Re: Newbie Intro

From: Kevin P. McDonald <paul_mcdonald_at_...>
Date: Fri, 24 May 2002 12:23:22 -0400

The only advice I could add to the fine suggestions made so far is this: Start small, and let your players drive the expansion of focus. I ran several games where my players became irritated with the level of Gloranthan detail I threw at them. Then I got smart.

Now my games begin with a narrow focus that is easy for them to digest - then I throw mysteries at them. When this happens, *they* start asking questions, which works much, much, better. <evil grin> When they ask, I make them dig for the answers. Finally... "Always leave them wanting more..." :)

This was (and still is) not an easy lesson for me to learn. I have a nasty tendency to use role-playing to create stories that I want to tell rather than ones that the players want to participate in. Robin Laws, the designer of the HeroWars/HeroQuest system, wrote recently in Robin's Laws of Good Game Mastering that the needs of the players (including yourself) should be the driving force in any RPG campaign. It is a simple idea that is all too hard to follow, if you are an egotist like me. Perhaps someone should write Zen and the Art of Role-playing?

Good luck with your game!

~Kevin