Gaining Courage

From: Trevor Ellis <trevor.ellis_at_...>
Date: Fri, 30 Sep 2005 12:47:03 -0000


Firstly thanks for all the feedback to my question on converting players from RQ to HQ.

It was about converting Me and the Players (not the Characters). I had already decided that it was best to start with both new characters and a new locale, i.e. we'd move from Pavis (that we all know well) to Dragon Pass (where none of us has played before).  

I think that there are basically two levels of change required.

The first is the level of the story at which their PC's participate and therefore at which the Players must contribute.

Generally this will have less emphasise on immediate goals and gratification, and more on the longer-term objectives of the group, stead, clan etc. Needing a little more Hero and little less Adventurer; a little more Story Co-writer and a little less Story Victim (no I'm not really that mean a GM perhaps `Story Passenger' would be better).

I hope to coerce their thinking along these lines. I've always tried to complicate (they might say screw up) their plans with local `politics' and the broader impact of their actions.

The second level of change is the split of the mechanics between Role playing and Rule playing.

In RQ there are longish periods of straight Role playing (e.g. discussion/interaction with the world – ME). These are broken by substantial periods where there are short bursts of Roll and Rule playing (e.g. during a fight the GM should always try to describe the event not the mechanics). Thus a Player can stay more or less character for the session.

In HQ I anticipate there would be even longer periods of straight Role playing. I fear however that there is a danger that these will be punctuated by a solid stretch of Rule playing, then a few die roles before continuing the game.

The magic of the story could be broken whilst a protracted discussion takes place regarding what combination of skills, feats etc would be allowed by the GM, would be the best ones to use, and would be ones that the Character might consider most appropriate.

Perhaps, only during the early months, I will keep a close eye on their character sheets and prepare `hints' for each anticipated Role playing stage, to help keep the game moving.

I do not see myself moving completely to one system or the other, but rather having a number of different campaigns that we switch between as each completes an appropriate climax. I see RQ as the best system for `micro' play, and am willing to try HQ for `macro' play - I want to play in both.

Again, thanks for your help.

Trevor Ellis

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