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tips_for_roleplayers [2024/12/30 18:14] – created gm_miketips_for_roleplayers [2025/01/12 16:03] (current) – gm_tamsin
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 ====Talk to the Players==== ====Talk to the Players====
-Building on the points above, if you're playing an antagonistic character, or engaging in deep emotional roleplay, checking in with the other players out-of-character can be a very useful tool.  You don't have to fully reveal your plans to betray them, or plot out your entire romance arc((or both at once)), but a quick "hey, would you be alright with some PvP here?", or "What are you comfortable with in terms of ballgowning?" can save some issues later.+Building on the points above, if you're playing an antagonistic character, or engaging in deep emotional roleplay (AKA "ballgowning"), checking in with the other players out-of-character can be a very useful tool.  You don't have to fully reveal your plans to betray them, or plot out your entire romance arc((or both at once)), but a quick "hey, would you be alright with some PvP here?", or "What are you comfortable with in terms of ballgowning?" can save some issues later.
  
-This is always a judgement call - we don't require checking in for either of these, and some players will prefer to let things happen organically.  This is also where getting to know people out-of-character comes in, so you can gauge what approach to take.  From experience, receiving a "Hey, would you be alright with some PvP?" message from what you thought was a reliable ally can result in some really fun moments.+How deep to go with these is always a judgement call, and some players will prefer to let things happen organically.  This is also where getting to know people out-of-character comes in, so you can gauge what approach to take.  From experience, receiving a "Hey, would you be alright with some PvP?" message from what you thought was a reliable ally can result in some really fun moments.  Note that a check-in is not required for non-violent and non-lethal PvP, but is for violent or lethal PvP and for deep emotional roleplay such as romantic relationships.
  
 Out of character conversations should not affect your in-character knowledge - e.g. if a player has checked in to see if you'd be alright with a sudden but inevitable betrayal, your character should not start acting more suspicious without an in-character reason.  This can be a hard balance to strike, but getting it right results in better stories. Out of character conversations should not affect your in-character knowledge - e.g. if a player has checked in to see if you'd be alright with a sudden but inevitable betrayal, your character should not start acting more suspicious without an in-character reason.  This can be a hard balance to strike, but getting it right results in better stories.
 +
 +The check-ins, and any further discussions that might result from them, are about creating an engaging story for your characters, that you as players are working together on (even if your characters may be working against each other).
  
 ====Character Design==== ====Character Design====
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 There are only a limited number of sessions in the game. A bit of thought into how your actions will affect the overall pace of your story arc can have great benefits - leaving too many problems until later can result in a very rushed final turn, or sudden swings in character development at the end of the game.  Creating a grand invention which will solve everyone's problems in the last turn of the game is likely to be less satisfying than doing so one turn earlier (allowing it to get used the next turn).  Similarly, pulling off your inevitable betrayal in the final turn of the game is often less dramatic than doing so one turn earlier, and giving others a chance to react. There are only a limited number of sessions in the game. A bit of thought into how your actions will affect the overall pace of your story arc can have great benefits - leaving too many problems until later can result in a very rushed final turn, or sudden swings in character development at the end of the game.  Creating a grand invention which will solve everyone's problems in the last turn of the game is likely to be less satisfying than doing so one turn earlier (allowing it to get used the next turn).  Similarly, pulling off your inevitable betrayal in the final turn of the game is often less dramatic than doing so one turn earlier, and giving others a chance to react.
  
-The GM team will have a hand in this, and will be trying to set challenges to encourage appropriate pacing through the game.+The GM team will have a hand in this, and will be trying to feed events into the story to encourage appropriate pacing through the game.
  
-The turnsheet after the final session works a little differently to other turnsheets - this lets you sketch out what your character is doing for the future, as far as you wish to.  This "Eternity" turnsheet is less suitable for the final resolution of shorter-term problems and plans.+The turnsheet after the final session works a little differently to other turnsheets - this lets you sketch out what your character is doing for the future, as far as you wish to.  This "[[endgame|Eternity]]" turnsheet is less suitable for the final resolution of shorter-term problems and plans.
tips_for_roleplayers.1735582440.txt.gz · Last modified: 2024/12/30 18:14 by gm_mike