This thread makes me happy I'm not a GM anymore.
I can spout ignorant opinion without fear of consequence.
Where's the plot?
Moderator: Gamemasters
- Milo Bottoms
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Sat Jan 16, 2010 3:21 pm
- Location: 28.30.29, -81.16.5
I did not mean to cause such a tempest here! I see and can empathize with most sides on the issues brought up.
Firstly, thanks for the succinct synopsis of events. I now know where the story stands. (Talking to Edric ingame yesterday helped greatly.)
Secondly, I have the utmost empathy for the GM team that runs the storylines. It is diffucult, to say the least, to write a story and then turn it over to a group that will improvise it along. It's a lot like trying to herd cats down a predetermined path. Even with input in the form of GM chars. things tend to swing wildly and the outcome is never guaranteed. Back when I taught acting at the University I always had mixed feelings when it was time to teach improvisation. You give the students a basic story and then let them loose to move the plot along as they will. You hope that there will be a few who can at least remember where they are supposed to be headed but what happens along the way is never a sure thing. There are always some who grab the story in their teeth and head off on a tangent or right out the window. Not everyone can be the hero or villain and understanding the value of SUPPORTING ROLES has to be taught. The third spear carrier from the left suddenly has an idea and runs off with half the cast following, all of them screaming about flying monkeys and you can only shake your head and hope they will get back to the story somehow. I take my hat off to the GM who is left standing there with a few chars. trying to actually play the game.
From the players perspective I can also see how it can be frustrating. You want to be a char. that is central to the plot or at least have an affect on the outcome. This cannot always be. Brother Milo can RP the power of a cleric only up to a point before the demon or even skeleton just whacks him dead!
I digress. The bottom line, I think, is that we players need to embrace the story no matter it doesn't make us the hero and move it along. Contribute what you can and enjoy. If you feel you can't contribute for whatever reason? Then go follow the flying monkeys to another part of the island and stay out of the way of the story as it is happening.
Firstly, thanks for the succinct synopsis of events. I now know where the story stands. (Talking to Edric ingame yesterday helped greatly.)
Secondly, I have the utmost empathy for the GM team that runs the storylines. It is diffucult, to say the least, to write a story and then turn it over to a group that will improvise it along. It's a lot like trying to herd cats down a predetermined path. Even with input in the form of GM chars. things tend to swing wildly and the outcome is never guaranteed. Back when I taught acting at the University I always had mixed feelings when it was time to teach improvisation. You give the students a basic story and then let them loose to move the plot along as they will. You hope that there will be a few who can at least remember where they are supposed to be headed but what happens along the way is never a sure thing. There are always some who grab the story in their teeth and head off on a tangent or right out the window. Not everyone can be the hero or villain and understanding the value of SUPPORTING ROLES has to be taught. The third spear carrier from the left suddenly has an idea and runs off with half the cast following, all of them screaming about flying monkeys and you can only shake your head and hope they will get back to the story somehow. I take my hat off to the GM who is left standing there with a few chars. trying to actually play the game.
From the players perspective I can also see how it can be frustrating. You want to be a char. that is central to the plot or at least have an affect on the outcome. This cannot always be. Brother Milo can RP the power of a cleric only up to a point before the demon or even skeleton just whacks him dead!
I digress. The bottom line, I think, is that we players need to embrace the story no matter it doesn't make us the hero and move it along. Contribute what you can and enjoy. If you feel you can't contribute for whatever reason? Then go follow the flying monkeys to another part of the island and stay out of the way of the story as it is happening.
As a non-active player, it's quite sad that you can't look up the main events and happenings in the forum anymore. Sure, the game itself is more important, but why are there hardly no chroniclers left? Look e.g. at the Chronicle of Troll's Bane at Illapedia which only covers the history of leader till the end of 2008! And I guess you can't really trace back all the later happenings from the forum, because there were less and less postings. It would be cool, when events etc. are collected because it's the game's and players' history which shouldn't be forgotten.