Re: Ho Much Rule fiddling Is Tolerable?

From: Brian Curley <bkcurley_at__Jja9LA0TqkwcMXYEgAzkGE2IeOKHgS9881PxBTVenaZxCJp4AARu2q-hYWq0GTr_7m>
Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2007 23:23:56 -0500


Roderick and Ellen Robertson wrote:
> The problem occurs when there's really only one "action" that will
> ultimately occur - one shot from a bow & arrow (rifle, proton torpedo...),
> one casting of a spell, one hero fighting a duel, etc.. It is difficult for
> a group to do these things due to the nature of the action. Part of the
> answer can be "try not to make a single action the climax of the scene", but
> sometimes the circumstances - or the players - rather force you into it.

I agree. But I think that exciting games depend on the narrator to come up with things for everyone to do that contribute to the climax. If it's

   a single arrow shot, then the narrator has got to come up with complications that require the other PCs to do things that ensure the bowman *gets* to take that shot.

> Of course, this is not unique to HQ - all games suffer from this. Where a
> novel or a movie can easily make one protagonist the focus of a scene,
> RPGing usually has a bunch of players that want "screen time". And for a
> climactic scene, this is doubly so. Everyone wants to be in on the kill,
> because "it's such a cool moment" - or just to get the XP and loot the body
> ;-).

A real manifestation of this, for me at least, was in the old BRP-based games (RuneQuest, CoC, etc). When making a roll meant you got to check a skill box and possibly increase at the end of the session. So when the GM called for a "Spot Hidden", everyone rolled even though only one or two PCs might have been in position to 'spot' the 'hidden.'

But again, I agree... the most important task for the GM (narrator, whatever) in any game is to make sure everyone has something to do and everyone gets a chance to shine. And I really don't see as HQ has any more problems with this than any other game - in fact, IMO HQ is far more conducive to making sure everyone gets in on the action.

> Compare and contrast the two Death Star endings in the Star Wars trilogy -
> In "New Hope", we have Luke carrying the whole scene - Han is (presumably)
> flying away to pay off Jabba, Leia is back at the command center, and Obiwan
> is a dis-embodied voice. They all augment Luke on the final "womp rats"
> shot, but really aren't doing "active stuff" (Yes, Han shoots the one TIE
> Fighter and clears forces Vader off Han's back, but that can easily be
> handled as an augment, rather than active, just as Darth and the Tie
> Fighters can be penalties on Luke Getting the shot - a narrator could play
> it either way, one of the strengths of the HQ system). Then look at the
> climax of "Return of the Jedi" - Luke fighting Vader and the Emperor,
> intercut with Han and Leia trying to destroy the shield generator, intercut
> with Lando and the Rebel spaceships fighting the Imperial fleet. (Lando gets
> the coup de grace on the the Death Star, but by then the main action is
> actually over - the Shield Generator is down and the Emperor is dead;
> killing hundreds of thousands of Imperial soldiers is simply gross over
> application of deadly force, and would have earned Lando a War Crimes trial
> if the rebels hadn't won the war...). You might say that Lucas became a
> better GM between the two episodes (that still doesn't excuse Jar-Jar,
> though).

Exactly my point. In "A New Hope," Luke, R2D2, Han and Chewie are really the only ones in on the climax. Everyone else is just watching. And I'm even willing to cut Han a break and say he's taking a more active role than Rory gives him credit for. I think Lucas needed to have Leia, C3PO and the ghost of Obi-Wan doing something interesting, or their players are going to wind up feeling left out.

But in Return of the Jedi, everyone was doing something! Very good GMing, Mr. Lucas!

I'm not saying it's possible every time. Sometimes players are going to get to the climax and just watch, even when given the chance to do something important and exciting. But, again, I don't see as how that's possibly a game system thing... it's a game *play* thing and no system is immune to it.

BKC            

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