Uurrrgghh...

[morsla]

I finally dragged myself down here by 7:54 this morning - earlier than I've ever managed before. I needed to print a file before work, although the first attempt disappeared as a 900k file ballooned to 48MB in the print queue. Much later, I managed to get a single black&white copy of all the Silent Streets characters to copy and guillotine into a bundle of handouts ready for the weekend. I've finally clocked on at work, and I feel like I've already done a full day of running around. Unfortunately it's still morning...

Playtesting notes:

aeliel, bishi_wannabe, miss_rynn, mousebane and Lon helped to playtest the game on Wednesday night - run in Actual Convention Conditions (i.e. I was overtired and underprepared...). The game dragged at the start, as I took a while to warm up - this section has since been structured a great deal more, to incorporate things I forgot to include in the playtest.

The game is about a mystery, and as such I wrote the module inside out: I decided on the antagonist, and worked outwards to determine what effects they had on the setting. There are many different ways to reach the ending, and I hope they will all colour the final scenes to make sure the game doesn't end the same way twice. In the revision, I tweaked the character sheets a little (and cleared up my appalling late-night grammar). Those with contacts in the city have more reason to seek them out; those who didn't have as much to do now have more options. I've clarified the personalities of Joss and Aru after deciding on a better angle for the characters.

I try to write non-linear stories - most of the writing is about the characters, and the rest describes the setting in much more detail than any single session ought to cover. There are many factions and NPCs who are not vital to the story (I won't force them to appear) but will become important if the players seek them out. Essentially, the story is about whatever the players ask for... there are plenty of possible allies or antagonists that may be seen or sought out along the journey.

The playtest group found ways to the heart of the mystery that I hadn't considered - however, I've cheerfully written up their on-the-fly section of the city as another option in the module. The playtest didn't touch on any of the established power groups in the city, so I made up some extras on the spot. There are now more obvious leads to follow, but I'll make sure that any lead the players invest effort in will help to resolve the story. It's one of the advantages to not having a set path through it all...

In other news... eight pages in White Dwarf! I haven't seen the article yet (I pick up my copy tonight) but my article apparently gets an eight-page spread. Much more than I thought I'd be getting - there must be a few photos in there. I'm not sure if I'm bouncing excitedly, or if sleep deprivation is making me shaky...

My stomach does not recognise "twelve o'clock" - it only understands "over four hours since breakfast." When you get up at 6am this may become a problem.

Comments

[designadrug.livejournal.com]

I used to get-up at 0500 and yeah your stomach never really understands.

I used to take enough packed-lunch for three small meals.

A kind of brunch at 0930, a late lunch at 1300-1400 and then enough to snack on in between times. I've found the body really does respond better to multiple small meals and constant browsing of high GI foodstuffs (not sugary junk).

[morsla.livejournal.com]

:)

Through Uni, I ate almost constantly - I'd have a packet of biscuits, bags of dried fruit and nuts, apples etc to eat throughout my lectures, and then "real" food to eat when I had an actual break in classes for lunch.

I forgot to re-stock my bag after finishing everything earlier in the week, though. I must see that this doesn't happen again...

[bishi-wannabe.livejournal.com]

"I try to write non-linear stories - most of the writing is about the characters, and the rest describes the setting in much more detail than any single session ought to cover. There are many factions and NPCs who are not vital to the story (I won't force them to appear) but will become important if the players seek them out. Essentially, the story is about whatever the players ask for... there are plenty of possible allies or antagonists that may be seen or sought out along the journey."

I completely agree on this (even though I usually have a linear path-of-last resort to fall back on for con games), but I do think you need to provide some structure in the beginning to kick-start things, BECAUSE it's a con game. Much of the structure I use is to compensate for my poor GMing skills, but I think it's also valuable for coping with the context of a con.

"In other news... eight pages in White Dwarf!"

Congratualtions! I'll need to get a copy.

[morsla.livejournal.com]

Absolutely - the start of the playtest was a bit of a shambles, and I hopefully won't do that again ;)

I had wanted to set the scene in much more detail, introduce the characters, and then start things moving from there... instead, I dropped everyone in at the same time and stared blankly for a minute or two while I mentally kicked myself for all the bits I'd pre-empted.

The only bit that really needs to be scripted is the beginning scene, up to the point where the characters start to act. Without a spark there though, it's difficult to get things going.

[mousebane.livejournal.com]

I've always liked the idea of that first 'introduction scene' where the players get to show off their character, that 'suddenly-get-into character' moment and describe their take on them.