[dungeoncrawl] Re: Tuesday Morning Review (comments)
- From: jimkaren@xxxxxxxxxxxx
- To: dungeoncrawl@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 9 Oct 2002 13:52:08 US/Eastern
Good - I'm glad to hear it. I have to
remind myself to have fun also - for
everyone's benefit, sort of see the
next session or two as a departure from
the norm.
There might be (and might not be)
plenty of carnage, but that comes from
the freedom of knowing that we're going
to have fun putting a pantheon together
in another few weeks that involves the
same characters.
For that purpose, I really do need to
tell you/admit two things:
1. If anyone has a character that is
involved with current events (even if
they're just hanging around Sigil) and
you as a player do NOT want them to
become a power, don't use them next
time on the mission. Anything goes
from the time they leave the city on.
2. If you have specific ideas about
what type of power you would like to
see your character become, also let me
know! For example, although Dennis
doesn't have any aspirations towards
godhood, I have a feeling it's in his
future.
To that end, I can already say that
he'd of course make a good patron of
bards and god of music and literature,
but also that he'd be a god with some
sort of pantheonic reference to
trust/fidelity/loyalty somehow. It
would be great to see the characters'
personality traits mainifest as
domains, such as giving Magnus domain
over ambition in addition to other
things (even if he doesn't want to be).
Maybe if we all start thinking about
that process, we can put less pressure
on the current game - that stuff's
almost more fun anyway.
So, in closing - what did you all think
about Gadget's world? I thought it
rocked!
>
> Sure it helps. Actually, I would
have been quite happy had you been
> able to stay and talk. I had wanted
to speak with everyone (you
> included) to try and figure out why I
was not enjoying myself as I
> thought I should be. Unfortunately,
you had to leave, and I had plenty
> of time to stay. (Brad is taking
real-estate classes for the next few
> weeks, so he doesn't get home Monday
nights until about 10:50pm. No
> reason to rush home.)
> Yes, I do feel better. I'm going
to try next week to just relax and
> play as my characters would, instead
of trying so hard to "win" the
> game. This does help.
>
>
> jimkaren@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
>
> > I almost want to start off by
> > saying "when you've been in this
> > business as long as I have..." :) I
> > knew when I left Monday that you
guys
> > had some things to talk/think about,
> > and I was glad to give you that
time.
> > I wouldn't have added anything.
Just
> > the fact that John didn't bolt out
the
> > door at first opportunity was a good
> > sign that such was the case. :)
> >
> > But seriously, maybe I can help to
make
> > this easier to come to terms with.
The
> > first few times we played, all the
> > players ended with sort of a high,
and
> > I'd go home totally stressed about
what
> > I was attempting to do. That's why
we
> > had such serious, sometimes
> > argumentative conversations for a
few
> > weeks there.
> >
> > I've had months to wrap my mind
around
> > the enormity of what we're trying to
> > transition through, and it seems
like
> > you might be where I was about the
time
> > when Shawn visited. Then again,
I've
> > always kept more information to
myself,
> > giving me the "advance" dose of
anxiety.
> >
> > But - be of good cheer! I think I
know
> > how to phrase this in a way that
puts
> > everything in the proper light.
Over
> > the past few weeks, as I've
cautioned
> > people on expectations and the
> > possibility of defeat, my sole
> > motivation came from a desire to do
> > things "right". I wanted the
players
> > to feel that victory was earned, and
> > not just handed to them. And I
valued
> > what we've all committed to these
> > characters and this storyline over
the
> > years - I want to end well. Still,
I
> > may have gone too far to protect
that
> > desire out of my own anxiety.
> >
> > Here's the bottom line: whoever you
> > (meaning us, the group, and Shawn)
want
> > to have become gods, can. Whatever
> > pantheon or mythology you want to
> > establish, feel free. My role in
this
> > ends the instant the "Big event"
takes
> > place.
> >
> > My biggest concern is that everyone
> > leave their anxiety at the door.
I'm
> > not trying to pigeonhole everyone
into
> > ruling a world populated by
chickens -
> > I just want to tell a thrilling
story
> > (so try to sit back and enjoy the
ride).
> >
> > I noticed Monday that everyone
tended
> > to take things a bit too seriously
> > (again, I've had a part to play in
> > that) - distance yourselves from the
> > story for a second and just think
about
> > all the cool, amazing things that we
> > roleplayed through. Gadget
restoring
> > the world - Magnus and Celane's
> > showdown - the deceased characters'
> > difficult decisions when confronted
by
> > Kelemvor.
> >
> > The next time we play, I hope to DM
a
> > VERY challenging adventure. The
Riders
> > will face their greatest obstacle in
> > attaining godhood, and may even
have to
> > die on purpose to succeed. If
anyone
> > has a weak stomach by then, I can
bring
> > some dramamine along - but really,
> > we're not succeeding if everyone is
too
> > uptight about the significance of
this
> > to not have fun...
