The latest +1 Forward is out!
This episode, Rach Shelkey leads the discussion on Proactive vs. Reactive MCing.
We look at the challenge of running a PbtA game, using several examples from ones we’ve played and enjoyed.
http://www.gauntlet-rpg.com/1-forward/proactive-vs-reactive-mcing
http://www.gauntlet-rpg.com/1-forward/proactive-vs-reactive-mcing
Wow, this was a really great episode with awesome advice!
Wow, this was a really great episode with awesome advice!
As someone that picked this mode of running games from doing larps and importing it into tabletop, I’m finding this very interesting, even outside of PbtA.
As someone that picked this mode of running games from doing larps and importing it into tabletop, I’m finding this very interesting, even outside of PbtA.
Also, one big problem I’ve had with being a reactive GM is a table full of reactive players. Do you have any suggestions on how to deal with that?
Also, one big problem I’ve had with being a reactive GM is a table full of reactive players. Do you have any suggestions on how to deal with that?
Joshua Hillerup GM something else? Not trying to sound snarky, but honestly a table full of players who want to react to the GM aren’t suited for the PBtA games I’ve played and GMed.
Joshua Hillerup GM something else? Not trying to sound snarky, but honestly a table full of players who want to react to the GM aren’t suited for the PBtA games I’ve played and GMed.
OK, but that’s what I’ve found to generally be the case with most players, regardless of system, including one that’s published a PbtA game that’s been well received (not trying to shame anyone so I won’t get into more detail about them).
OK, but that’s what I’ve found to generally be the case with most players, regardless of system, including one that’s published a PbtA game that’s been well received (not trying to shame anyone so I won’t get into more detail about them).
And I get it’s probably on me, but when they’re all like “yup, it’s all good, we’re having fun” it’s hard to get feedback.
And I get it’s probably on me, but when they’re all like “yup, it’s all good, we’re having fun” it’s hard to get feedback.
Can’t wait to cram this in my ear holes….
Can’t wait to cram this in my ear holes….
Joshua Hillerup I’ll ponder on this. It might be a future topic for a Gauntlet podcast.
Joshua Hillerup I’ll ponder on this. It might be a future topic for a Gauntlet podcast.
GMless? Start a chain reaction of reacting?
GMless? Start a chain reaction of reacting?
I am firmly in the Proactive camp, but that’s not a negative thing. As proactive you can choose social or world lore moment. For example an guild member invites them to a meeting to discuss a topic, during this topic the character(s) can get some world lore or hints about the bad guys plot (off screen clock/front movement). So this way you are fleshing out the world and the campaign, and managing pacing, because you don’t want escalation every pause.
Many players who start in D&D etc are more reactive, so you have to teach them to be more active, often by giving several examples of things they can do, until they get train up with improv/pbta game flow.
Re game notes, I record every session and review what was done and said later. This way I can recognise who needs help where-including myself, but also if someone said something I did not respond to in the game, I can respond to it asap the following session.
I am firmly in the Proactive camp, but that’s not a negative thing. As proactive you can choose social or world lore moment. For example an guild member invites them to a meeting to discuss a topic, during this topic the character(s) can get some world lore or hints about the bad guys plot (off screen clock/front movement). So this way you are fleshing out the world and the campaign, and managing pacing, because you don’t want escalation every pause.
Many players who start in D&D etc are more reactive, so you have to teach them to be more active, often by giving several examples of things they can do, until they get train up with improv/pbta game flow.
Re game notes, I record every session and review what was done and said later. This way I can recognise who needs help where-including myself, but also if someone said something I did not respond to in the game, I can respond to it asap the following session.
When I’m listening in my car I have to turn up the volume but often when Rach is speaking the volume spikes painfully. Would it be possible to put a ceiling on the audio volume in post production?
When I’m listening in my car I have to turn up the volume but often when Rach is speaking the volume spikes painfully. Would it be possible to put a ceiling on the audio volume in post production?
Alan Barclay Thanks for the feedback, I’ll see what I can do.
Alan Barclay Thanks for the feedback, I’ll see what I can do.
Rach Shelkey dropping so much knowledge in this episode! Good stuff!
Rach Shelkey dropping so much knowledge in this episode! Good stuff!
Rach’s study notes FTW!
Rach’s study notes FTW!
Maybe I misunderstood, but general vibe I get from this episode is that GMing PbtA is Reactive, because Proactive is railroad and GM pushing lore on players.
I tried to be reactive in beginner reactive group and it was fail and disappointment. I find being reactive is good in games like Urban Shadows which has a lot of moves where players push game forward using moves like start of session move and hit the streets (I mean that from all the PbtA games I read that two push the story forward the most compared to others in my opinion).
But then I often find myself trapped between having a threat with a clock and finding it very hard to fit the clock clicking forward into a player failed move, situation wrong or players are not in correct place. So in the end my threats stand still while I make a lot of moves using other NPCs and situation itself. (maybe I have my threats too narrow or wrongly defined)
For my upcoming AW game my plan is to be super proactive and make threat clocks tick forward and letting players react to those ticks. All threats come from first session of game, so they ware co-created with players, I take it they are interested in seeing them or interacting with them.
It’s my experiment to see how proactive threats can drive the story, after every session I will collect feedback, so we will see how it will go.
Question prompts ware really good.
I’ll also put more attention to asking ‘why’, I noticed my players very often scrutinize my NPCs with question ‘why’.
Maybe I misunderstood, but general vibe I get from this episode is that GMing PbtA is Reactive, because Proactive is railroad and GM pushing lore on players.
I tried to be reactive in beginner reactive group and it was fail and disappointment. I find being reactive is good in games like Urban Shadows which has a lot of moves where players push game forward using moves like start of session move and hit the streets (I mean that from all the PbtA games I read that two push the story forward the most compared to others in my opinion).
But then I often find myself trapped between having a threat with a clock and finding it very hard to fit the clock clicking forward into a player failed move, situation wrong or players are not in correct place. So in the end my threats stand still while I make a lot of moves using other NPCs and situation itself. (maybe I have my threats too narrow or wrongly defined)
For my upcoming AW game my plan is to be super proactive and make threat clocks tick forward and letting players react to those ticks. All threats come from first session of game, so they ware co-created with players, I take it they are interested in seeing them or interacting with them.
It’s my experiment to see how proactive threats can drive the story, after every session I will collect feedback, so we will see how it will go.
Question prompts ware really good.
I’ll also put more attention to asking ‘why’, I noticed my players very often scrutinize my NPCs with question ‘why’.