PDA

View Full Version : collaborative crafting, players helping with details



elliott20
2007-04-13, 11:18 AM
back in college, when I used to GM, sometimes my players will take an action that I did not plan for and force me to adlib a lot of the details in game.

My players usually pick up on this very quickly, and then try to adlib in some details for me to help me along. i.e. the players will go to a generic inn that I described, and then one of the players who wants to add some texture to the place will ask me if the place has a fireplace or simply declare that he will sit down by the fireplace next to one of the patrons. (that he too, just made up on the spot)

in terms of adding texture and what not, I sometimes appreciate that since my players at the time were pretty mature about this sort of thing and would not try to abuse it.

I wonder how many people do this sort of thing.

silentknight
2007-04-13, 01:15 PM
Yeah my players do that occasionally, and I do it in return when I play. I appreciate it when it happens, because I have enough to think about without trying to describe every last detail of every (fill in the blank) that the characters want to know about.

Counterspin
2007-04-13, 02:04 PM
Yeah, we call this preemptive reality in my gaming circle. Everyone does it, from both sides. Helps the players effect the story in interesting little ways, makes them part of the storytelling side of things.

Ravyn
2007-04-13, 09:02 PM
I'd be disappointed if my group didn't. Of course, every now and then one of us messes up (Tree? What tree?), but typically it helps more than it hurts.

clarkvalentine
2007-04-13, 10:25 PM
Absolutely. My player make up all sorts of details on the fly - many of my games' best features originated with the players. Organizations, NPCs, even minor scene edits.

The GM who ignores the wealth of imaginative potential on the other side of the screen is missing out.

Takamari
2007-04-13, 10:46 PM
I know that I do this enough, but my players are the same. It does help out quite a bit at time. Though, I have a couple of players that take it too far.

Such as:
party wizard: Winry

Winry: I seek out the kings magician.
DM(me): He is well known to take audiences, so it is easy to find him.
Winry: "Wizard Gulligan, remember when you trained me in the arts of wizardry...."

Needless to say, the kings wizard did not train a snot nosed fifth level wizard. He is the KING'S WIZARD!!!! lol. That and he didn't clear it with me in the first place and the kings wizard was a Tiefling...

averagejoe
2007-04-13, 11:08 PM
Oh, all the time. I even, once in awhile, let my PC's say what the NPC's actions are, as long as the consequence is minor compared to player enjoyment. I've always believed that it's an interactive experience and, in many ways, the world belongs as much to the players as the GM.

Matthew
2007-04-14, 11:21 PM
Yeah, I would tend to agree; it has certainly been known to go on in my groups, though not a lot. On the other hand, I often ask for Player input into the game world, such as NPCs, backstory, organisations, preferences, adventure ideas, long term aims, etc... I rarely use such things wholesale, but I find them useful.

elliott20
2007-04-15, 11:21 AM
What kind of details would you let your players run with this? Most of the time, I personally felt that letting a player decide something minor like "ahh, yes, I've been to this city before, there was a nice little bakery that was here last time I was here."

most of the time, these details do not actually effect gameplay in any real fashion other than add some texture and depth. But sometimes, I would use that a springboard to move onto the next step of the story, or even wove completely new arches out of that one minor detail. this happened once when one of the rogue players decided to go pay some tribute to the local thieve's guild. The thieves guild interaction later turned into a major plot point and got integrated into the story as a whole. the player was really good about this though, I gave him a free pass to make up whatever past info, customs, etc that he might have on the guild in question, with me being able veto any of that made up info by talking about how times have changed since then. (also , the player was careful not to abuse this benefit too much)

With a mature player who can do this responsibly, it's a great way to let your player take center stage as the party guide through these parts of the story and make them really feel like they're contributing and moving the world in some fashion. Not to mention it also saves you some of the leg work.