Do I need a metaplot for Star Hero?

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I was thinking about this. I've run a long Champions campaign and I consider it successful, and I wonder if it really had a metaplot? Does "keeping the world safe from Dr. Destroyer and Mechanon" count?

 

Anyway, do I need a metaplot for Star Hero? Star Wars had "struggle against an evil galactic empire" and most sci-fi has 'em (though I'd argue Firefly doesn't--no offense, I like Firefly). But can I just have the characters flyin' around in their spaceship, getting in and out of jams? Won't that get old quick?

 

So I guess I'm looking for examples of functional metaplots for Star Hero, given a futuristic Earth scenario, or arguments as to why you don't need 'em.

 

(I'm not sure "metaplot" is the right word, but I'm using it anyway. I guess I mean "grand story arc.")

[McCoy]

Re: Do I need a metaplot for Star Hero?

 

Roleplaying games are an exercise in collaborative storytelling. If you need a meta-plot or not is answered withing the answer to the question "What is the story you want to tell?"

 

For example, ST:TOS did not have a meta-plot, or at least not beyond "to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations." The sense of wonder in new worlds drove the series nicely (but all to quickly became formulaic when Real Life knocked the Sense of Wonder off some of the most creative people associated with the show).

 

On the other hand, ST:DS9 perhaps had the strongest metaplot in the Trek franchise, the entire series was about Odo, his search for identity and his people learning to co-exist with the Federation. Two very different approaches to storytelling, both of which I enjoyed.

[dmjalund]

Re: Do I need a metaplot for Star Hero?

 

On the other hand' date=' ST:DS9 perhaps had the strongest metaplot in the Trek franchise, the entire series was about Odo, his search for identity and his people learning to co-exist with the Federation. Two very different approaches to storytelling, both of which I enjoyed.[/quote']Don't forget the Prophets. Some series can have more than one metaplot going on simultaniously

[Ian Mackinder]

Re: Do I need a metaplot for Star Hero?

 

Some series can have more than one metaplot going on simultaniously

 

'Babylon 5' being the classic example.

 

I think some degree of metaplot is a very good idea, even if it is mostly just occasional reports about events happening elsewhere. If nothing else, it provides a context for the PCs' actions and a lead-in for some adventures - "Why are we together, and why are we doing this stuff?"

[Nevelon]

Re: Do I need a metaplot for Star Hero?

 

I was thinking about this. I've run a long Champions campaign and I consider it successful, and I wonder if it really had a metaplot? Does "keeping the world safe from Dr. Destroyer and Mechanon" count?

 

Anyway, do I need a metaplot for Star Hero? Star Wars had "struggle against an evil galactic empire" and most sci-fi has 'em (though I'd argue Firefly doesn't--no offense, I like Firefly). But can I just have the characters flyin' around in their spaceship, getting in and out of jams? Won't that get old quick?

 

So I guess I'm looking for examples of functional metaplots for Star Hero, given a futuristic Earth scenario, or arguments as to why you don't need 'em.

 

(I'm not sure "metaplot" is the right word, but I'm using it anyway. I guess I mean "grand story arc.")

 

One could argue that firefly didn't have enough time for its metaplot to show. There were a lot of hints of stuff going on.

 

Most HERO campaigns have the understood meta of "We're here to save the world!" with arcs being filled with bad guys, threats, etc. The genre doesn't need a whole lot extra to make it work. Fantasy has the D&D roots of killing orcs/trolls/dragons and taking their stuff. This does not translate well into space, where killing people just because they are a race different from yours tends to cause problems with the cops.

 

As others have pointed out, what kind of story do you want to tell? A planet of the week, rambling exploration set up (ala Star Trek) works fine for when you want character growth and development. How will they react to -this- environment/culture/situation? You just need a flimsy excuse for them to be out there. merchants/survey team/etc... You can run a traditional HERO campaign in space. Rather then just keeping a city safe, you cover a galactic sector. Dealing with crisis as they show up, thwarting Big Bads, the usual stuff.

 

Some long running sci-fi campaigns I've been in:

Rim Corps: Characters are hero-level (no powers) collection of rejects and misfits in a foreign legion type unit, patrolling the outer sector of a galactic empire, keeping it safe from aliens, criminals, and the like. No metaplot, just adventure.

GDC, the galactic defense corps. Superhero team set up on a mystery base between 3 empires. Why was the base abandoned? What's going on with the surrounding empires? plus random events/bad guys. Some meta, some random. (I might be mixing up 2 games in my mind here, it was a long time ago)

[Nolgroth]

Re: Do I need a metaplot for Star Hero?

