Here’s a link to Episode 68 of The Gauntlet Podcast. This week, Richard Rogers is joined by Andrea G and Lowell Francis.
Tagging authors whose games were discussed (please feel free to re-share): Stephanie Bryant Brendan Conway Brie Sheldon John Wick
Ooo I like a lot of these games. I backed Threadbare right away. Stitchpunk got me right away. Walk with me sounds really, really cool!
I tapered off New Girl when she was dating a school teacher or something…? Was getting tired, and like Rich–I just could not get into Doctor Who at all. I watched from the first episode until a couple episodes into the new doctor and I really just didn’t like it at all. It was so campy and no production values and stuff. I’m sure it gets better but when people say that you need to get through a few seasons of a tv show until it gets better, why would I ever do that then lol oh you just need to waste a whole bunch of time until you enjoy it, never got that. I give a show a fair shot and then I have to abandon it with so much good stuff out there. I read a lot, these days write a lot and there’s lots of programs I’m behind on that I can’t afford to any wasted time!
Ooo I like a lot of these games. I backed Threadbare right away. Stitchpunk got me right away. Walk with me sounds really, really cool!
I tapered off New Girl when she was dating a school teacher or something…? Was getting tired, and like Rich–I just could not get into Doctor Who at all. I watched from the first episode until a couple episodes into the new doctor and I really just didn’t like it at all. It was so campy and no production values and stuff. I’m sure it gets better but when people say that you need to get through a few seasons of a tv show until it gets better, why would I ever do that then lol oh you just need to waste a whole bunch of time until you enjoy it, never got that. I give a show a fair shot and then I have to abandon it with so much good stuff out there. I read a lot, these days write a lot and there’s lots of programs I’m behind on that I can’t afford to any wasted time!
The only Dr Who video you need to watch: https://youtu.be/bdTELokKfCk
UK #1 in June 1988.
The only Dr Who video you need to watch: https://youtu.be/bdTELokKfCk
UK #1 in June 1988.
Great episode! With regard to whether and how much to plan sessions beforehand, I think there are several factors at play, mostly revolving around the game being played, and the people you have at your table.
In some games, it is explicitly against the rules for the GM to plan beforehand (InSpectres comes to mind), whereas others, particularly mission-based games, demand you engage in a highly-specific prep procedure. Most games fall somewhere in the middle, and I imagine those are the games you guys are talking about on the show.
I think the reason you should plan some things beforehand is not so you can define what is going to happen from Point A to Point Z, but rather so you engage in some critical thinking about your setting. Even if all you do is list out some NPCs and their motivations, like Lowell Francis suggested, you’ve lived in your setting a bit, and can respond more nimbly to things when the players take the story in a direction you had not anticipated. In that sense, the mere act of planning is more important than the eventual work product. For each session I run, I make around a page of notes, but when the actual session is underway, I almost never refer to them.
But, again, it also depends to some degree on the nature of the game being played. If I’m doing a straight-up room-by-room dungeon crawl, like my Death Frost Doom thing currently underway, my prep is a bit more detailed and my notes a little more at-hand.
The composition of your group is also a really important factor here. I suspect part of the reason Richard Rogers was able to run Masks without much prep is because he has a group of players with whom he is very familiar, and whom he trusts to take over large parts of the narrative. I don’t have a group like that, but I do have players who appear in my games frequently, and I know I can rely on them for certain aspects of the world-building. But even if you have a dependable, capable group, there is a lot to be gained by thinking about the themes and motifs of your story, and coming-up with questions you can pose to the players that help guide that world-building, if even in just a subtle way. It helps create narrative consistency, which is even more important when you have lifted the frame to let the players take the story where they will.
Everything I have said here is the main reason I think AW-style prep is so superior to other methods. It’s a highly efficient way of getting to these results. Making some doom clocks, thinking about your Front’s cast, and writing some good stakes questions has the benefit of being both a critical thinking exercise to allow for that nimble GM’ing, while also giving you a handy set of notes you can lean on if need be.
Great episode! With regard to whether and how much to plan sessions beforehand, I think there are several factors at play, mostly revolving around the game being played, and the people you have at your table.
In some games, it is explicitly against the rules for the GM to plan beforehand (InSpectres comes to mind), whereas others, particularly mission-based games, demand you engage in a highly-specific prep procedure. Most games fall somewhere in the middle, and I imagine those are the games you guys are talking about on the show.
