Writing a Mission Story-Arc (part 2)

I'm writing the new mission, Broken Citadel, as both a sequel and a stand-alone mission. If players have already completed Void Hunter, Broken Citadel will pick up exactly where their characters left off. However, if a new group of players are jumping into Broken Citadel without prior knowledge of the events in Void Hunter, it will still be a simple transition for those players. They will hear about the crucial events of Void Hunter through NPC's gossiping about what another team of agents did on the Void Hunter mission, and they will learn more details from an NPC character encounter near the beginning of the Broken Citadel mission. This character will shed light on events for both new players and Void Hunter veterans.

Writing a Mission Story-Arc (part 1)

A few months ago I ran a poll to find out what people were most interested in seeing next for Solar Echoes. The highest percentage of votes was for an overarching story across multiple missions. You may not have known it back when it released in July, but Operation: Void Hunter was the first installment of a larger story. Part 2 of that story is now underway, and it is currently titled Operation: Broken Citadel, planned for release around Thanksgiving. The very first gamers that will get to try the mission will be gamers at the Chessiecon convention over Thanksgiving weekend. But what if those gamers aren't familiar with the events in Operation: Void Hunter?

The Versatile GM (part 4)

Sometimes a GM will encounter individual players that can change the tone of the game for the group. This is sometimes related to that player having a different style preference than the other gamers in the group, or it can be due to personality differences. In cases like this, the GM may have to adjust the game slightly to include something for everyone. If that player is too extreme in his preference or approach as compared with the rest of the group, the GM might need to have a side discussion with that player and see if a compromise can be reached. In other instances, a player might just be too sophisticated or too immature for the rest of the group. If this is the case, the GM can challenge that player or the group to help “manage” each other. I've seen a young child playing the game with a group of adults, and the adults worked to guide the young player, even making up stories to fool the young player into behaving a particular way. It can be a fun experience if you have the right make-up of personalities, but if an ongoing conflict persists, it might be time to ask a player to join a different group that would be more suited for their playstyle. In the end, the goal is for everyone to have fun playing an RPG and to walk away with great memories of the experience. The GM needs to stay versatile and creative in order to make an RPG fun for the players!

The Versatile GM (part 3)

Some role-playing gamers would rather spend hours in discussion planning every move carefully, arguing over the best possible approach until everyone has a very specific role to execute at a very specific time. Paralysis-by-analysis can certainly slow the progression of a game, but it is the GM's job to discern whether his players are spending so much time planning because that is what they enjoy, or because the GM has left things too vague or has failed to provide proper incentives. If a gaming group is spending too much time planning and seems reluctant to take action, the GM can prompt players to act by creating time-sensitive situations. Another technique a GM can use is the call for certain skill checks from his players, revealing information to them if they successfully use their skills. For example, the “Resourcefulness” skill in Solar Echoes is a rather open-ended skill that can serve as a gateway for GM hints to the players. Not sure what to do here? Succeed at a Resourcefulness check, and suddenly your character “realizes” that he can utilize a particular environmental advantage, an object, or something else to help achieve goals.

The Versatile GM (part 2)

One type of RPG gaming group is the combat-shy crowd; I've run games for groups like this and they prefer to focus on the role-playing aspect of the game so much that they will actively seek to avoid every possible combat encounter. As a GM, it is important to adjust the scenario to involve more dialogue-intensive situations where the threat of combat looms but can be circumvented through clever wordplay. These types of players are interested in story and character development, so the GM needs to be a good story-teller and an entertaining actor, in addition to being skilled at improvising. However, another type of gaming group is the combat-hungry crowd, where the players would much rather enter battle than try talking it out. The GM will need to keep dialogue and narrative sections short for players like this, and move from one action scene to the next in order to keep the attention and interest of the players. If a GM prefers a different type of gaming style than his players and has trouble adjusting, then it might be time to consider finding a new gaming group with similar preferences to the GM.

The Versatile GM (part 1)

If you are a Game Master (GM) and play RPG's with others, you probably have experienced a few different types of gaming groups. There are different styles of GMing necessary for each type of group, and if the players are going to have fun, it is up to the GM to figure out how to adjust to and manage the players. If a GM doesn't know his players' preferred gaming style, conflict and boredom can derail a gaming session quickly. The GM has to be extremely flexible and be ready to wear a variety of “hats” in order to accommodate the preferences of his gaming group. It is likely that conflict will arise if a player's style is not being considered, because a player's boredom often results in that player becoming a volatile maverick in the gaming session. A bored player might try to “spice things up” by random acts of destruction or by having his character behave in an overly aggressive or inappropriate way. However, entire groups of players sometimes enjoy being incredibly destructive in a scenario—it may not be the result of player boredom. If this is the case, the GM has two options: he can either shift his focus to providing over-the-top combat opportunities as if the players are in a Michael Bay movie, or he can try to discipline his players with dire consequences in the game for their crazy behavior with the hope of getting them refocused and back on track. Ultimately, though, the GM should prioritize player fun over his desire to follow his plans for the adventure—otherwise, there might not be any players around for the next gaming session.

Solar Echoes on Discord!

Solar Echoes now has a live chat channel! Discord instant invite link: https://discord.gg/XHppUH