Narrative Control

Hi, and welcome back to the show! This week I'm speaking with Whitney Beltrán about her just released kickstarter for Bluebeard's Bride. Host: Sean Nittner Guests: Whitney Beltrán Length: 29:55 We discussed the origins, the goals, and the play experiences of Bluebeard's Bride. Check out these links: Bluebeard's Bride Kickstarter Bluebeard's Bride G+ Community @BluebeardsBride on Twitter @the_strix on Twitter Sean's AP Report from Origins The conversation continues...Here.

Hi, and welcome back to the show! We're talking to Kate and Hakan about how awesome language is and how they use it in their games! Host: Sean Nittner Guests: Kathryn Hymes and Hakan Seyalioglu Length: 51:05 Inspired by listening to Alex Roberts (Backstory) Games we talked about: Sign - A game about being understood Dialect - A game about language and how it dies Gushing about Dialect: Truckers on Mars - a game that's structure was built around the language we made! Not what I expected. Procedurally generated scenes that were very compelling.  Secret Sauce: mayonnaise in the sun... actually, it's "can you tell a story while building a language?" Language creation as a window into people and identity. You pick the things that are important to you and build off them. Friendship as a byproduct of games. Sean's hypothesis: Any subject that people are passionate about could be turned into a game. Discuss! Game as non-dogmatic, non-prescriptive way to share your passions. People who your game connects with are kindred. Responsibility of the Designer Making sure that you're respectful to the subject matter of your game and the communities that identify with the subject matter. Lessons learned from sharing sign with the deaf community and getting feedback. Conventions we've just been to or are going to soon: Origins (Hakan and Sean) Go Play Northwest (Kate, Hakan, and Sean) Gen Con (Kate, Hakan, and Sean) Big Bad Con (Kate, Hakan, and Sean) Panels at Gen Con Kate and Hakan are on: Improv For Roleplaying 5 Ways Of Finding Your Spark Beyond Combat Language & Games Making RPG Welcoming To New Players Designing With Empathy Gaming community Welcoming new players to the community. Nurturing a fledgling community and new players. Mouse Guard is a great game for new players.  Language in Design Fundamental to identity and relationships. Uniquely human. We absorb a ton of information through language. Ritual Phrases for the win! Hopscotch, the Larp. Kate and Hakan's next game!� The conversation continues...Here.

Hi, and welcome back to the show! Over a year later and we're back! John Harper came on the show to talk to me about how his gaming style affects his design and all the pieces of the venn diagram that make for a good times at the game table. Note: There is occasional profanity during the episode, but nothing so egregious that I would add the explicit tag. Also this is a long one, over two hours. We're making up for all the time we missed! Host: Sean Nittner Guests: John Harper Length: 2:12:35 Inspired by Alex Roberts (Backstory) and Marcelo Ferrari (The Curators) to start recording again. The NukeTrust in MeJudd Karlman - The Githyanki Diasporaanyway.The "What would John do?" direct play for John's GMing advice for my game starts at 01:33:50! Games we talked about: AgonBlades in the DarkApocalypse WorldBurning WheelFiasco Games we referenced: Blades in the Dark - Bloodletters (Actual Play | Youtube VODs) Blades in the Dark - Doskvol Spectral Society (Actual Play) Products we're plugging: Undying (Buy | Discuss | One Seven Design Hangout)  Cons we're attending: Origins (Sean) Go Play NW (Sean and John) Gen Con (Sean) Big Bad Con (Sean and John) The conversation continues...Here.

Hi, and welcome back to the show! This episode I have Rob Donoghue and Vincent Baker on to respond to episode 80 and discus their thoughts on the current state of design. Host: Sean NittnerGuests: Vincent Baker and Rob Donoghue Length: 45:14 [00:26] Introduction to the show. Welcoming Vincent and Rob. [01:46] Vincent’s reaction to episode 80.[08:00] Rob’s reaction.[09:13] Defining Design. Where I get it all wrong.[15:40] Distinction between GMing, Expansibility, and Hacking.[19:08] Seeking authority on "how to do it right."[23:32] Design intent for Fate and Apocalypse World.[24:50] Impact of Fate and Apocalypse World on the design sphere.[38:36] Adding to the influences available in design.[40:37] My roast of Luke. I am not Stephen Colbert.  The conversation continues...Here.

Hi, and welcome back to the show! This episode was recorded many moons ago (June 2014), lost, found, and released! A bunch of fantastic perspectives on sincere emotions in games.  Host: Sean Nittner Guests: Matthew Klein, Avery Alder McDaldno, and Shaun Hayworth Length: 47:52 [00:27] Intro to the show. Amazing experiences gaming with Avery McDaldno, Shawn Hayworth, and Matthew Klein. [03:26] Do you seek to get an emotional response consciously in game, or do you let it occur as a result of the action in the game? 10:40] Does this ever backfire and force an emotion that is artificial? [12:30] How does it happen? How do you know that your group is ready to play an emotional game? [20:25] Prime your emotional responses upfront. Example: Bliss Stage, Monsterhearts, Ribbon Drive. [25:47] Finding the safety valve – looking at the system and playing good faith.[28:20] Game length affecting emotional capacity. Intensity wearing you down. [33:02] When is this a detriment to game? Being mindful of triggers. Using X-cards. Taking breaks. [43:30] Check yourself. [46:16] Gamers needs changing with age. The conversation continues...Here.

