Has anyone ever told you a story that you really not not care less about? It was probably about something inane and uncontrollable (they had very little or no influence on the outcome), like winning a game of Chutes and Ladders or War. It might have even gone like this:
Sorry, illness delayed today’s post. It’ll go up Saturday, but I can promise you that the delay will be worthwhile (for one, I’ll have a voice to record the accompanying videos). So instead, spoilers!
What do Final Fantasy VIII, Chrono Chross, and Chrono Trigger all have in common?
And does Doctor Who Series 11 share any of those things?
What does Dave Brubeck have in common with a feathered beast of burden?
Am I the only one who hears this Dave Brubeck song and thinks of this Final Fantasy song?
And let’s not even talk about this song.
If you’re a music nerd, you may think you already know what my next post is going to be about.
But actually, it’s about the contrast between episodic and serial media, using the topic alluded to above as an analogy of sorts.
Any thoughts?
You watch the heroes as they step up to the front door of the old and abandoned house, lit only by the faint glow of the streetlights down the block. There’s a rustle, and the heroes look around them anxiously before one of them pushes open the door while the other stands watch. A few leaves obscure your vision as the camera shifts, hiding in a bush. The heroes both turn to look inside, and your view rushes forward, surging up the steps towards the heroes as they turn in shock and you…
One week I got sick and didn’t post. Then there was a celebration and I didn’t post. Next I had an entertaining bus ride followed by drama at my work, and I didn’t post. So as a form of apology/an extended excuse I present to you the story of how I got stuck in a Spokane Starbucks. Schadenfreude, enjoy it.
If you ask me what my favorite fantasy series is, I probably won’t have to hesitate too long before churning out a list of 5, debating with myself as to the respective merits and flaws of each series, and ultimately saying ‘if I have to pick…no, I can’t’.
But if you ask me what my favorite sci-fi series is, especially if you ask for an epic series, there won’t be much doubt. Sure, I might hem and haw over I, Robot, and whether it qualifies as a series, and I might linger briefly on the formative nature of the Foundation series, but while I’ll stop here or there on the way, I know exactly where I will end up: Deathstalker by Simon R. Green.
Take one of my favorite writers and give him license to contribute to the phenomenally successful Honor Harrington series, and what do you get? You get Eric Flint working with David Weber on the short-stories-turned-novels, Crown of Slaves and Torch of Freedom.
Do you like space opera? How about great characters engaged in spy games and intrigue? Or maybe true badasses going up against incredible odds? All of them? Good. I’ve got some books to recommend to you.
Ultimately, campaigns, much like movies, are about your protagonists. Much as Henry said in his previous article on Screen Time, “by running a game you are agreeing to give the PCs the stage”. Of course, by ‘the stage’, he meant something akin to ‘camera time’. But not only should the camera follow them (mostly), but they should also be the movers and shakers of the universe. Of course, there are some exceptions: villains will often be stronger than PCs, especially in games with elements of horror. And there may be campaigns in which the PCs have limited agency (or are a part of events bigger than themselves). But in those cases, they should still, ultimately, be the agents of the events they ARE privy to.
When you’re playing an RPG, which characters get screen time? Where should the focus be? How can a storyteller make sure that they’re not giving their players short shrift? Finding a good balance and learning how to give your players’ characters the focus that they deserve is an art, one that requires awareness of where your attention is at any given moment.
It may seem strange to hit this topic now; I haven’t even defined what I think a game is! For now, I’m going to put that question off, but say that there are three types of games:
I thought I’d give a quick update; our weekend adventure proved to be more excitement than we could handle!
I ended up succumbing to the heat with a fever and earning a wounded knee, while Jason lies stranded in Spokane, Washington. We will return to regular posting shortly.
