tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209855737812016509.post6369492459281962777..comments2024-03-27T10:03:08.323-07:00Comments on Methods & Madness: RPG and Design VI - Unproductive fluff (and crunch)Eric Diazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09196219031821755216noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209855737812016509.post-46251487525982818422020-10-26T17:11:41.892-07:002020-10-26T17:11:41.892-07:00While I agree 95% as a GM I do like QUICK bits of ...While I agree 95% as a GM I do like QUICK bits of info such as the Barley in the fields. <br /><br />A table might be better but sometimes you have a Druid that is gonna ask and you're tired of everyone having wheat because you can't think of anything else, and othertimes you might decide that Ankhegs avoid Barley fields for some reason that the players can exploit using bails of the stuff to improvise a barley fortress to protect the villagers while they go hunting.Ruprechthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00139664977453444000noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209855737812016509.post-85653386082982728442020-05-23T17:28:03.396-07:002020-05-23T17:28:03.396-07:00Ah, yes, I think you're right about this one. ...Ah, yes, I think you're right about this one. <br /><br />I've been through this with a single player; his great desire of having elaborate (and "epic") backstories enhanced the campaign, and his enjoyment of the game (I had to exercise some veto power to stop him form taking over the world). <br /><br />The other players didn't care to learn about his story, and playful referred to him as "the GM's favorite" because of that, but didn't feel the urge of creating their own backstories.<br /><br />I do think that the fact that he was more interested in his character than the other players to be an advantage, as it made him more interested in the campaign as a whole.<br /><br />Only caveat is that his backstory was TOO extensive, and 90% of it got disregarded and had no effect in the table (otherwise, it might have dominated the fate of other PCs). <br /><br />But I'll concede, sometimes elaborate backstories can be useful, at the very least to help the GM come up with ideas.Eric Diazhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09196219031821755216noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209855737812016509.post-66080499426795715432020-05-21T17:00:22.953-07:002020-05-21T17:00:22.953-07:00Indeed, I will agree that it certainly depends on ...Indeed, I will agree that it certainly depends on the group of players. <br /><br /> I, as you indicate you do, tend to gravitate toward only involving that which has happened at the table, but I have also come to recognize that there are certain players who very much not only enjoy, but greatly desire their backgrounds and backstories to be interacted with, and will be disappointed if this never occurs over the course of a longer campaign. Given this is the case, then, properly communicating with them and thus equipping yourself with the knowledge of where everyone's priorities lie will help immensely in ensuring that everyone is satisfied, as always tends to be the case (which I know you know already, but which I say anyway because you never know who will read the comments).<br /><br />One interesting thing I've noticed is that when one *does* interact with one player's backstory, it often leads others at the table to desire such a thing happens to them as well, at some point. Depending on the group and how many resources are devoted to it, I'm sure this could potentially devolve into jealousy and annoyance, though, rather than simple desire, so a DM must be quite careful with their management of the situation.Drakkonisshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08316262111351491221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209855737812016509.post-64132999233600709412020-05-20T15:19:12.987-07:002020-05-20T15:19:12.987-07:00Yes, your assumption is correct; like I've sai...Yes, your assumption is correct; like I've said, "In theory, ANY piece of information can be relevant to a campaign. However, these are examples of things that are unlikely to be relevant."<br /><br />Same goes for player backgrounds. In theory, they could help the DM, yes, but in practice I see players ignoring their own backstories 90% of the time; and even if they don't, why not empathize the stuff that happens in the table, with the entire group, instead of something a PC has done on their own?<br /><br />Probably depends on the players, etc., but the older I get the more I feel like we should cut the "drivel" and focus on the experience of playing the game.Eric Diazhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09196219031821755216noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209855737812016509.post-91269426350356456952020-05-18T17:18:12.951-07:002020-05-18T17:18:12.951-07:00While I appreciate and agree with much of what you...While I appreciate and agree with much of what you've written, here, there are some important issues to address:<br /><br />I will give you the benefit of the doubt with regards to Metaplot, insofar as you have described it, and shall assume that you mean specifically when there was /absolutely/ no way for the players to interact with or effect the outcome, or for it to effect or affect them. <br /><br />I find that there are at least two scenarios in which such activity could become very much relevant and directly play into the game aspect of table time: 1, when the events were in fact a direct result of the players' choices (either in a dilemma situation where the players either explicitly or implicitly had the capacity to head to and/or address one or more issues that were happening simultaneously,* or alternatively because of their activity in an indirect way--- a city or village becoming larger and more successful because the players decided to be active nearby, for example). 2, these sorts of uncontrolled events can majorly impact the goings on of the campaign by cutting off or greatly interfering with the activity the group was pursuing (i.e.: an army invades and destroys the location wherein a quest giving NPC resided, causing the players to need to address the issue, possibly rescuing them, looting what they can from the residence's ruin, or possibly attacking the force for revenge).<br /><br />I /will/ assume that you specifically meant details/events that never come up again and/or which are only tangentially related to campaign activity (despite the fact that it /could/ theoretically cause the players to derail whatever plot they were currently in to run toward whatever circumstances occurred, like a dog seeing a squirrel).<br /><br />...<br /><br />The second issue is that, despite how irksome they might be to get to, I wouldn't necessarily say that character background stories are unimportant, insofar as they might not only be a cause for inspiration for decisions on the DM's part (the classic having a parent or sibling killed/kidnapped, for example), which I believe you actually accounted for in your post; but also: such backgrounds might become very relevant insofar as they can often be a source of inspiration for player action (which is quite encouraged in 5e), meaning that reading and memorizing as much as the drivel as possible might make it a little bit easier for the DM to predict and understand the characters' actions and mindsets [very useful for herding cats]; furthermore, there is the possibility that some consequences should naturally occur as a result of the characters' backstory actions: if a player has killed or committed another major crime in a certain jurisdiction, you might expect them to have bounties in that area, and for them to possibly have a reputation of infamy among those who recognize them--- and the same occurs for characters that have performed some major act of heroism or national service that would not be obvious by just looking at their Background choice, ideals, et cetera.<br /><br /><br />~~~<br />* = This can be particularly poignant and/or interesting when the area/person that was not helped held trust toward the adventurers and/or they trusted them, but their future interactions are either completely cut off (because they died/it was destroyed) or occur with a damaged relationship (up to and including potential betrayal).Drakkonisshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08316262111351491221noreply@blogger.com