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View Full Version : Player versus player campaigns



Lemmingboy
2010-04-01, 04:31 PM
Quite simple really, I want to hear people's view on the matter, because I think I'm getting too focused thinking by myself over here.

Recently I was a player in a PvP campaign. It was a D20 Star Wars and we each controlled a PMC, using part homebrew as well as rules for the 3.5E supplement book, Empire. The battles were on quite a large scale, and we all had lots of squads etc, etc. If you've ever played any sort of Warhammer tabletop game, I'm told the overall effect was quite similar.

We only had about five sessions, and the reason for this was quite simple: We started to try and kill each other outside of the game too.

I exaggerate admittedly, but the emotions of all three players (myself included) were in a state of flux and overall having a poor time. We could roleplay in and out of combat (out was much easier) and our PMCs were lead by PCs who we'd carried on from previous campaigns so they had background.

I feel I should give more context to the matter so:

-I was the most experienced player there (I'm not bragging, honest).

-The others weren't particularly interested in elements outside of combat.

-I on the other hand sent spies into their bases on the first session, gaining bonuses for Initiative amongst others. They were never discovered. By comparison to some other stuff I pulled off, this was nothing- even though I tried to reign it in.

-There were DM guided incentives for secondary objectives, and quite a few plot hooks of various types.

If you have questions about anything, just ask. I understand that this kind of campaign's probably quite rare.

valadil
2010-04-01, 04:38 PM
The problem I've seen in any kind of PvP environment is that eventually the winner is decided by GM fiat. Creative players will bend the rules and when the GM says "that works" or "that doesn't work" is when a fight's outcome is determined.

What can work is if the players appear to work together but secretly undermine each other. I think that's how V:tM is supposed to go.

Choco
2010-04-01, 07:07 PM
Read the 3 AGC Old Evil Campaign excerpts.

Starts here http://agc.deskslave.org/excerpt_viewer.html?goNumber=801