Campaigns by Season
If the players agreed to play an RPG based on a TV show, e.g. Star Trek, Angel, or Dark Matter, then it seems logical to structure each session as an episode of that show. I don't know if there would be mechanics to support this, but I can see some benefits in doing this.
First is timing. Many episodes last for about forty minutes, but my game sessions can be three to four hours long. Perhaps these sessions actually cover less plot than an episode though, depending on how 'efficiently' we play. I'd like to analyse whatever TV show we model our game on, and count how many scenes there usually are. Then in the game sessions we can actually count out each scene, expecting to get to the final scene in time for the last bus. We might have romantic scenes, exposition scenes, combat scenes, stealth scenes and so on.
Second is the gradual revealing of plot. In a show like Supernatural, each season (at least lately) has its own big bad. They are introduced early on, and gradually over the season their nature becomes clear, and the means to stop them become apparent. The main characters flail around at first, bicker a bit, then get trucking towards the final showdown. If the number of episodes in a season is known in advance, then the players will have another way of knowing that the tension is rising. I might make the exact number of episodes variable though, so if it feels right we can skip to the end sooner.
Third is bad acting! Seriously, don't try to be some kind of master thespian. Pick a couple of traits for your character and put your back into it. Nobody will care if you are over the top or hammy. They will care if your character has no character. An accent, a prop, an oft repeated line. It's pretty easy to do little things that make your character memorable and recognizable.
First is timing. Many episodes last for about forty minutes, but my game sessions can be three to four hours long. Perhaps these sessions actually cover less plot than an episode though, depending on how 'efficiently' we play. I'd like to analyse whatever TV show we model our game on, and count how many scenes there usually are. Then in the game sessions we can actually count out each scene, expecting to get to the final scene in time for the last bus. We might have romantic scenes, exposition scenes, combat scenes, stealth scenes and so on.
Second is the gradual revealing of plot. In a show like Supernatural, each season (at least lately) has its own big bad. They are introduced early on, and gradually over the season their nature becomes clear, and the means to stop them become apparent. The main characters flail around at first, bicker a bit, then get trucking towards the final showdown. If the number of episodes in a season is known in advance, then the players will have another way of knowing that the tension is rising. I might make the exact number of episodes variable though, so if it feels right we can skip to the end sooner.
Third is bad acting! Seriously, don't try to be some kind of master thespian. Pick a couple of traits for your character and put your back into it. Nobody will care if you are over the top or hammy. They will care if your character has no character. An accent, a prop, an oft repeated line. It's pretty easy to do little things that make your character memorable and recognizable.
Comments
Post a Comment