Make It Simple, Make It Big
I was just thinking over the idea that my characters tend to be simple and cliche, when I read this post on Reddit. It seems to sum up what I was going to write so I'll keep it brief... Sometimes players have very subtle ideas about their characters, but that subtlety doesn't come across at the table, and the other players are unaware that the character has the characteristics that their player thinks they have. A good test would be to ask the other players, after a few sessions of playing together, "What is my character like?" The descriptions you get will be a good measure of how your character might be perceived in the world, rather than how you imagine them. It ties in with your ability to act; if you envision your character as a tough talking hard man, but the other players describe your character as friendly and courteous, maybe you need to simplify your characters until you can pull off the kind of acting you aspire to.
Some games have mechanics for things like intimidation, so in those cases you can play an intimidating figure regardless of your ability to sound intimidating. You can be persuasive without being persuasive. But in terms of how your character is perceived, I think it works best when you can actually portray the character traits you want your character to have.
The next logical step is for GMs to apply the same concept when planning a campaign. How subtle can you make something and still have the players notice? Well you'll find out over time, and it depends on the players, but you can start off with plain, obvious plots hooks and see how the players respond to them. You can try out more subtle things as a campaign goes on, and see if they get any attention, or if the players keep going after the more obvious things.
If you're pitching a campaign somewhere like roll20.net then you're basically advertising your game to an audience. You can think of the piece that you write like the back cover of a book or film, the blurb that gets people to try it out or not waste their time. You want to get people to join the game, sure, but only if they will actually enjoy it. Getting people to try out your game under false pretenses will be wasting your own time too, so there's every reason to be clear about the game. If it's using a particular rule system, state that. If it's in a published campaign setting, say so. If it's based on a comic, book, film, or video game, say so. If you want the tone to be like a TV show, say so. But remember that other people may have had different experiences of the properties that you mention, so you need to be obvious when you describe your campaign. Saying "It's like Lord of the Rings" could mean a lot of different things, especially if the elements of Lord of the Rings that you are incorporating are obscure, rather than the big obvious ones.
You might think that basing your game on a more obscure, niche property means you'll have less problems pitching it, but not necessarily. At least with Lord of the Rings you can expect if a few thousand players see your ad, then a few of them will get your interpretation of it. If only five people click your ad, there's a good chance that some of them will have enjoyed the property for different reasons to you, and maybe none of them will enjoy what you're trying to do.
Especially with roll20.net, the best plan seems to be run a game with a big, brash rule system, make your campaign a simple concept of common ideas, and find a group of players that you enjoy playing with. Then as you get to know them you can try out other things, or just keep on keeping it simple if that's what you all enjoy.
Some games have mechanics for things like intimidation, so in those cases you can play an intimidating figure regardless of your ability to sound intimidating. You can be persuasive without being persuasive. But in terms of how your character is perceived, I think it works best when you can actually portray the character traits you want your character to have.
The next logical step is for GMs to apply the same concept when planning a campaign. How subtle can you make something and still have the players notice? Well you'll find out over time, and it depends on the players, but you can start off with plain, obvious plots hooks and see how the players respond to them. You can try out more subtle things as a campaign goes on, and see if they get any attention, or if the players keep going after the more obvious things.
If you're pitching a campaign somewhere like roll20.net then you're basically advertising your game to an audience. You can think of the piece that you write like the back cover of a book or film, the blurb that gets people to try it out or not waste their time. You want to get people to join the game, sure, but only if they will actually enjoy it. Getting people to try out your game under false pretenses will be wasting your own time too, so there's every reason to be clear about the game. If it's using a particular rule system, state that. If it's in a published campaign setting, say so. If it's based on a comic, book, film, or video game, say so. If you want the tone to be like a TV show, say so. But remember that other people may have had different experiences of the properties that you mention, so you need to be obvious when you describe your campaign. Saying "It's like Lord of the Rings" could mean a lot of different things, especially if the elements of Lord of the Rings that you are incorporating are obscure, rather than the big obvious ones.
You might think that basing your game on a more obscure, niche property means you'll have less problems pitching it, but not necessarily. At least with Lord of the Rings you can expect if a few thousand players see your ad, then a few of them will get your interpretation of it. If only five people click your ad, there's a good chance that some of them will have enjoyed the property for different reasons to you, and maybe none of them will enjoy what you're trying to do.
Especially with roll20.net, the best plan seems to be run a game with a big, brash rule system, make your campaign a simple concept of common ideas, and find a group of players that you enjoy playing with. Then as you get to know them you can try out other things, or just keep on keeping it simple if that's what you all enjoy.
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