When it comes to any form of writing, one piece of advice has always stuck with me: a story should be like a woman's skirt, long enough to cover everything it should but short enough to still be interesting. This holds true for rpg campaigns. Depending on what type of game you're running you will want to adjust the length of the campaign.
When most people think of an rpg campaign they think about these long, epic games with story lines that will take months to get through. Story lines like this usually consist of several smaller issues that the characters must overcome to complete their ultimate objective or dealing with complications that arise because of forces working against them. The ultimate objective will be difficult for a beginning group of characters to overcome but will be easier once the characters have more experience. These campaigns incorporate many different aspects of the game into the story arch and use the diversity to keep the characters guessing about what will happen next. This type of campaign is generally best suited for players that are looking to experience all aspects of the game or for large groups that need and can handle a large array of issue that arise. A GM working on creating a campaign like this will need to focus on establishing several plot points and key adversaries to keep up the level of interest.
My group has recently gotten into running short campaigns. They generally consist of campaigns that may last only a few weeks. These types of campaigns are usually more focused on a clear objective. The level of the characters tends not to be as important as the game will be finished before too much experience is gained. Campaigns of this sort tend to focus on one or two aspects of the game but explores them in much greater depth. This type of campaign is great for smaller groups that wish to really engage a particular part of the game. It is also nice for groups that tend to lose focus quickly but have no issue playing a game several times in different incarnations. A GM working on a campaign of this nature should do plenty of research into the various aspects the players wish to explore and keep the game topical.
Showing posts with label focus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label focus. Show all posts
Friday, November 15, 2013
Monday, November 11, 2013
Pacing
It's important to be aware of how much time you have to work with and block out your story accordingly. My group plays in four hour blocks so I know I have to recap a little from the last game, introduce the new problems, handle the action, control any goofing off, and conclude within a four hour period. Seems easy enough until you take into account all the things that can make the game go longer. However, with a bit of forethought about how your group operates, time management can be a simple and effective process.
Some groups prefer plenty of combat in their games and these groups tend to have to deal with pacing more than most. Combat is by far the most time consuming aspect of any game. If combat is beginning to overtake what time you had set aside for it then it is a good idea to interrupt the combat from the outside. Deus ex machina (latin for god from the machine) is the ultimate tool of the GM and is most appropriately used for pacing. This could be in the form of the enemies fleeing to regroup, an outside authority figure stepping in, or some natural event; whatever is most appropriate for the setting.
Since my games tend to be light on combat I allow for plenty of time for characterization. This means that I block time for my characters to socialize with other people in the game. This is usually pretty easy to manage as eventually the characters will run out of meaningful things to discuss but at moments it can start to run on. Easiest way to handle this is to remind your players that there is still more to accomplish and to wrap it up.
Last thing I want to mention is goofing off. It's gonna happen and there is no stopping it. Whether someone says something humorous and side conversations go on an interesting tangent distractions happen. This is sometimes the most fun part of playing a rpg but as the GM it is important to reign it in after awhile. Maintaining focus is the role of the GM; don't rely on your players to do this as they are not aware of all that needs to be accomplished in a given time frame.
Some groups prefer plenty of combat in their games and these groups tend to have to deal with pacing more than most. Combat is by far the most time consuming aspect of any game. If combat is beginning to overtake what time you had set aside for it then it is a good idea to interrupt the combat from the outside. Deus ex machina (latin for god from the machine) is the ultimate tool of the GM and is most appropriately used for pacing. This could be in the form of the enemies fleeing to regroup, an outside authority figure stepping in, or some natural event; whatever is most appropriate for the setting.
Since my games tend to be light on combat I allow for plenty of time for characterization. This means that I block time for my characters to socialize with other people in the game. This is usually pretty easy to manage as eventually the characters will run out of meaningful things to discuss but at moments it can start to run on. Easiest way to handle this is to remind your players that there is still more to accomplish and to wrap it up.
Last thing I want to mention is goofing off. It's gonna happen and there is no stopping it. Whether someone says something humorous and side conversations go on an interesting tangent distractions happen. This is sometimes the most fun part of playing a rpg but as the GM it is important to reign it in after awhile. Maintaining focus is the role of the GM; don't rely on your players to do this as they are not aware of all that needs to be accomplished in a given time frame.
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