The Long And The Short Of It
Craig Oxbrow
Recently, a friend and regular Storyteller took a temporary contract in the United States, so among other things the game he runs will be suspended during his absence. Therefore, I may be running a game lasting less than three months. I see this as an opportunity to try something different.
I
divide games into two lengths, the long and the short. I approach each
differently, as each has its own advantages and disadvantages, opportunities
and pitfalls.
By
‘long’, I mean a game that continues for several months, if not years of
regular sessions. In construction, it can be as simple as a series of
unconnected adventures, or as involved as a generational saga spanning
centuries of game time, but it naturally concerns the players’ characters and
their environment developing as time passes. It is a framework for a series of
stories, rather than a single story.
A
model I use when I intend to create an ongoing game is the TV series. It
contains individual stories, continuing plotlines and subplots. The characters
are created with the long term in mind, learning and developing over an
extended period. The setting increases in depth and complexity with them.
Ideally, a series should be able to draw in new audience members, and it is
just as useful for a game lasting months or years to have a straightforward way
of introducing new players.
When
following this model I create a “series bible,” setting up the world, its
conflicts, and possible positions for the players’ characters within it. Then I
talk with the players about their characters and what they want to see in the
game, discussing and developing personal storylines and background connections
with them, and making sure that the characters fit together in some way. After
all, they may be together a long time.
The
concept of the “series” should suggest the structure of the party, but the
specifics depend on the players and their characters. For example, in a police
procedural where everyone plays a detective, has everyone worked together
before or is someone new to the precinct in the “pilot” session? Who works
together, who does not, and why? What are the officers’ home lives like? Does
someone have commendations, or citations? Is there a case one of them never
closed?
After
setting up the position as the game begins, look ahead to how it may develop.
Of course, the players’ characters will affect this, but consider what will
happen if they do not change things. Then look to storylines, both extended and
short-term. Ideally, you should have over half a dozen ideas for stories before
you even begin to interweave the characters’ personal storylines.
For
players, the appeal of an ongoing game is that they can develop their
characters and interact with the setting them over a long period, becoming
highly familiar with each.
When
you have a less open timeframe, you could simply run a short version of a
series campaign, but I prefer to tailor short games to take advantage of their
brevity. In fact, I will often run brief games even when there are no
constraints on length, because the shorter form presents options not found in
longer series; chances to explore aspects of setting that may not work at
length, and to tell specific stories.
Instead
of the TV series, look to films and novels. There are few diversions or
standalone episodes, the characters are painted in broader strokes, and the
plots are generally limited to a single storyline, however convoluted. I
usually follow an episodic structure in short-term games, with each session
building on the events of the last. Instead of starting with a “bible,” I start with a story. The players
will determine its final form, with the GM of course, but I have a beginning,
general form and possible endings in mind before I set out.
For
players, a mini-series presents an opportunity to try something different. A
short game could be a break from a long-term series, and for Storytellers it is
a chance to try a more offbeat plotline or setting, something that would lend
itself to a long game.
A
short series could continue, perhaps as an ongoing game for which the original
story was the “pilot” or in sequels or even prequels, but games that really
take advantage of their brevity may not be suited to this transition. Part of
their appeal is their difference from long-running games.
For
instance, a brief Marvel Super Heroes
game I took part in revolved around a team being formed of individuals who
would not normally work together to deal with a threat from space. Character
conflict was much more significant than in normal games. While it could have
served as the “pilot” for a long-term game, the group naturally parted when the
threat was defeated, and the game ended as the story did.
Similarly,
I once ran Vampire over a summer
inspired by 1970s crime thrillers and set during the period, played for irony
and black comedy. I could have continued it, but it would have been a stretch
on the idea, and the joke would definitely have worn thin.
Of
course, the construction I suggest for short games does not necessarily have to
be restricted to them. Planning a large game with a definite idea for a
beginning, middle and ending could be the foundation of an epic, a long-running
saga that forms a single story taking months or years to tell. Compared to a
short game, obviously this allows the tale to develop at any pace, with side
plots and distractions, before hitting full stride. It also brings the pros and
cons of a long game. Familiarity with the setting really counts when the events
of an epic storyline bear on it. For instance, in a chronicle ending in a great
war, the players may have known the people and places endangered and destroyed
for year of real time. On the other hand, the characters have to form a fairly
cohesive group for a lengthy period. Also, the concerns of an ongoing game
persist, as it can be difficult to bring in new players and characters partway
through what is essentially one massive adventure.
Many
games on the market now are intended for long-term play, reflected in their
breadth, depth, Storytelling advice and range of options available to
characters as they learn and develop. Others are designed more for shorter
series, and specialise in a unique and vibrant setting with a more limited
shelf life. You can, of course, run either kind of game in any way, but it
would be worth looking at the scope of the games in your collection. Perhaps
one strikes you as the ideal setting for a game lasting only a season and
ending decisively, while you could run another indefinitely with enough
interest from players. Each has its own attractions and rewards, and so I feel
that each should be explored.
Home Essays Pictures Personal
Links Fiction Contact