Kol Korran
2016-04-24, 11:50 PM
Hey all.
I've been mulling an idea for quite some time now. I've recently stopped GMing, and may have some time (In between RL obligations) for a project of mine, which I've been thinking of for quite some time...
As many GMs, in my gaming time I've toyed a lot with various ideas for a campaign along the years. Ideas that kept building, being refined, changed and more. The very general premise is that of a contained sandbox, but with great amount of detail to NPCs, locations, interactions, and plans of various groups and individuals. The idea is to have a setting for the specific campaign that is detailed enough, rich enough, to both allow great freedom (no prescripted scenes, failure is on the table, though many powers in the setting have plans and are proactive about them), but also enough depth, richness of experience, and structure to enable a much more fulfilling intimidation. (Instead of "Oh, you've decided to go west? Well, let's roll for random encounters. You meet an orc band." Something more on the lines of "Oh, you're going west? Hmmm... these are there hexes are the hunting grounds of the feared Gretchen the cunning manticore, the orcs are just establishing a small outpost a bit further away, and what do you know, this is just around the date that the cult of Ju is supposed to be exploring the demonic ruin...Let me get the maps and stats for those from the campaign folder...").
I haven't thought up all ideas, and it is an ambitious project. What I'm asking in this here thread- How interested might you be reading a log of campaign planning, not the actual game itself? (Though that may come as well, quite later on, if we get to it). I am quite fascinated by the art and skills of GMing, and thought this might interesting others. In part it would be me sharing my creativr process, in part it would be asking for advice, inspiration, ideas.
An impotent note: In "campaign planning" I do not mean to plan for anything that is supposed to appeal to as wide an audience as possible, or fit for publishing /selling/ most groups. I intend to plan for a game my group and me will most likely like. The themes, focus, and many of the decisions will depend on our play style and specific game preferences and aesthetics. I'm not making a gaming module, but a campaign setting for my group.
Those who may have read my logs know that I tend to invest quite a lot in the games, and that I think about design issues a lot. A fair deal of this log will discuss such matters. I do tend to write quite... exhaustively...
It will probably take a long time to do (RL takes precedence. Work, family, and a new baby ), yet though the going may be slow, I hope it can be useful, to practice thinking about campaign design.
So:
1. Would this interest you?
2. Where should this go? This particular forum? Homebrew? A lot of this will concern the design of a specific campaign, but a lot will also deal with more general design issues.
3. Any suggestion as to structure of the log? I'm thinking of linking it to a free wiki where I'll keep the specifics (mechanics), but in the log itself divide it into several major sections (campaign themes, core design, settlements, NPCs and factions, variant rules and so on), with possible links to threads that deal more thoroughly with specific issues. (Developing a certain faction, a certain specific campaign issue, a certain type of opponent, how to design a specific mystery and so on).
Any and all feedback is welcome.
Thanks,
Kol.
I've been mulling an idea for quite some time now. I've recently stopped GMing, and may have some time (In between RL obligations) for a project of mine, which I've been thinking of for quite some time...
As many GMs, in my gaming time I've toyed a lot with various ideas for a campaign along the years. Ideas that kept building, being refined, changed and more. The very general premise is that of a contained sandbox, but with great amount of detail to NPCs, locations, interactions, and plans of various groups and individuals. The idea is to have a setting for the specific campaign that is detailed enough, rich enough, to both allow great freedom (no prescripted scenes, failure is on the table, though many powers in the setting have plans and are proactive about them), but also enough depth, richness of experience, and structure to enable a much more fulfilling intimidation. (Instead of "Oh, you've decided to go west? Well, let's roll for random encounters. You meet an orc band." Something more on the lines of "Oh, you're going west? Hmmm... these are there hexes are the hunting grounds of the feared Gretchen the cunning manticore, the orcs are just establishing a small outpost a bit further away, and what do you know, this is just around the date that the cult of Ju is supposed to be exploring the demonic ruin...Let me get the maps and stats for those from the campaign folder...").
I haven't thought up all ideas, and it is an ambitious project. What I'm asking in this here thread- How interested might you be reading a log of campaign planning, not the actual game itself? (Though that may come as well, quite later on, if we get to it). I am quite fascinated by the art and skills of GMing, and thought this might interesting others. In part it would be me sharing my creativr process, in part it would be asking for advice, inspiration, ideas.
An impotent note: In "campaign planning" I do not mean to plan for anything that is supposed to appeal to as wide an audience as possible, or fit for publishing /selling/ most groups. I intend to plan for a game my group and me will most likely like. The themes, focus, and many of the decisions will depend on our play style and specific game preferences and aesthetics. I'm not making a gaming module, but a campaign setting for my group.
Those who may have read my logs know that I tend to invest quite a lot in the games, and that I think about design issues a lot. A fair deal of this log will discuss such matters. I do tend to write quite... exhaustively...
It will probably take a long time to do (RL takes precedence. Work, family, and a new baby ), yet though the going may be slow, I hope it can be useful, to practice thinking about campaign design.
So:
1. Would this interest you?
2. Where should this go? This particular forum? Homebrew? A lot of this will concern the design of a specific campaign, but a lot will also deal with more general design issues.
3. Any suggestion as to structure of the log? I'm thinking of linking it to a free wiki where I'll keep the specifics (mechanics), but in the log itself divide it into several major sections (campaign themes, core design, settlements, NPCs and factions, variant rules and so on), with possible links to threads that deal more thoroughly with specific issues. (Developing a certain faction, a certain specific campaign issue, a certain type of opponent, how to design a specific mystery and so on).
Any and all feedback is welcome.
Thanks,
Kol.