Adventure Design, My massive treatise on adventure design. Options

[Psikerlord]

I prefer an island type game but with a healthy dose of pointers. The PCs can then take the pointers or forge their own route. And can I just add, Method, if you ever get this PbP game of yours running - I bags in!! Loves me some PbP (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) . I think one of the tricks is to "audition" your players, and not just take the first five who indicate they want to play. That way you tend to get keener, more regular posters.

[The Jake]

Traul: I see what you're shooting for, but the Jake's goal was to get them there *without* any railroading. If they don't fail organically he doesn't want to *make* them fail.

Correct.

Either I railroad, demeaning the value of their actions - or a let the chips fall as they may and risk further disappointing one of my PCs.

I realise that there's arguments for both sides, but surely some degree of railroading is often necessary to further the plot? Isn't it a necessary evil?

- J.

[Dumori]

What's railroading in your mind? As if it's any limiter on PC choices then some times it's needed.

[Ryu]

I´m a floating island kind of GM. Lack of proactiveness can be fixed by putting down a set of rails on short notice. Having one linear solution thought out does IMO not hurt, as consistency is indeed a problem, and occasionally the question "What have I done now. Again.?" suggests itself. I believe the "sandbox" feel is a question of how much you know about the SR world. Plenty of prepared islands to use.

We prefer that the GM moves things forward if need be, and leaves the players alone if they seem to manage.


@The Jake: You can give out singular, smallish contracts to your heavy weapons-guy. Things like "protect me while I deal with this gang boss in her HQ". Those can go bad, the decision to flee or fight to protect his customer is his. "Kill with tons of flying lead" can also be specified if a run for the full team is to serve as a message. Every game gets better if you can shoot Alamos20k-thugs...

[Method]

Jake: that would be my approach as well. Offer them a job where the Johnson says in no uncertain terms that direct violent action is an acceptable option. Set the adventure somewhere where violent comfrontation wont draw all that much attention, like the barrens or whatever. Then let that player sell his approach to the rest of the group. You might point out to the group ooc that this would be a good chance for this particular character to shine. But ultimately if he holds back and let's the other players dictate a stealthy or social approach to the problem then it's his own fault not yours.

[Draco18s]

What's railroading in your mind? As if it's any limiter on PC choices then some times it's needed.

Railroading is the GM declaring that, yes, we (the party) will be killing the emporer and if we try to leave the island we'll be attacked by a 30 hit die kraken, then my showing up to the one-shot prolog D&D session**, raising my hand and asking, "Who thinks we can take a 30 hit die kraken?" And then having to fight--as a party of good characters*--a 400 year old gold dragon who is the emperor (hence why the empire is so fucked up).

*Mine was a dragon disciple, that odd class from some expansion book that effectively turned into a half-dragon after about 15 levels. Dedicated to a gold dragon. I made some impressive speech about the emperor having violated his alignment of Lawful Good by willingly fulfilling his own prophesy ("When he dies the empire would fall." Because he'd reigned for 400 years upsetting the balance between the two halves of the empire (emperorship passed between the two subraces of human (dayfolk and nightfolk) and because the switch hadn't happened in 300 years more than it should have the empire fractured)).

**The normal game took place some 2000 years later.

[The Jake]

Jake: that would be my approach as well. Offer them a job where the Johnson says in no uncertain terms that direct violent action is an acceptable option. Set the adventure somewhere where violent comfrontation wont draw all that much attention, like the barrens or whatever. Then let that player sell his approach to the rest of the group. You might point out to the group ooc that this would be a good chance for this particular character to shine. But ultimately if he holds back and let's the other players dictate a stealthy or social approach to the problem then it's his own fault not yours.

Well that's what I've done. The problem is I gave them too much prep time and the game goes much quicker and seems a lot more fun when they have to think on their feet.

The scenario was to take out a team of Azzie Jaguar guards investigating smuggling in New Orleans. Basically it's part of a frame job to make it seem as a retaliatory attack by the Mafia for the loss of their main smuggling plant. The PCs decided to lure the Azzies to a second mafia smuggling plant and make it seem like both parties took each other out. Scenario is set in a large factory on the edge of Lake Ponchartrain.

The players are researching all sorts of exotic ways of killing them all, such as SOTA airborne nano-weaponry through some of their REAL shady connections. What I need to do is move up the timetable and rush them.

- J.

[The Jake]

Double post.

- J.

[Ryu]

Hmm. You have multiple curveballs, that might or might not qualify as railroading...

• other factions: the smuggling op is attacked/investigated by someone else, 24h before the planned strike.
• different plans: the Jaguars could investigate the facility without the PCs noticing, and consequentially not show up. Or a single Jaguar shows up as fake smuggler, the rest of the team took the same logical overwatch position your team found. *silenced shooting, close combat attack* "Hello! Who would you be?"
• corporate interests: depending on the source of the nano-weapons, a team from the manufacturer might want to have a word.

You could also move one step ahead. Let them destroy the mafia facility, let them take out as many jaguars as they can. Neither Aztech nor the mafia will appreciate that.

• street legwork: the mafia could track them from the streets and attack their safehouse
• corporate legwork: Aztech could track the nano-weapons, and start interrogating one of their contacts, suggesting a run to tie up the loose end on short notice.
• loose lips, sink ships: a contact of a contact could blackmail the team. Either they break stuff for no money, or they take that contact out and the Azzies get a heads-up. (Safehouse attack at some later point.)

(@Method: Say if we are to take it elsewhere please. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) )

[Method]

Ryu: No worries. It's within the scope of the post. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Cthulhudreams]

I agree with Ryu - a curveball is only railroading if there is only one possible outcome. If the curveball is someone else tries to jack the shipment you are trying to jack, you have loads of options - get their first, fight them off at the site, wait for them to steal it then steal it off them, etc.

I'd also forshadow that someone else might try something, have rumors on the matrix etc if they look.

[Dumori]

Even railroading isn't 'bad' as some times there is only one out come. If played once in a blue moon and well your plays will never see it as negative.

[The Jake]

Hmm. You have multiple curveballs, that might or might not qualify as railroading...

• other factions: the smuggling op is attacked/investigated by someone else, 24h before the planned strike.
• different plans: the Jaguars could investigate the facility without the PCs noticing, and consequentially not show up. Or a single Jaguar shows up as fake smuggler, the rest of the team took the same logical overwatch position your team found. *silenced shooting, close combat attack* "Hello! Who would you be?"
• corporate interests: depending on the source of the nano-weapons, a team from the manufacturer might want to have a word.

You could also move one step ahead. Let them destroy the mafia facility, let them take out as many jaguars as they can. Neither Aztech nor the mafia will appreciate that.

• street legwork: the mafia could track them from the streets and attack their safehouse
• corporate legwork: Aztech could track the nano-weapons, and start interrogating one of their contacts, suggesting a run to tie up the loose end on short notice.
• loose lips, sink ships: a contact of a contact could blackmail the team. Either they break stuff for no money, or they take that contact out and the Azzies get a heads-up. (Safehouse attack at some later point.)

(@Method: Say if we are to take it elsewhere please. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) )

I like curveballs. Not really railroading in my eyes but you've given me plenty of suggestions to consider...

Cheers - thanks for that,

- J.

[Method]

Even railroading isn't 'bad' as some times there is only one out come. If played once in a blue moon and well your plays will never see it as negative.

Hmmm... I think it depends. My players generally balk at the slightest hint of railroading. I think you need to assess this on a group-by-group basis.