Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.archives
From: [john hughes] at [anu.edu.au] (John Patrick Hughes)
Subject: PAPER: Australian Convention Roleplaying (part 2 of 3)
Followup-To: rec.games.frp.misc
Date: Sun, 9 Aug 1992 22:50:52 GMT

PART 2 OF 3

New Directions in Australian Roleplaying
Style, Innovation and Responsibility in Convention Roleplaying
Thoughts on 'thematic gaming' presented by John Hughes at the Second
Roleplaying Forum, Sydney,  May 1991. Updated slightly for
Arcarnacon X, July, 1992.

  Part One: Some Examples, History and Definitions
* Part Two: Practical Design and Presentation
  Part Three: Sensationalism and Misuse of Modules

PART TWO: DESIGN AND PRESENTATION

PRACTICAL ASPECTS

The only advantage of having been around roleplaying as long as I have
is that I've made most of the mistakes that can be made. Or if I didn't make
them then Philippa (my wife and co-designer) did. The advantage of events
such as the Roleplaying Forum, and of magazines such as the Necro-File,
is that those of you who've just started designing don't have to make
the mistakes we did. Doubtless you'll find some mistakes to make of your
own. The following suggestions are certainly not authoritative, but should
serve as a basis for thought and discussion.

In new wave gaming, we are both performers for and audience to each other.
A new wave game can be more demanding than a traditional module, and the
risks of it not succeeding are greater. However, the rewards also seem to
be that little bit better. Because of its experimental nature, a new wave
game is more often the target of what we call the `zero five' phenomenon.
People will either love it or hate it--but they will seldom be lukewarm
about it. (Australian Convention feedback forms ask players to rate a
module from 0 to 5).


 A designer's responsibility is not just to produce a good module.
You must;

	* plan early, write early, playtest early.

	* take responsibility for what you create, and avoid
sensationalism or manipulation.

	* playtest to an extent that most possibilities for the
module have been covered.

	* respond to the suggestions that come up in	playtesting.

	* provide trusted referees that have been fully briefed.

	* respect your players. Build in opportunities for them to
provide their inputs into the story, be it action,
characterisation, or emotion.

	* structure the module so it can be used effectively.

	* advertise so that your audience knows exactly what to
expect from your module.

	* Write the module first; then desktop it. A pretty module
is not necessarily a good module.

Most importantly, you must trust in your own vision for the module.
Write according to your own feelings, rather than by copying another module
or transplanting a book or movie wholesale. We all borrow from each other,
but trusting your own ideas is crucial in building an effective module.
Write for yourself, rather than for the convention response sheet.
Decide early on what is important to you--having forty teams or having one
team who perfectly understands and fulfils your vision (usually its somewhere
between the two). (Convention feedback is important and often helpful,
but its not what writing is about). 

(Naturally, I follow all of these guidelines all of the time. Yep.
Honest. All the time :-) ).

SOME ELEMENTS OF DESIGN

Balanced, realistic characters

The problem in describing the boy next door to the nth decimal place
is that the character you've designed is as exciting to play as . . .
the boy next door. Any character description is a work of fiction,
designed to provide opportunities for roleplaying. Dramatic life is not
the same as ordinary life. The most memorable characters from literature
are anchored in real people, but posses something else as well. Even if
your aim is to have a realistic flavour, your character should not be
realistic. (Real people are so boring. That's why I roleplay). Characters
serve many functions--as symbols of some quality (e.g., courage, lust,
resignation) as a foil or a complement to another character, as a vehicle
for a set of ideas (e.g., a celibate Buddhist), as a source of skills or
attributes (e.g., the gully dwarf thief with the lockpick). Think about
what role you intend for your character, then think of what you will do
if you find a player not coping or understanding the character. If the
character is primarily a vehicle for an idea or attribute, ensure that
the character has foibles or contractions to provide a sense of balance
(unless of course the genre demands caricature). Ideally, IMHO each character
should have the following attributes:

	*	Things to do--an objective.

	*	Things to feel--an emotional goal.

	*	Things to think about--a characterisation hook.

	*	Unresolved emotional or other dilemmas that can be
solved by party interaction.

	*	A misleading idea about another member of the
party.

	*	A source of tension--a strong difference of opinion or
rivalry with another member of the party.

