Ok, 4e D&D comes out on 07.06 and I am scheduled to start running it on 29.06. That shouldnt be a problem I hear you cry, surely someone as witty, intelligent and imaginative as you should be able to generate an intensely engrossing 20 session long campaing for 5 highly demanding gamers in a mere 3 weeks.
Sadly I am not Mr Nicholls who seemed to create the last hugely engrossing Sheffield game I played in on the back of an envelope in about 5 minutes.
So, what are my big issues. Well, for one I havent actually run any game in nearly two years. That's not entirely true, I ran one off games at both Cottagecon 1 and 2 which were well received and I ran a three session Cold City game which was ok. Still what I am looking at here is quite different. I want to try for something with more legs to it. I like the idea of 4e's tiers of play and I want to be able to play through all of them. It may require some hack of the advancement system to work or we would take years to play out. This works for some groups but didnt quite click with us when we tried the Great Pendragon Campaign.
Secondly is the game itself. Its D&D and I have 5 very experienced players who expect a high quality game. We have made D&D work for us as a group before and I think it can be done again but it remains an issue. Will it actually support our method of play or at least not get in the way too much? I am stuck with the nagging feeling that SotC or The Shadow of Yesterday might be better fits. The one wrinkle is that neither seem to possess a useable magic system, pretty much a must for any fantasy game for me. Who knows, maybe The Dresden Files will sort that out.
Thirdly are the players. I dont think any of them would disagree that they are a demanding group. If there are problems then they will be aired, in some cases, publicly disected with scientific rigour. This isnt a huge issue for me as I tend to do a lot of that myself and am generally open about it so hopefully it will help to improve the game not damage it.
So where does that leave me? Nervous about being able to deliver the game the group wants, excited about trying out a new game despite the vast number of naysayers and happy that I am still able to game with imaginative, thoughtful people after 20 years in the hobby.
5 comments:
While I realise I say this as someone who has never committed to the week in week out schedule (though this is because I never have, and has little to do with this group specifically), I'm going to pitch in anyway.
I on the critique and high expectations angle. I think this comes very much from the viewpoint of making the experience the best it can be. We realise we won't always achieve it. It's worth trying and discussing it though. So I don't necessarily see it as high expectations, crash and burn when they are not met. But more high expectations, even if we get a tenth of the way it's great but we can trying to get closer to the 100%.
Now, the comments about the other game systems are interesting. One thing that might need a bit of discussion is exactly what the aim is at the table. As an example, at the moment I'm perfectly up for a grand sweeping story with interesting characters, that goes for anything we run, but I'm also up for playing D&D: having fun fights with a bit of tactics, and delving into dungeons and lost places, etc. I'm fine with playing D&D and glossing over what makes it D&D if that's the aim, but I'm also set for embracing it 100%. Enjoy the 'adventure game' aspect of it as well as the rest.
Just curious. I'm flexible.
I also agree with you, some sort of saga-like experience gains to allow for us to experience all tiers would be really good. I'd just advance us on the basis of need, the idea being each tier is a novel or a season, etc.
I suspect traditional character advancement is a big part of the potential game. Why not. We have a varied gaming menu, might as well sample every option.
Ian
Things are still in their infancy, we havent even seen the rules yet. That does raise one extra possible issue, system mastery/knowledge.
I can get a handle on new game systems quite quickly and 4e isnt so radically different that I have to start from scratch but I really want to avoid the head scratching and book hunting.
On overall theme and mood, I am absolutely not looking for a great sprawling sandbox style game. I dont have the patience for them any more.
There will be a plot, probably multiple ones, probably created mostly by the players and probably different between each tier of play.
I see interesting meaningful fights, hard choices, intrigue, lost temples and forgotten ruins as being part of that structure not seperate from it.
Then again I dont see D&D as only or even necessarily primarily providing for the "adventure game" style mentality that I see claimed a lot of places (mostly by story gamers who want to differentiate their "proper" games from that old fashioned traditional gaming).
Yeah, I wouldn't disagree with anything you've said.
Interesting meaningful fights, hard choices, intrigue, lost temples and forgotten ruins can all be woven in as part of the whole experience.
I've not got time for some of the more zealous views from Story Games either.
All I was responding to was the 'we've made D&D work for us before' comment. I suspect this time around, without sacrificing on anything you've said above, there may be more of a bent to work with D&D a bit to experience that side of things (as long as it flows well enough) in with the whole.
I may be wrong, people will no doubt comment for themselves.
I'm sure we are in perfect alignment, it's just various words become loaded terms - obviously 'adventure game' was one such term :)
I'm really linking the Conan / Sword and Sorcery angle.
Damned right Skippy, we're a demanding group. However, we're demanding in the nicest possible way.
I'm not going to speak for the rest of the group but I, for one, am ready and raring to go for this game. Although I sometimes seem to be positioned as the Second Coming of the Indie Games Prophet (the first was Ian - he who came before) I know I like my crunch as much as the next man. Particularly in character building etc. Regarding 4e, I'm slightly damp. I've also wanted to play a campaign from minor to major dudes like this for ages, outside of the framework of Pendragon. And the games that you have ran already have tantalised us with your GMing ability. I want to see more. The setting we have created is very good indeed. I LOVE the initial scope that has been created in the city - I've always wanted to run or be in a campaign based in a city
Its enthusiasm that you're seeing here, not pressure. Love it, suckle it, make it yours!
Neil
I may have been a prophet but I was a tormented prophet.
It did me more harm than good I think as continually failed to find soemthing with new ideas that didn't throw everything out at the same time.
Now I embrace all religions and that is good!
Anyway, back to 4E!
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