Re: Need ideas for The End of The World

From: Sam Elliot <sam.elliot1_at_...>
Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2007 14:08:43 -0000


Frank, I haven´t been following this too closely although it looks like fun. From that perspective, if I were presented this information as a player, it would (or it does) look like there are several pieces of a jigsaw which I have to fit together, rather than a number of discrete options. It would seem fairly obvious that you need to go to Zoria, show the guy´s soul the mirror (or something similar) and if that doesn´t destroy him, get the soul and the mirror to where he is. In the meantime, you are almost telling them to hold the army off LoTR style and suck them into hell if necessary.

That is to say, it comes over (to me) more of a railroad than what you are looking for - it looks like there is a right solution. I suspect that may be a matter of writing short paragraphs than how you will do it in play, but I thought I should say how it looks from here.

Also, I as a player would want to take several of those elements and stick them together (as above) - I think there are neat ideas and it would be a shame to limit them to only one of them. With those possibilities, they´ll likely come up with something fun.

My suggestion then, would be to be quite explicit in saying that there is no right answer, they do not need to pixel-bitch (I love that phrase!). That information up-front should make them feel they have a licence to have fun with this. As it is a one-off, I´d suggest you scribble these scraps of paper down and hand them out as stuff their characters know. That might seem a little artificial but I reckon here would work a treat. Just like those lovely Paranoia write-ups you get.

Looking again at what you wrote - you did say they must choose one option. I think that´s the wrong way to go entirely, if you´ll forgive me. Offer a chocolate assortment an say they can have only one - no, let them pig out. They may feel sick afterwards but they´ll have enjoyed it. Those ideas can blend just fine. Restricting them to one is like that offering of the silver, the gold, the bronze, the wood door. I hate that - you have lost something right at the start - you´ll be thinking "what if" all along.

That make sense?

Sam.

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