I think the reason you should plan some things beforehand is not so you can define what is going to happen from Point A to Point Z, but rather so you engage in some critical thinking about your setting. Even if all you do is list out some NPCs and their motivations, like Lowell Francis suggested, you’ve lived in your setting a bit, and can respond more nimbly to things when the players take the story in a direction you had not anticipated. In that sense, the mere act of planning is more important than the eventual work product. For each session I run, I make around a page of notes, but when the actual session is underway, I almost never refer to them.
But, again, it also depends to some degree on the nature of the game being played. If I’m doing a straight-up room-by-room dungeon crawl, like my Death Frost Doom thing currently underway, my prep is a bit more detailed and my notes a little more at-hand.
The composition of your group is also a really important factor here. I suspect part of the reason Richard Rogers was able to run Masks without much prep is because he has a group of players with whom he is very familiar, and whom he trusts to take over large parts of the narrative. I don’t have a group like that, but I do have players who appear in my games frequently, and I know I can rely on them for certain aspects of the world-building. But even if you have a dependable, capable group, there is a lot to be gained by thinking about the themes and motifs of your story, and coming-up with questions you can pose to the players that help guide that world-building, if even in just a subtle way. It helps create narrative consistency, which is even more important when you have lifted the frame to let the players take the story where they will.
Everything I have said here is the main reason I think AW-style prep is so superior to other methods. It’s a highly efficient way of getting to these results. Making some doom clocks, thinking about your Front’s cast, and writing some good stakes questions has the benefit of being both a critical thinking exercise to allow for that nimble GM’ing, while also giving you a handy set of notes you can lean on if need be.
Great episode!
I’m pretty much with Jason Cordova on game prep. Also, unless the rules specify how to prep, I prep everything like Dungeon World. I even prepped my old D&D game like Dungeon World, which actually makes the game quite a bit better.
Richard Rogers, I binged on New Girl two Winters ago but I haven’t watched it since then. Hearing that it’s still good, I’ll have to catch up.
Great episode!
I’m pretty much with Jason Cordova on game prep. Also, unless the rules specify how to prep, I prep everything like Dungeon World. I even prepped my old D&D game like Dungeon World, which actually makes the game quite a bit better.
Richard Rogers, I binged on New Girl two Winters ago but I haven’t watched it since then. Hearing that it’s still good, I’ll have to catch up.
#1 – I promised a link to Matt Morton’s awesome Masks roll20 stuff. Here’s his video!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGWpY2tPQ28
#2 – My good buddy Paul Edson reminded me that the whole reason I got into New Girl was for a play-by-post where my PC’s roomie was into it, and it was character research.
New Girl continues to deepen it’s strengths. If it doesn’t strike you early, it’s prolly not your bag. I liked it from the start and have only grown to love it more.
#1 – I promised a link to Matt Morton’s awesome Masks roll20 stuff. Here’s his video!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGWpY2tPQ28
#2 – My good buddy Paul Edson reminded me that the whole reason I got into New Girl was for a play-by-post where my PC’s roomie was into it, and it was character research.
New Girl continues to deepen it’s strengths. If it doesn’t strike you early, it’s prolly not your bag. I liked it from the start and have only grown to love it more.
As for why I ran that session of Masks with little to no prep, a few reasons:
1. The stuff I did prep they ran away from (again, that’s totally cool with me, the act of prep helps me get in daydream mode and that helps with some of the “motif” stuff that Jason mentioned above)
2. For a game like Masks, my prep is in years and years of reading comics. I know their vibe, I can spit out comics plots (aka regurgitate) all day long.
3. Most of my “prep” is playing lots of games for decades and trusting my instincts and my players.
As for why I ran that session of Masks with little to no prep, a few reasons:
1. The stuff I did prep they ran away from (again, that’s totally cool with me, the act of prep helps me get in daydream mode and that helps with some of the “motif” stuff that Jason mentioned above)
2. For a game like Masks, my prep is in years and years of reading comics. I know their vibe, I can spit out comics plots (aka regurgitate) all day long.
3. Most of my “prep” is playing lots of games for decades and trusting my instincts and my players.
Finally got to listen to the episode. Richard Rogers credit would have to go to John Wick for the body parts names. While I haven’t played Cat, I do own The Big Book of Little Games and appear to have been influenced. Going to have to reread it now and see if I can find the magical reason my cat walks on me around 3AM every night.
Finally got to listen to the episode. Richard Rogers credit would have to go to John Wick for the body parts names. While I haven’t played Cat, I do own The Big Book of Little Games and appear to have been influenced. Going to have to reread it now and see if I can find the magical reason my cat walks on me around 3AM every night.
heheh, I think there was that one bit in common, but 1%er is definitely it’s own (Awesome) game!
heheh, I think there was that one bit in common, but 1%er is definitely it’s own (Awesome) game!