.  This week Fattig and I are responding to a blog post and follow up email from Loyd Case.  The topic: Indirect Effects.  Also, I’ve got some news about Neoncon, notably that I’m attending AND that I’ve started up a new show “This Just in… From Neconcon”.  Also, check out the official Iron GM.  The regional qualifiers tournament will be hosted at Neoncon.

Hosts: Sean Nittner and Eric Fattig

Length: 30:16

Show Notes

[00:26] Introduction to the show – Indirect Effects from Improbable Insights.
[00:46] I’m going to Neoncon and I’ve got a show to go with it. This Just in…. From Neoncon.
[01:00] First show is an interview with Rone Barton about Iron GM.  The contest is still open.  If you’re going to NeconCon, sign up!
[01:52] Who is Loyd Case? How I met him?
[05:50] A reading from Loyd’s blog post. Or… where the show begins.
[06:33] We’ll be talking about indirect effects in terms of conflicts were number of actions is limited. (Combat rounds, scene economy, etc)
[08:10] Reminiscent of the Teamwork episode when we talked about the combo move merits.
Examples of Indirect Effects
[09:03] Burning Wheel – Linked Tests
[10:34] Fate – Blocks and Maneuvers
[12:26] Combat maneuvers common to many systems – Disarm, Grapple, Knockdown
[14:29] Dungeons & Dragons 4E – Conditions and movement.
[17:01] The appeal to the Indirect Effect. Richer fiction, more player collaboration, the fun of plan coming together.
[19:27] Indirect effects that change the playing field, open up new options, close off others or change the cost and benefit of existing options.
[20:26] A board game example: Attack cards in Dominion.
[22:42] Pitfals of indirect effects.  Delaying the awesome.  The moves not amounting to much.  Or the effect doing too much.
[27:04] GMs need to be mindful of intent with indirect effects.

Direct Download: NC_Episode_052.mp3

Narrative Control – Episode 51 – Iron GM

Hi, welcome back to Narrative Control.  This week, in addition to a whole bunch of news, Fattig and I are talking about the Iron GM competition held at EndGame.  Isikoff vs. Macklin!

Hosts: Sean Nittner and Eric Fattig

Length: 26:45

Show Notes

[00:27] Intro to the show.   Actually skip to 8:10 if you want to skip the news and get to the topic: Iron GM
[00:55] We have a news segment?
[01:10] Narrative Control is up for a Golden Geek.  Please vote for us!
[02:11] Forums have changed.  Upgraded to a new version of Vanilla and moved hosts.
[03:20] Game Chef.  Sean is an entrant. Check out my game “Burning Your Skin.”
[04:56] Big Bad Con – Less than a year away.
[06:06] Fattig’s Life: Nothin
[06:24] EndGame Minicon 10/16
[07:28] Today is 10-10-10 – Congratulations Erik and Ammy.
[08:10] Iron GM – Our Topic
[08:52] Iron GM:  The gauntlet is thrown – How it started.
[10:15] Iron GM: Competition format compared to the show.
[13:59] Iron GM:  The Play Experience – Made of awesome.
[19:33] Iron GM: Results – Brian Isikoff is the Iron GM.  Matt Steele and Mike Bogan are the next challengers.
[22:44] Iron GM: Wrap up and review.
[24:12] Post game analysis: Sean’s Actual Play, Tim’s AP, 2d6 Feet’s Episode with Brian and Ryan.
[25:09] Iron GM will be at Big Bad Con.

Direct Download: NC_Episode_051.mp3

Narrative Control – Episode 50 – Why not go to 11?

Hi, welcome back to Narrative Control.  It’s our 50th show! Commence fanfare now!  This episode is another response to a post from Rob Donoghue.  Why I try not to go to 11?

