Post by The Stranger on Jul 26, 2012 20:27:19 GMT -5
Ordinarily I'm known for being heavy on rules and game mechanics, but I didn't want to go that direction this time around. So instead things will be very very very loose. That means on the one hand, you're freer to play your character the way you want to play it, but on the other hand you are utterly at the mercy of my sense of what is sensible, appropriate, or realistic. So no arguing.
Couple of Quick Points.
1. Don't put words in my mouth. That means you can move and maneuver NPCs to certain extent, but don't have them talk and advanced story or plot information. So for instance.
Right-Jax greeted the bellhop with a smug look and a nod. The man nodded back curtly, and opened the door as Jax moved inside.
Wrong-"The man you're looking for, he's at table four,"said the attractive coat check girl. At least Jax thought it was a girl, it was hard to tell behind the shimmering "censor" device that made the person using it look like a blurry-nude on a late night holovid channel.
2. You can control action, but I control outcome. What I mean by that is, you can describe what your character is doing in detail, but you should leave the degree of success or failure, and the general outcome to me.
Right- Franny gave a blood curdling scream and snapped off three rounds center mass into each of the advancing gangers. "Take that Fraggers," he said, spitting on the asphalt in disgust.
Note how the post describes what Franny did, but doesn't describe the result on the gangers. That gives me the chance to write something back and alter the situation to my whim.
Wrong: Franny pulled the trigger, and the man's head exploded like an over-ripe melon. He'd have to speak to his fixer about maybe toning down the grains on those hot-loads, he thought to himself, as he skaddled to the waiting hovercar.
Here the outcome of Franny's shot is described, so the man is obviously dead. It prevents me from having him say a few words and give a vital clue, or fire one last round, or escape to fight another day. So that's bad.
That's basically it. That and Retconning is our friend. I'm sure it will happen, so don't worry about it too much if it does. The key thing is to make characters which are interesting, and to have fun with their story.
Couple of Quick Points.
1. Don't put words in my mouth. That means you can move and maneuver NPCs to certain extent, but don't have them talk and advanced story or plot information. So for instance.
Right-Jax greeted the bellhop with a smug look and a nod. The man nodded back curtly, and opened the door as Jax moved inside.
Wrong-"The man you're looking for, he's at table four,"said the attractive coat check girl. At least Jax thought it was a girl, it was hard to tell behind the shimmering "censor" device that made the person using it look like a blurry-nude on a late night holovid channel.
2. You can control action, but I control outcome. What I mean by that is, you can describe what your character is doing in detail, but you should leave the degree of success or failure, and the general outcome to me.
Right- Franny gave a blood curdling scream and snapped off three rounds center mass into each of the advancing gangers. "Take that Fraggers," he said, spitting on the asphalt in disgust.
Note how the post describes what Franny did, but doesn't describe the result on the gangers. That gives me the chance to write something back and alter the situation to my whim.
Wrong: Franny pulled the trigger, and the man's head exploded like an over-ripe melon. He'd have to speak to his fixer about maybe toning down the grains on those hot-loads, he thought to himself, as he skaddled to the waiting hovercar.
Here the outcome of Franny's shot is described, so the man is obviously dead. It prevents me from having him say a few words and give a vital clue, or fire one last round, or escape to fight another day. So that's bad.
That's basically it. That and Retconning is our friend. I'm sure it will happen, so don't worry about it too much if it does. The key thing is to make characters which are interesting, and to have fun with their story.
Hope you all are well and happy.