	*	Unique skills or knowledge; a clear area of expertise
that is not duplicated within the party.

	*	Freedom to change.

	*	Freedom to make a stand.

	*	A chance to survive till the end of the module, or die a
damned good death.

	*	Freedom to explore

The main characteristic of new wave modules is that they provide
opportunities for characters to test themselves and, if they wish,
to develop or change in some way. It may focus on character, relationships,
ideas or ideals. Rather than providing plot events to propel them along,
often the prime goal of a thematic designer is to provide settings and
props to spark discussion and roleplay. A lot of this can be done through
the character sheets--Sundowners and Past Tense are perhaps the strongest
example of this. You need to achieve that difficult balance between
characterisation and plot, between pushing them on before they're ready or
letting them waffle and wander into boredom or into areas of no consequence
to the module. And you need to have backups-- action events or even
dice rolling for that one team who had no idea what they were getting into. 

Mood Breakers

Mood is a fragile thing. A good deal of the effort in a new wave module
goes into creating mood. However, we need to be able to gently break it
as well. Players must never be forced into confrontations or challenges
they do not wish to face. If things are getting too tense, or too personal,
or some of your players aren't coping too well with the end of the world,
you have to be able to gently balance things out. Gentle, in-character humour
is best for this. Encounters or other events can be introduced to
change focus. A background intrusion such as music can also be very
effective. (Music is surprisingly effective in creating its own mood).
If all else fails, have an angel appear. :-)

`What I aimed for in the module'

Many thematic modules have very ambitious agendas that are completely
lost on some players. Most new wave games benefit from discussing your aims
for the module before you start play. Include some design notes for
the benefit of your other GMs. Write a short article for the handbook.
Talk to your players beforehand. Brief them about your aims, and listen to
their expectations. If you feel bold, you might even introduce yourself
(I'm constantly amazed how many GMs don't do this). A debriefing
afterwards is always a good idea, and for complicated or emotionally
draining modules, a must.

Playtest, playtest playtest! (and then playtest)

Have I mentioned this before? Do you detect a pattern? Playtesting is
essential. Twice on Thursdays.

Careful with that blurb!

If there is one thing worse than finding yourself in a dungeon bash
you thought was a multiform, its finding yourself in a multiform you
thought was a dungeon bash. In these days of adult concepts and soppy
emotional endings, it is essential that all your players know exactly what
they're letting themselves in for. And believe me, you have to try hard
to get the message across. (In 'Great Sage, Equal of Heaven', despite STRONG
allusions to Chairman Mao and political critiques in the blurb, despite
background notes, character sheets and pre-game briefings explaining
exactly what the module was about, some players expressed disappointment
afterwards because `it was different to the TV show'. Lesson: never cross
genres in an area where players have strong expectations.)

In the beginning was the module . . .

..then came desktop publishing. Sometimes we forget which is
more important. A pretty module looks great on your shelf, but it adds
very little to the quality of the game. As one of the people responsible
for escalating the `desktop wars', I have to say that I'm sorry.
Desktopping is great, but write the module first. Cover art never
makes up for a missing second session.

 PRESENTATION

Pre-check your teams

If you think there is a module mismatch, go and talk to them.
Sometimes teams don't know what they've entered. Then again, sometimes
they want to try something different. Even very young teams can handle a
new wave module well if they know what they're getting into. Even Barefoot
and Pregnant Bimbos from the Kitchens of Hell . . . :-)

Fully briefed GMs are absolutely essential

Some lonesome referees are notorious for hanging around registration
desks waiting for desperate designers to allow them to referee a game.
'Just give me five minutes to read the module'. The quality of such efforts
is, err, poor at best. It's unfair on you, on the team, and even on the
aspiring referee (who might be filling in with the best will in the
world).

Find out from the convention organisers how many teams you're getting.
Don't let them wait till three days before the con to tell you. Playtest
your GMs accordingly. These days, its best to get GMs' signatures in blood
at least two months before the con, and then count on one in three dropping
out, deciding to play, or revealing they've promised to ref three other
games as well. Even at the con, you can guarantee at least one GM sleeping
in or getting lost. Plan ahead. Be prepared. Have a backup. And then some.