Hosts: Sean Nittner and Eric Fattig

Length: 37:21

Show Notes

[00:27] Intro to the show.  We’re 50!
[00:47] I remember the excitement of my first con.  I want to bring it to you at Big Bad Con.
[01:17] Intro to the show. Why I try not to go to 11? By Rob Donoghue.
[02:29] Excerpt from Rob’s post.
[03:11] One of my favorite games to run is “The Gift” , which is all about instigating conflict.
[04:13] This came to our attention because of a Fiasco game we were in. 4-Ever “I don’t think these guys really have it.”  Our outcomes were really mediocre but we loved it!
[08:02] We sustained excitement throughout the game because our victories were so minor (in comparison to other Fiasco games) but so important to our characters.
[08:57] No murder and no sex in this game… it was downright puritanical for Fiasco.
[09:29] Other Fiasco games where we have slapped on gratuitous violence and sex and it always feels slapped on and artificial.
[11:50] Player egos get involved.  Feeling like you need to impress the others at the table.
[12:06] This happened in a Burning Wheel game (in the Burning Warcraft game) where the stakes got blow out of proportion.
[14:14] NPCs that go to 11? The quickly become one-dimensional and they are hard to scale back down.
[19:09] Players that go to 11? Become “that guy” who always goes over the top, or has the same reaction.  Makes it hard for your character to grow.
[20:41] Gaming is about what you are going to do in a situation.  If you’ll do the same thing every time, what is the point of putting you in that situation.
[23:24] Sean’s regrets having the “crazy” character.
[25:42] Some games really push towards conflict, like Burning Wheel. The 24 Effect! We become immune to 11.
[29:30] Dig a little deeper into the system and into the characters by taking a break from the game and reviewing the character’s beliefs.  Ask the questions, what do you think should happen next?
[30:59] Re-evaluate the stakes of your conflicts.  If they feel over the top, consider bringing them back down to a personal level.
[33:06] I think you know it when you’ve crossed the line.  You feel less confident in your actions, they seem farfetched.
[34:05] Its okay if you’re doing something over the top to stop, rewind a bit and dial the stakes down a bit.
[34:36] Apocalypse World says in the text “you should act like your character is a real person.”
[36:06] Closing: Why not go to 11? To make the characters feel more real.  To highlight their moments of awesome.  To keep them from becoming one dimensional.

Direct download: NC_Episode_050.mp3

Narrative Control – Episode 49 – Teamwork

Hi and welcome back to Narrative Control.  This episode I’ve got Shaun Hayworth on from This Modern Death and we’re talking about teamwork as it compares to niche protection in terms of giving each player a roll in the game and each character spotlight in the fiction.

Hosts: Sean Nittner and Shaun Hayworth

Length: 38:24

Show Notes

[00:27] Intro to the show. Teamwork vs. niche protection.
[00:53] We have our obligatory bad joke. At least we kept in under a minute
[01:25] Inspiration for this show. Our Atlantic City Dresden Files game.
[03:40] Every game, at its core, has an intention that players get to play.
[04:36] Original idea of how to keep everyone involved: niche protection.  Some examples: Dungeons and Dragons, White Wolf, and Shadowrun.
[05:42] Where niche protection fails.  One role eclipses another or one role isn’t important in the game.
[06:32] Example: Non-combat concepts in games that are built around a combat system.
[08:33] One alternative to niche protection is to focus a game around a character’s motivations rather than role in the party.  Shaun super fanboy waxes poetically on Burning Wheel.
[10:36] We’re all in favor of driving characters by motivation.  It doesn’t have any real downside, but it doesn’t always give everyone a role when all the character are involved in a scene or conflict.
[11:16] Some mitigation: tie the characters together.  Make sure the players are talking.
[14:10] Sean defines teamwork as: The overall goal of the group is not achieved until everyone has put their efforts in and the outcome reflects those efforts.
[15:19] Mouse Guard conflict system.  In each volley of an exchange a different mouse takes lead and the others support him or her.
[18:27] Burning Empires. Firefight is all about teamwork.  One character makes a command role to issue out actions to others (who can intern aid in that command role to give themselves more actions).
[20:44] Swashbucklers of the 7 Skies.  Vehicle Duels bring in all members of the crew to make it work.
[23:30] Freemarket.  Ganging up on the Super user.
[25:54] World of Darkness games.  Teamwork merits in Hunter and Werewolf.
[28:26] The game that inspires a lot of teamwork…. Dresden Files.  Partially the fate system but specifically in the “using help” section of Thaumaturgy.  This is huge.  Adventure worthy!
[37:59] Teamwork is manageable in games, where niche protection isn’t always.

Direct download: NC_Episode_049.mp3

Narrative Control – Episode 48 – Inescapable

Hi, welcome back to Narrative Control.  This episode starts with a response to an interview with Kenneth Hite and continues with Fattig and I describing games and stories that scare us, and our attraction to them.

