Your scenario style

[Guyon]

Do you play 1 shot scenarios, multiple game stories, or major long term plots that take weeks or years to resolve?

[Edsel]

Re: Your scenario style

 

In my Dark Champions campaign I try to keep a minimum of two story threads (and hopefully a lot more) going at one time. In this way after each session there are still things left to be resolved. I guess you call that a completely serial campaign.

[prestidigitator]

Re: Your scenario style

 

Yes. I tend to favor the short ones now, as I typically can't keep players interested (or reliable in terms of showing up to game sessions) for very long.

[Egyptoid]

Re: Your scenario style

 

one word, rhymes with "whale node"

[Lord Mhoram]

Re: Your scenario style

 

Specific scenerios and adventures are one shots to multi session, and play many of these sequentially for years (or decades) long campaigns. Subplots can be woven in, and those can take years to resolve.

 

Personally I don't even feel as if I know a characger really well unless I've played the character 20 or 30 XP worth, something like 3 months.

[stmichaeldet]

Re: Your scenario style

 

For superheros, I run mostly short, episodic stories of 1-3 sessions length, but some of those stories will build on each other over time towards a specific climax. Other genres, I typically center the campaign around a single, novel-length plot, but throw in the occasional, unrelated diversion to keep things interesting and explore more of the game world.

[CBikle]

Re: Your scenario style

 

I usually aim for scenarios that run 2-3 sessions, but they usually go on for 4+.

 

I have found that a lot of time can be saved by handling (parts of) the preamble, between game investigations and the epilogue through email.

 

Email is also good for handling solo-investigation/combat stuff as well.

[Chimpira]

Re: Your scenario style

 

Most major scenarios are set up as three to four game sessions but when you add in the players sometimes it takes longer. My GM's tell me that when I play in the game the reverse is true.

 

Minor scenarios (or relief games that do not have a deeper impact on the campaign) usually are targeted for one session but them pesky players of mine.

 

Solos and dous tend to last one session.

[Markdoc]

Re: Your scenario style

 

Long running games with multiple plot threads that run for years, but often shorter unrelated "single adventure scenarioes" that last a few sessions within that. For example, the last few months we've been playing "Ritual Wedding of the Goddess" with "Murder Mystery" as a side plot. The first part is finished but "Murder Mystery" is about to segue into "Hunt the Evil Cultists". That will lead to (and overlap with) "Hunt and Kill the Monster" which leads to "Castaway" "Pirates" and "Ghost Ship" in that order. These are three totally unrelated adventures, just for a change of pace. If they survive, we go back to "Hunt the Evil Cultists 2, Electric Boogaloo", which will in turn lead to "Expose High-up Corruption", "Cross the Wilderness" and "City of Buried Treasure", all of which have a subplot of "Hunt the Evil Cultists", but are also a change of pace. "City of Buried Treasure" introduces the second and third major subplots of "Reassemble the Magic Artefact" and "Become Major Political Figures", which together with "Hunt the Evil Cultists 2, Electric Boogaloo" underlies most of the smaller adventures which will make up the second half of the campaign.

 

By stringing multiple shorter "minicampaigns" together into one long story arc, I can give the players a varied diet of action and intrigue in different settings and it makes it possible for a player who is burnt out or unable to play because of exams or summat to have a character go off and do something else. The player can either play a new a character or take a break, and then come back at a later point, without losing the thread too much. Multiple subplots stop the players from getting fixated on one thing until the end phase of the game where all the subplots run together and I *want* them to be fixated.

 

cheers, Mark

[Robyn]

Re: Your scenario style

 

I never know which a game will be (from a player perspective, of course). It doesn't matter; I play as if the in-game events are, to my character, that character's life. To the character, time is not measured in sessions or adventures; each encounter is just one more in a series of lifelong exciting moments. Unless the events would stand out significantly from their normal experiences, of course.

[OddHat]

Re: Your scenario style

 

Well, my current campaign has a single overall story arc I hope to resolve soon. There are sub-plots and throwaway adventures within that arc.

 

I've done purely episodic games that worked well enough.

[Spiral]

Re: Your scenario style

 

Our group just ended a year long game arc a few months ago. We had a lot of side scenarios going on at the same time that would last one or two game session but they was all tied into the main game plot. We also did a lot of emails in between sessions to take of little details.

[Zed-F]

Re: Your scenario style

 

When I have GMed Champions PBEMs in the past (at HeroCentral), I would often try to have several plots going on at once, to try and create the atmosphere of a living world. It seemed to work ok, but might have been a bit too diffuse at times.

 

My current game there is a bit more linear. It has a couple overarching themes which will form the basis for most of the individual episodes. There might be the occasional episode which doesn't tie into either of these themes but they will probably be the exception. Within an episode, at least for the moment, things will remain fairly tightly focussed on that specific episode; worrying about events that are happening in the larger world will tend to be confined to interludes between episodes.

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: Your scenario style

 

Long-term, though this is my first campaign that I'm running right now.

 

I do like the way the players are getting more and more intrigued as I introduce new elements and gradually start bringing things together more and more, and I can't wait for the moment when they discover the guy who's been behind their problems all along, when they just thought all this bad stuff they had to stop was unrelated.

[bwdemon]

Re: Your scenario style

 

I guess I'm a long-term guy. I use many smaller plot arcs, with some fraction thereof weaving into the larger plot arc and another fraction being inconsequential to the core plot, with a third fraction setting up things for the future.

 

When I started GMing, I didn't understand the need to have some groundwork laid for continuing the game after the conclusion of the initial arc. I always wondered why games did great for a while and then had a hard time getting anywhere afterward. That's when I figured out that I was essentially running a decent miniseries with nothing to go on thereafter. So I started adding more inconsequential (as fair as the main arc was concerned) arcs and putting some of them together as groundwork for later.

