#98: Play Culture or Why I Play How I Play
#98: Play Culture or Why I Play How I Play
I. Dear Reader
So let’s agree that there is this thing called “storygame play culture”. Oh, what is it? I’m not really sure. Retired Adventurer has a take on it but while it’s a very good essay, that section is not particularly useful. But I don’t really have a very good explanation either. So let me try to paint you a picture instead:
Right now, Critical Role wrapped up a four episode miniseries called Exandria Unlimited: Calamity. It’s a game of D&D 5e with Brennan Lee Mulligan as DM. It’s a really fantastic series by all accounts and a great example of the “trad playstyle”. The DM has constructed an intricate conspiracy and the players fully commit to chasing down this plot with enthusiasm and gusto. As the players investigate, the DM’s major task is to find ways to entertainingly and satisfyingly give them the clues that they have to find. (And, partly because it’s a live TV show, if they’re not in the right place at the right time, some gentle nudging is required to ensure the big set piece fight happens.)
This is a fun playstyle for me to watch - and even for me to play. But I really don’t like running games in this style. I just don’t find it particularly fun. I could surprise and delight the players but it always seemed to be much harder for them to surprise and delight me. You know who’s good at being entertaining when playing a role? Actors. People like me and the players at my table? Not so good at it.
So I started playing games in a different mode. Now, if I’m running an intricate conspiracy, I come up with some basic details of a setting. Then, I create a dramatic situation i.e. “The king is dead”. Then, once my players have all created characters, I ask each of them, “Who are you loyal to? And why do you suspect that person is the one who did it?” and then go from there. With four players, we’d have four suspects, four motives and four theories (probably backed up with some evidence). Things will get pretty intricate and we’ll probably contradict ourselves at some point but my players will be surprising and delighting me all the way.
And, for me, that is the joy of storygames.
Yours conspiratorially,
Thomas
II. Listen of the Week
On the podcast Read The Fucking Manual, Max Lander, Aaron King and Adira Slattery discuss the good, bad and ugly of GURPS.
The Yes Indie’d podcast is back with new interviews and the latest one is with Misha Panarin, designer of Cantrip which was crowdfunded as part of the LatAm Breakout project.
III. Links of the Week
Translated from the original Polish, the Common Fortress looks at some theory behind various types of resolution mechanics: task, scene, situation, conflict and tension.
On the Indie Game Reading Club, Paul Beakley looks at the Tales of Xadia RPG and thinks about what players actually do in licensed games.
John Battle writes a review of Lancer, the hit mecha RPG, as a conversation between him and his 14-year-old self.
On the Lore Mistress blog, a round-up of some recommended indie solo RPGs. The list includes Apothecaria, Corny Grón, Colostle, Her Odyssey, Anamnesis, The Were-Curse, Secrets of the Vibrant Isle and The Sealed Library.
The Scratching that Itch series continues with a look at Feathers, the Belonging outside Belonging game about fallen angels.
Want some gross but gameable worldbuilding? Against the Wicked City has some notes about how human corpses were used in medicine historically.
IV. Small Ads
All links in the newsletter are completely based on my own interest. But to help support my work, this section contains sponsored links and advertisements. If you’d like your products to appear here, read the submission form.
ratti incantati bookstore is celebrating its first spin around the sun with a weekend sale 8th through 10th of July - 25% off storewide + zine freebies! Mark your calendar!
This newsletter is currently sponsored by the all-new, fan-supported Fate-SRD.com. Built to be fast, attractive, and accessible, check out the site for rules, downloads, actual plays, and community.
Hello, dear readers. This newsletter is written by me, Thomas Manuel. I’m half-man, half-beast, half-journalist, half-game designer.
If you’d like to support this newsletter, share it with a friend or buy one of my games from my itch store. If you’d like to say something to me, you can reply to this email or click below!
Thanks for subscribing and take care out there!