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Podcasts: Narrative Control - Episode 28 - Hippies vs. Engineers

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  1. Administrator
     

    Justin and I heard an episode of HGWT:FAFGM (#34) about structuring stories in RPGs and thought “Huh”.  Here’s the 25 minutes that followed our monosyllabic revelation.

    Hosts: Sean Nittner and Justin Evans

    Length: 25:35

    [00:28] Introduction to the show.  Talking about story structure. Hippies vs. Engineers.
    [00:57] Survey: http://www.spookyouthouse.com/survey
    [01:19] Have Games Will Travel: For a Few Games More: #34.  Story structures.
    [01:56] Dirty Hippies and Stinking Engineers
    [02:11] Story Structure: A pattern that we fall into or actively follow when telling stories.
    [02:47] Hippies: The original gamers playing moment to moment and allowing story to follow from their actions.   Allowing for more surprises, creativity, and immersion.
    [05:07] Engineers:  A gamer who wants to structure their game and drive towards specific goals in each game.
    [07:02] Games with known ends: Grey Ranks, Roanake, Polaris.  These games are one step closer to being engineered.
    [07:36] Montsegur 1244 is very structured.  A story told in four acts.
    [09:50] Distinction between Hippie Indie Gamers and Story structures Hippies
    [10:29] Dungeons and Dragons:  A total hippie game.
    [12:07] Patterns that we can draw on: Plays, TV shows, playing published adventures.
    [15:15] Another engineered game: Dirty Secrets.  We all know when it will end but now how it will end.
    [18:00] Zombie Cinema : Also engineered, also without a GM, also uses a board.  Hmmm… are we noticing a trend.
    [19:49] Did the mechanics restrict the game?  Yes, in a good way.
    [22:00] A negative experience engineering a game.  Some players really groove the hippie experience.

    Direct Download: NC_Episode_028.mp3

  2. Member
     
    Take your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty hippies!
    .. sorry had to be said...

    That done, I wonder if there is the blending of the two types. I tend to run very open ended games with consequences being the driving force for story advancment, but I will also have a lot of structure in the background waiting for the players to dig into. Often with "triggers" to begin the next set of events.
  3. Administrator
     
    Posted By: WeaverchildeThat done, I wonder if there is the blending of the two types.

    Yeah, I think the styles we presented are the opposites on a spectrum, my guess is that most people (besides Justin) fall somewhere in the middle of those two extremes.

    It sounds like you have story milestones that you know (or expect) to hit but leave the getting there to an organic process that grows from the player’s actions and the consequences of those actions.
  4. Member
     
    I think PTA is a good blend. You can have long seasons if you want...and you can always continue with season 2, and 3, and 4.

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