 

Here are a couple quick tips...

 

1. Eventually, you have to pull the trigger on the main arc and that's where things can get into trouble. Everything goes fine until it's all over, but then you've hit dead space. If you didn't save something over from the prior smaller arcs, you're starting from scratch again and that can be the death of the campaign.

 

2. I find it important to remember that nothing remains good forever. How many times have we said to ourselves "that sequel never should've been made" or "they could've stopped the run of novels after the third" or "they're giving (insert character) his/her own permanent series?!" Know when things aren't going anywhere any longer and euthanize the game as needed. Some games can last several years without any signs of slowing and that's great, but many won't and it's important to know when to start something new. If possible, find a way to wrap things up with a bang in a short amount of time. If not, then retire the game for a bit until you can build up enough info and desire to bring it back.

[Fenixcrest]

Re: Your scenario style

 

I think I'd kind of like to run episodic games, but my players tend to play in patterns that lead to one long mega-episode.

[Derek Hiemforth]

Re: Your scenario style

 

Know when things aren't going anywhere any longer and euthanize the game as needed. Some games can last several years without any signs of slowing and that's great' date=' but many won't and it's important to know when to start something new. If possible, find a way to wrap things up with a bang in a short amount of time.[/quote']I'd probably take this even one step further. I'd say that before you ever start a campaign, you should probably have an idea in mind for how you're going to end it (or how you could end it, if desired).

[Eosin]

Re: Your scenario style

 

I have done multi-plotted serial campaigns with several subplots running at the same time and serial campaigns with a single overarching plot. Personally, I like throwing a whole bunch of stuff on the table and seeing where it ends up but that doesn't work extremely well in fantasy games (It is the bomb in Dark Champions (or other modern heroic genres) style games).

 

Before I get too deep into a campaign, I think about the beginning, the middle, and the end. I don't expect the ideas concieved in the start to be where I end but it gives me a good idea of where the game is headed.

[digital_lorax]

Re: Your scenario style

 

I have a long running superhero world with various campaigns that have taken place on it over the years. Mostly multi-session stories in a campaign with subplots that can span across stories.

Sometimes there are also single session stories in a campaign.

I've also had stories cross campaigns. Both multi-session and one shot. Sometimes one-shots with random characters from various campaigns doing odd ball things.

Most of my campaigns are open-ended with no real end intended for them, they just eventually run out when they run out.

 

I really tend to think of my world as a comic book company (Marvel or DC) and the comics as campaigns, and run my games much like those comic books, with multi-arc stories, crossovers and such. Though I haven't figured out how to do multiple covers yet...

 

Though there have been other games/campaigns with variety in session length/ story length/ subplots , beginning/ending all that. In general I prefer the open-ended campaign, and that's mostly what I play in. Though the occasional one-shot or limited series is cool too.

[TheRavenIs]

Re: Your scenario style

 

I GM'ed and played in a shared game world that lasted 7 years. I like to have multiple plot lines, subplots, anything that promotes the C's growing - not in power but that happens, but as people. When I do have the PC's working together and the world set then I can set back and work on making it as fun for all that I can.

[Thrakazog]

Re: Your scenario style

 

All my campaigns end up running longer than I anticipate. Ones I plan on running for a few game sessions end up running for 8-10. Forget it if I'm planning a longer campaign. I find the cause to be two-fold.

 

First, since the game sessions are three hours every other week, I'm limited in what I can present at any one session. Second, and for the same reason, I try to work in at least some level of combat into every session, which is near impossible. Third, I just think my ability to correctly estimate the scope of a plot idea is plain wonky.

[The Main Man]

Re: Your scenario style

 

For years, I was GM but rarely a player.

Some of my players wanted to GM, so we worked out a routine that keeps our campaigns fresh.

 

Every GM's campaign(s) is given 3 game sessions at a time.

The GM does not have to finish in this time, they just are given this much.

If they don't finish after 3 sessions, they now have the time to plan for their next 3 sessions to continue the story.

[Matt Frisbee]

Re: Your scenario style

 

I tend to run serial campaigns because I like to see players deal with the consequences of their actions, even if those actions took place ten adventures ago. I'm not mean about it, as there have been many times when the characters have been a great influence on a person, thing, event or group. But it's fun as a GM to watch players recognize that they might actually be having a long-term effect on the game universe. They appreciate it, and it always gives me adventure fodder later on in the campaign.

 

Matt "Weaving-the-Great-Tapestry" Frisbee

[Ternaugh]

Re: Your scenario style

 

Typically for my FH game, I like to run mini-arcs of 2 to 4 sessions, followed by an episodic adventure or two, and then back into a mini-arc. Throughout this, I'll weave in something from the game background, to tie it into the main gameworld themes. I've done this off and on for the last 15 years, or so, with several different gaming groups, though some have had a larger mix of episodic or serial components, based upon player interest. Most likely, I'll be running the setting again in a month or two, with yet another group. I'm guessing it's going to be more episodic, with a few arcs linking it all, given the real life demands of the players, but I won't really know until I run it.

 

JoeG

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Your scenario style

 

I tend to keep to very episodic games, though on some occassions they go on for some time (and sometimes, they don't). I hate to say this, 'cause it sounds like I'm ragging on my players, but either I lay my subplots too subtly, or they don't care about subplots, or they just don't remember what happened from one game to the next ...

 

which comes from the GMming rotation we have set up, which amounts to 'one fairly long game a week' with a four-GM rotation, all running different games (usually in different systems ... at the moment, we have Pulp HERO, Mystic World Champions, Witchcraft, and D&D).