Running Open World Games

[Behold_the_Void]

I'm going to be running a game come early August for my girlfriend and some other friends, and I thought I might give the whole "Open World" thing a try, if I can wing it. The problem, though, is I am notoriously lazy as a GM when it comes to planning ahead. I've always been good at flying by the seat of my pants when GMing, so to speak, so I tend to just grab some stats and go with it. While this may come in handy with running said game, I'm trying to be a good boy and actually get a feel for how this place works. My players are generally fairly docile, and will usually run dutifully along the rails without complaint, but in the last game I've been running they seemed to want to move away from the primary plotline a bit so I'm trying to mix things up.

Game-wise, I'm using the homebrew system I've created since it needs more playtesting. The setting is going to be a steampunk-style world with some magitek civilizations living in floating continents. There's a bit of a clash between the magic users (who pass their abilities on through blood, although a mage can be born to a non-magic family and vice-versa) and people without it. There are a number of countries, though those without magic are far more numerous and the first thing I'm doing is getting a basic overview of all the countries and their basic relationships with each other. I'm thinking the overarching world plot will eventually be heightening conflicts between the mages and the normal people. Since we're all big mecha fans, there may be a number of homages to Mobile Suit Gundam, by which I mean at some point a blond man in a white mask may try to drop one of the floating continents on the mainland, but overall war is likely to be a big thing and with more than just two factions.

My basic thought is to build a sort of time-line of what is going to happen in the world without PC intervention and then set them loose. I'll start them in a mercantile association where they'll be able to pick up a job or two to get them together, but generally leave them free to go do as they will.

Stat-wise I will probably have to put together a number of stat-blocks to use as-needed. Airships will play a large role in travel and war, and I intend to put together the basic ships in a country's fleet, and since the system itself is so fluff-light at it's base to allow for whatever flavor you want, I can probably get by just fine with making a number of builds that fulfill different roles at different levels.

So, finally getting to the point, for those who run Open World often, beyond what I've got in mind what else does one do to prepare for these kinds of games? What should they have on-hand, and what should they leave open until it comes up?

[Zeful]

My basic thought is to build a sort of time-line of what is going to happen in the world without PC intervention and then set them loose. I'll start them in a mercantile association where they'll be able to pick up a job or two to get them together, but generally leave them free to go do as they will.

Do this and stick to it. It will be a lot of work, but generally you can use hints and the direction of travel as something to narrow down exactly what's going on.

[shadow_archmagi]

Note: I believe it's customary to make a vague and ambiguous plotline so that no matter where the PC's go the same things happen. For example, writing up an ambush and then fluffing it as sea-people, lava-people, bandits, or elves depending on where the PCs go.

[Tsotha-lanti]

Note: I believe it's customary to make a vague and ambiguous plotline so that no matter where the PC's go the same things happen. For example, writing up an ambush and then fluffing it as sea-people, lava-people, bandits, or elves depending on where the PCs go.

This is absolutely wrong.

The whole point is to not create encounters like that. What you describe is just a quantum railroad: no matter what the PCs do, your pre-written adventure takes place anyway. That's not an open world.

The point of keeping plotlines vague is precisely to adapt them, rather than move them about.

What you do is create a setting - geography, history, cities - and populate it with NPCs. You obviously choose a smaller area to focus on at first, to reduce the amount of stuff you need to create. You give your NPCs motivations and goals, and come up with their plots and intrigues.

Then you unleash the PCs and let them change everything with their interactions.

Here's your basic agenda: Prepare by making your players come up with motivations and goals for their characters. (Depending on how much they get into this, a game can be driven entirely by the PCs.) Open the game with a hook to involve them in existing plots. Ask the PCs what they plan to do next at the end of every session, then prepare necessary maps and stats for next time.

[bosssmiley]

1. Google West Marches Sandbox.
2. Follow the links presented and drink deeply of ancient wisdom.
3. Abandon illusion of control and embrace the chaos.
4. Achieve D&D Zen.

[RagnaroksChosen]

I'm a huge fan of running open ended games.
At first my players where not sure what to do but a little nudge and they get going...


Best thing I like to do is in the setting i feel comfortable in(yours being this massive land) is just think about what daily life is... and what factions are doing what. Remember the world is working around the players some times there at the right place at the right time some times there not.

I don't tend to write up any thing before hand... ill think of cool scenes but nothing crazy. And just see what the players do and roll with it. It's realy a great example of Cause and effect. they do some thing then i think how it effects every thing else.. ususaly causes for some great games.

[Yahzi]

In my open-ended games, the players are generally concerned with survival. The world is full of dangerous things trying to eat all of humanity.

[Kyouhen]

1. Google West Marches Sandbox.
2. Follow the links presented and drink deeply of ancient wisdom.
3. Abandon illusion of control and embrace the chaos.
4. Achieve D&D Zen.

I fully support using the West Marches style. I'm in a game of that right now. Apparently the PC death count is currently at about 20 over the last 9 months. We've had quite a few TPK's too. Make sure your players are aware of the fact that this game is going to throw CR out the window before they start or they might get too attached to their little level 1's that decide to raid a dragon's lair.

[Behold_the_Void]

I fully support using the West Marches style. I'm in a game of that right now. Apparently the PC death count is currently at about 20 over the last 9 months. We've had quite a few TPK's too. Make sure your players are aware of the fact that this game is going to throw CR out the window before they start or they might get too attached to their little level 1's that decide to raid a dragon's lair.

I'm really not trying to kill my players, as a matter of fact the system is specifically designed to avoid this with PCs generally being hard to kill without really trying and a system that allows them to, with the appropriate determined roleplay, can theoretically take on enemies several levels higher than them. I AM telling them that the world will not be built around level-appropriate challenges, but I can generally trust them not to act stupid. It's more the feel of the open world I want to convey as opposed to the feel of just about everything being able to murder them for the first few levels.