I think I'm about to add a fourth and even a fifth, unless they're a variant on A or C.
> (b) The very specific, finite game: maybe a
> one-night wonder, maybe
> a short scenario played out over a few sessions. I'd
> particularly
> associate this with game clubs or other specific
> settings.
This is what almost all my F2F HQ has been - one-off games at cons. And, of course, HPs for development are irrelevant.
> (a) What you describe as "the RPG standard for
> fantasy that they go on indefinitely."
> (c) Something in between, without necessarily a
> specific end-point,
> but also with the assumption that it will either
> reach a nice halt-
> point, or else pressures of work and other
> imponderables get in the way.
Recently I've had the chance to play in Ash's game. He may of course correct me, but the club approach as I understand it is to have 6-8 week "blocks" of campaigns, such as the one I'm playing in at present. We do about three "scenarios" in that time, and the characters develop as we go. In a while, there may be another such block - and it'll be the same clan, but a year later. The same characters may be involved (plus a bit of development), or it may be different ones. I'm starting with the second "block", but had done one of the scenarios from the first "block" at a con (The Bad Apple).
Then there's what I'd regard as the PBeM "standard". It goes on forever, but is subject to GM burn-out. Every now and then, we change GMs, and probably emphasis. Maybe also locations, and systems. Sometimes no new GM is willing to take over, and then it folds, probably making it your case C?
As a result, I have a PC who's been running for 2 in-game years and about, erm.... over 7 years, anyway, real-time. She's been through three such campaign-shifts. This is still RQ (for now), but the role-playing concept rather than anything system-specific is I think what you're after here?
Jane Williams
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