 

Short Answer: No.

 

Long answer: If you design the campaign to be episodic (each episode or couple of episodes having an independent storyline) then you defy the need to have a metaplot. This is good for space police, salvagers, or any other contained story adventures. Over time, the campaign will develop a unique style and a metaplot may actually develop out of the actions of your characters.

[BlueCloud2k2]

Re: Do I need a metaplot for Star Hero?

 

Other Meta-Plots - The PC's are pirates/mercenaries/bounty-hunters. They basically do anything for money, and often run afoul of some government or alien race.

 

• Perhaps in Space the great Terran Confederation was broken by the war with the Evil Alien Empire , and both sides are recovering from the conflict, leaving lots of room for former Naval Captains to make a quick Intersteller Credit by hiring their ships out to the different Warlords that have arrisen fighting over territories...
  
• Or maybe the PC's are followers of some Warlord and go on missions to thwart the other Warlords and bring peace to the Galaxy.
  
• Humanity was enslaved and scattered by The Evil Alien Empire and after a few centuries has finally put its plans for Uprising into play. They have a few non-human allies but are generally mistrustful of non-humans in general. Now the rag-tag group of former slaves is fighting to overthrow the slavers and free themselves (and subsequently, the rest of of the alien races enslaved by the Evil Alien Empire .
  
• Or you could steal from the original StarCraft: The Terran Confederacy is corrupt and engulfed in civil war and besieged by an alien race or two (or three). In the Chaos, the Rebellion overthrows the Conderacy and defends humanity from the ravages of the alien invaders.
  

Find a few meta-plots and then mix and match until you find a story you want to tell. Just be sure to give your players a general overview of what is going on.

[Yansuf]

Re: Do I need a metaplot for Star Hero?

 

Well, it depends on what type of campaign that you want.

If you want it "episodic" like most TV shows (Gunsmoke, Adam 12, Emergency, MASH, Star Trek TOS, JAG, Law & Order, etc.) then no metaplot or grand story arc is required.

But if you want one fine. It can be barely seen in the background, like in the first season of Babylon 5, or it can be background that is always obvious, but does not always drive the current plot, like Star Trek Voyager, or it can be the centerpiece of the plot like in 24.

Any of these work, which you prefer is a matter of taste.

[StGrimblefig]

Re: Do I need a metaplot for Star Hero?

 

The fun thing is that you can start a campaign with a fairly generic, open-ended meta-plot like "keeping our heads above water on a tramp freighter in the Empire," or "life in the big city planet," and then after playing for several months, find a way to tie together several previous adventures into a "behind the scenes" meta-plot. Then you get to present the players with a "Sixth Sense" moment where they realize what all of those adventures were "really" about.

[Vulcan]

Re: Do I need a metaplot for Star Hero?

 

I find that having a metaplot gives me ideas about where the campaign is going - given the PCs latest (and almost always unexpected) actions - and what sort of adventure would logically come up next. But if you're going to run a metaplot, for gods' sake don't get so attached to it you hammer the PCs into following it! That way is railroading (which has no place in space! ).

 

Everyone has more fun when their character's actions have an impact on the game.

[Ian Mackinder]

Re: Do I need a metaplot for Star Hero?

 

Vulcan makes excellent points.

 

(Just realized after typing - TRULY, no pun intended )

 

I suggest that, when setting up a campaign, it may be a good idea to plant seeds (so to speak) for a number of potential metaplots. Take into account the backstories of the PCs, prominent NPCs and any "stuff" that you KNOW will happen. Then, as the game progresses, some metaplot seeds will thrive (either because the Ref finds they work better, and/or the PCs are more interested in them) and other seeds will not. The latter quietly fade into the background, or just crop up for a minor scenario here and there.

[Boric Slavelord]

Re: Do I need a metaplot for Star Hero?

 

One could argue that firefly didn't have enough time for its metaplot to show. There were a lot of hints of stuff going on.

 

Most HERO campaigns have the understood meta of "We're here to save the world!" with arcs being filled with bad guys, threats, etc. The genre doesn't need a whole lot extra to make it work. Fantasy has the D&D roots of killing orcs/trolls/dragons and taking their stuff. This does not translate well into space, where killing people just because they are a race different from yours tends to cause problems with the cops.

 

Maybe not, maybe there's a war but because of the expense involved with space travel the PC's are given a small ship to go out and kill as many of the enemy race or races as possible.

 

Hey there's a metaplot. You could even set in some near future where the PC's could even be the "cops" more like some kind of alien killin' super cops fighting to make sure their race doesn't go extinct.