Hosts: Sean Nittner and Eric Fattig

Length: 48:38

Show Notes

[00:27] Intro to the show.  Our response to Canon Puncture #57, an interview with Kenneth Hite.
[01:19] A clip from the Canon Puncture show.  “What is it about Cthulhu that is so grabby to gamers?”
[02:14] Ever get the feeling that nothing you do matters? Why we’re drawn to this subject.
[03:04] Do things that are meaningful and exciting to you and your life will have meaning… or it won’t.
[04:13] Referencing the Canon Puncture show.  Horror techniques in the latter half of the episode. http://www.canonpuncture.com/?p=57
[04:48] Why do we come to horror in the first place?
[05:36] We tell ourselves stories to marginalize our own fears and separate them.
[08:00] A common sense of insignificance.
[09:11] An apathy we experience knowing we’ll never stop the universe from falling apart.
[10:28] Horror lets us try to punch inevitability in the face.
[11:26] Agent Smith from the Matrix: The symbol of inevitability.
[14:08] The “One Ring”: A symbol of corruption.
[17:38] To fight the evil, you need to pick up the sword: The man apart.
[19:21] The protagonists of RPGs a usually outside of the society they protect.
[20:16] Showing PCs in relationships they can’t maintain because they are different: Gaming Gold.
[20:34] L5R Example: Samurai who cannot maintain families.
[24:32] Dresden Files example: Balancing mundane and supernatural worlds.
[29:08] A powerful and moving evil must stand for something.  The evil exist as a theme of the setting.
[34:59] The bad guy is a good thing. Getting all the evil in one place so it can be punched in the face.
[37:24] Example of the bad guy having a lot of meaning:  Buffy, the hyena episode: The Pack
[39:21] “It is not enough to succeed, others must fail” – Gore Vidal
[42:27] The bad guy you know is right,  ala Watchmen.

Direct download: NC_Episode_048.mp3

Narrative Control – Episode 47 – Flavor vs. Crunch

Hi, Welcome to the show.  This episode Fattig and I are talking about another Rob Donoghue article: Druid’s vs. Color.  What happens when the description of a power all flavor and has no mechanical effect?

Hosts: Sean Nittner and Eric Fattig

Length: 24:38

[00:29] Intro to the show.  Flavor vs. Crunch.  Inspired by Rob Donoghue ’s post.
[00:46] Excerpt from Rob’s article. http://rob-donoghue.livejournal.com/335247.html
[01:56] Rob’s stuff. Don’t read it all or your head will explode as per Panty Explosion.
[03:09] The cons of a disconnect between a powers description and its effect: breaks suspension of disbelief.
[04:18] Pro: gives players total liberty to add in any flavor or description to the game.
[05:45] A moment of silence.
[05:47] Ahhh… the Druid.  I loved the wild shape power so much… and then I found it did nothing (or Rob told me so).
[06:67] Wild shaping doesn’t mean anything.  You can be a Bearmotar!
[07:44] Bearmotar can make diplomacy rolls!
[08:21] Beast form powers balanced with human form powers.
[08:32] Sean’s major problem.  Beast Form powers are powers that only a druid can do anyways.  So how does wild shaping do anything?
[09:50] Narrative Control’s first split.  Fattig disagrees.  He’s wrong.  But he’s got an argument.  Giving mechanical effects can get broken very fast.  His proof:  Pun-Pun.
[11:24] Why Wizards did this? Balance.  Druids work exactly like every other class.
[14:01] Where do they give back some oomph to the Bearmotar?  Feats.  Is this enough? That you can spend a feat to make your power actually mean something mechanically?
[16:17] We still don’t agree.   Sean’s story of Sadric.
[17:27] Fattig: “Well, you can die inside a little. Cause I think it’s just fine.”
[17:53] Skills in octaNe mean nothing.
[18:44] I hate mechanics that feel like they are just wasting time.  Most combat mechanics.
[19:51] Fattig gets the soggy Doritos!  Customizing powers to suit your character is awesome.
[21:04] The evolution of 4.0 from 3.5 putting a focus back on the narrative and away from the mechanics.
[21:41] An all flavor game that I LOVE: Wushu  gave me a lot of freedom.  Here we come soggy Doritos.

Direct download: NC_Episode_047.mp3

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