The Physical Setting

Once or twice I've had the extreme pleasure of presenting modules in a
drama lab -- darkened rooms with built in sound systems, plenty of space,
props and controlled lighting. Sigh. I've also had to run atmosphere modules
in a stairwell, or in a lift that had a constant stream of users, or with
multiforming penguins bellysliding outside our window. Darkened rooms,
candles, and no other games within cooee are a new wave GM's dream. Any GM's
dream for that matter. Unfortunately, conventions are such that isolated
rooms often are not available. 

Again, plan ahead as much as possible. Most organisers will make special
efforts if they know of your requirements beforehand. If things get
desperate, you can do wonders with blankets, plastic garbage bags and
masking tape (to the room, not the organisers). Look for hidden nooks
and crannies outside the building. Put up threatening KEEP OUT
-- MAD DOG signs. And if all else fails, tell the GM next door that
you're running a mood module. She'll understand.

Try to set up your room beforehand. If players find a table with chairs,
they'll use them, so if you want to multiform move all the furniture to
the side of the room. At the right moment, turn out the lights.
Light your candles or torches (some venues don't like puddles of wax
on their floors--check beforehand). Relax. Enjoy. Now, can you read
the module in the dark?

Dark and light can be powerful aids to atmosphere, but one needs to be
practical. Players will need to reference their character sheets as they
build up steam. Its best to leave the lights on till atmosphere demands their absence.
Music can be a powerful aid, but too much simply detracts from other things.
Sound effects are most powerful if they run for thirty seconds or less.
Afterwards, they just become noise. Alternatively, chanting type sounds
can be played at very low volume to get on players' nerves. Increase the
volume when players expect something nasty to happen.

Simple physical props can add wonders to a module. (I have wonderful
memories of throwing cardboard bricks across a darkened 'haunted house').
Paper handouts have their pluses and minuses. They are great as props,
but the last thing you want in a thematic module is a table full of
paper. Maps and other `god's eye view' aids should be avoided.

The Briefing

You can never do too much in a briefing. Introduce yourself. Ask your
team how long they've been playing, and why they choose to play your
module. Write all the players' names (with their character names) on the
blackboard so they can see it during the module. Talk about the module,
what you're trying to do, where the slow bits are, what the genre and
system conventions are. If you're multiforming, explain the conventions
and gauge how comfortable your payers are with the style. If you want to
use physical contact as part of your gaming technique, check beforehand
-- some players do not like being touched.  If you are awarding prizes,
tell the players what the criteria are. Introduce the background,
and then have the players introduce themselves in character.
Getting everyone comfortable and relaxed is as helpful in roleplaying as
it is in seduction.

Proceed slowly!

It takes ten or fifteen minutes for any team to find their feet,
sort out character names, and size up their GM. Take things slowly
at first and only gradually pull out the stops. Characterisation is
usually difficult at first, and players need lots of cues to bounce around.

Roleplaying Magic

Remember that roleplaying is not made of words alone, but of sights
and sounds, stillness and motion, noise and silence, relationships
and responses. Something beyond words -- the energy of the group -- 
is paramount. Although imagination is very important, we don't roleplay
with our minds, we roleplay with and through our bodies. Use all the senses
available to you as fully as you can. Never forget spacial values,
the signals of movement and physical relationship. Encourage your players
to act out every scene, to visualise every room, to imagine every smell.
Ask them about what they are seeing, what they are feeling. Trust them to
tell their side of the story.

Some things cannot be said, but only shown, and the good GM shows us
her thought and feeling by embodying and impersonating it, not by reading
it out from the module. Similarly, roleplayers can express themselves just
as effectively through movement and gesture as through words. You don't have 
to be a Laurence Olivier; simple or melodramatic gestures and movements
can be informative, effective and fun. Trust your sense of drama and
storytelling ability. Trust yourself to have fun, and to create fun for
your GM and fellow players.

Always consider and try to balance the three elements--

Action--gesture and movement, the prose and poetry of action

Visualisation--all that comes before the eye, costume, props images.

Voice--the spoken word and what it tells us about each other.

No single item is more important than another. Words support the eye, eye
reinforces ear, and ear the rich and creative power of our imagination.

Part Three concerns sensationalism and controversy.

John
[john hughes] at [anu.edu.au]