> >
> > Did this discussion help any?
> >
> > >
> > > Ok, I finally have caught up
on
> > my work, and I thought I would
respond
> > to
> > > Jim's e-mail. My feelings on the
> > current plot? I'm honestly not
sure.
> > I spent
> > > about 30 minutes talking with Matt
> > and Damon after Monday's game
trying to
> > > figure out just what my feelings
> > were. I'm not sure how much of a
> > conclusion I
> > > came to, and I wish Matt and Damon
> > had more time free to respond and
chat,
> > so
> > > they could include their feelings.
> > As it is, I'll try and speak as
> > accurately
> > > as possible.
> > > Monday night didn't gel with
me,
> > and it's really weird. The first
few
> > times
> > > we played this plot, with the
Riders
> > going after the power, I was
psyched to
> > > high heaven. Jim did such a
> > tremendous job, and I was loving
every
> > minute of
> > > it. But the last few sessions
have
> > been less exciting for me and I'm
not
> > sure
> > > why. I tend to think it's a
> > combination of quite a few things.
One
> > of them is
> > > a feeling of anxiety. We are
> > bringing to an end the adventures
of a
> > group of
> > > characters we have played for
over a
> > decade (or at least, bringing their
> > mortal
> > > adventures to an end). While the
> > characters will continue as NPCs and
> > potential
> > > background material, they will
never
> > be played again. What we are doing
is a
> > > major thing, and I am honestly
> > concerned about how it will turn
out.
> > Jim has
> > > dropped countless hints that
things
> > may not turn out the way we want
them
> > to,
> > > and we should be prepared for
> > anything, and as he dropped more and
> > more, I
> > > became more and more concerned.
How
> > is this going to end?
> > > Of course, there is always an
> > element of uncertainty in anything
we
> > do. But
> > > what Jim does now closes a rather
> > large chapter in our history. Not
> > knowing
> > > what characters will be affected
and
> > how they will be affected bothers
me. I
> > > find that I'm not enjoying myself,
> > but instead worrying about the
outcome
> > of
> > > every single encounter and every
> > single decision. I'm concerned
that we
> > will
> > > make a wrong turn, and catastrophe
> > will ensue.
> > > Personally, I'm just ready for
> > the plot to be over, so I can
breathe a
> > sigh
> > > of relief, and move on to
something
> > else. It's weird, because I'd like
to
> > move
> > > back to the Sigil or to the lower
> > level group of Riders where I play
> > Quincy and
> > > Ilana. Why? Because I don't
care as
> > strongly what happens to those
> > > characters. If they die, if the
DM
> > turns them into chickens, if their
arms
> > fall
> > > off, no matter what happens, it's
not
> > nearly as important as my feelings
about
> > > the current Riders.
> > > Does this make sense?
> > >
> > > Jim and Karen wrote:
> > >
> > > > So, what did you guys think of
last
> > night? To be honest, it was my
favorite
> > > > night of this entire story
line - I
> > loved developing Gadget's supporting
> > > > cast, and enjoyed seeing the
> > results of tons of groundwork come
to
> > light
> > > > (like introducing Kolyarut-13
> > several months ago, and having Dr.
Klaw
> > defend
> > > > himself by taking advantage of
the
> > Riders' problems with the gods).
> > > >
> > > > I also loved giving Gadget a
chance
> > to take on his arch-enemy mano-a-
mano,
> > > > and he did great. I still can't
> > believe how well he kicked Klaw's
butt!
> > > > The neat thing was, they fought
in
> > a virtual world, where Klaw's
> > > > artifact-granted godly powers
were
> > worthless. Gadget had a neat moment
> > > > where he disrupted a
transmission
> > from the mechanical Kolyarut-13 to
Klaw
> > by
> > > > disrupting the stream of 1's and
> > 0's with his hand.
> > > >
> > > > All of the players did a great
job
> > with their characters - they seemed
real
> > > > to me. And John, I hope you
didn't
> > worry about my problems DMing
> > > > spellcasters (I know we joked
about
> > it a lot), but I was fine. Everyone
> > > > really put their all into it,
and
> > it resulted in a great game.
> > > >
> > > > Still, I had a hunch that people
> > weren't really totally enjoying
> > themselves,
> > > > but I couldn't figure out why.
> > Matt, seemed a bit bored with his
> > > > characters; John and Damon both
> > seemed like they had a lot on their
> > minds.
> > > > Was it just a stressful day for
> > everyone, or did my buddies have a
> > common
> > > > concern regarding the plot or
game?
> > > >
> > > > Felt it was worth asking - not a
> > major deal, but better than leaving
it
> > go
> > > > unremedied. Ok, enough babble
from
> > me! :)
> > > >
> > > > Jim
> > >
> > >
> > >
>
>
>
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