Hi, and welcome back to the show! This episode sparked from a twitter conversation between Luke Crane and I about design intentions. To hack or not to hack, Conversations in Design. Luke had thoughts. An hour of thoughts. Check em out! Note: This is an explicit episode. Host: Sean Nittner Guests: Luke Crane Length: 1:08:21 [00:28] Intro to the show – Interview with Luke Crane.[01:16] Luke prepared for an interview and to say things he probably shouldn’t.[03:03] Design process. Different when you’re working on a game and when people are playing it. [03:35] Luke’s History of Hacking.[07:40] Part of the hacking culture is the belief that games don’t work as written.[08:01] Difference between expansibility (developing products for a game) hacking (changing the rules)[09:35] Design intent for Burning Wheel – Make the system shoulder the work. [14:37] “If the game can do the heavy lifting, it should.”[15:04] The anatomy of Burning Wheel – See diagram below: [16:27] Burning Wheel Refined – A very compact and tight game. “If you find a place in Burning Wheel where you’re fighting with the game…you’re playing it wrong.”[18:08] It’s very difficult to have a conversation with Burning Wheel. [21:05] Nobody has thought about Burning Wheel as much as Luke has. Three people made sudden insights that helped the system: Ralph Mazza, Kenneth Hite, and Thor Olavsrud. And those prompted the change form Classic to Revised.[26:16] Burning Wheel path to expansibility – Trait votes! [27:57] Burning Wheel is a heavy brick of game design… Apocalypse World was designed to be hackable! Fate has the same ethos. Designing for the culture![30:15] But... they have captured the audience so well that it stymies design. [31:52] People are still making D&D clones… so making a product that is hacked isn’t anything new.[32:30] Apocalypse World and Fate Core raising the bar for fledging game designers, but also creating a paper ceiling.[38:20] Vincent Baker designed all those game.[39:39] Discussion about the playability and enjoy-ability and good that has come out of Apocalypse Engine and Fate games.  Not about whether it is fun to play or not.[41:28] The state of RPG design in the aftermath of Apocalypse World and Fate in 10-15 years. Right now were playing with the new bounty we have. [42:47] Frustration of developing in the shadow of Vincent [and Fate].[44:18] The games have given Luke a new perspective on Burning Wheel and a new appreciation for it. BWHQ manifesto includes that we’ll never make a popular game and that’s okay.[46:40] Fate*World. Yep, it exists. Ryan Macklin posted it.[47:30] What is Luke looking for in the future from other designers?[49:54] The secret history of why this podcast is named Narrative Control. #notasecret[50:19] Value of expansibility content. New adventures, settings, new systems for specific uses. A plug for my own development of Stone Dragon Mountain [55:05] A gift for Vincent from Luke. Two soaring birds.[55:12] Board gamers are very good at articulating the components of their games. RPGs aren’t distilled down that quickly. [57:17] The political discussion about games is counter-productive.[58:08] RPGs are hard to talk about. They are on the cutting edge of “what is a game”? The conversation continues...Here No, actually the conversation continues on G+ here, here, here, and here. Also possibly here.

Hi, and welcome back to the show! This episode I have three awesome gamers that have played in some extremely character driven games with me. I brought them on to discuss what's needed in a game to give players the tools they need to drive a game, how do you keep player antagonism safe at a table, and what external threats are necessary to keep the action moving and prevent the game from turing into a soap opera. Host: Sean Nittner Guests: Jon Edwards, Regina Joyner, and Karen Twelves Lenth: 30:47 [00:27] Intro to the show[00:53] Welcoming my guests Jon Edwards, Regina Joyner, and Karen Twelves[03:13] What is needed in the game to give players enough direction to drive the game forward themselves?[08:20] Unstable situations with no status quo, and characters determining where the power would go.[10:54] What maintained the tension mounting between the characters? [15:04] How many external threats do you need to prevent the game from becoming a soap opera?[18:03] Handling player versus player conflicts in a satisfactory way. No hurt feelings, but no pulling punches either.[21:10] Keeping the game conformable and safe for you fellow players. Playing at the edge of your comfort level.[27:23] What you needed to keep your attention on the other player characters.[27:48] Ending with a satisfactory resolution that still leaves plot threads opens for another story.[29:59] Gratuitous self-congratulatory discussion of previous games (kept short to keep my ego from leaving the atmosphere).  The converstaion continues...Here

Hi, and welcome back to the show! This episode I have two phenomenal GMs, Leonard Balsera and Todd Furler, on to talk about the rationale for running games either with low/no or very high prep, as well as their techniques for doing so. Host: Sean Nittner Guests: Leonard Balsera and Todd Furler [00:26] Intro to the Show[01:06] Introducing my guests Todd Furler and Leonard Balsera[02:10] Todd and Lenny represent pillars of best practices for different methodologies for running games.[03:10] Why choose one method or another? Reasons for high prep. Todd’s answer.[09:33] Reasons for low/no prep games. Lenny’s answer.  [13:50] What the GMs get out of it.[16:55] How it all happens? What are the techniques each GM uses? [48:17] Dodging pitfalls. What to do if you find yourself unprepared in a low prep? How do you prevent high-prep games from railroading players. The converstaion continues...Here

Hi, welcome to the show! This week I’m reflecting on the emotional impact of a particular LARP I was in at GenCon, how to facilitate that kind of play in general, and how to port those experiences to tabletop. My guests are awesome LARPers, and other players in the game Lizzie Stark, Emily Care Boss, and Jason Morningstar. Host: Sean Nittner Guest: Lizzie Stark, Emily Care Boss, and Jason Morningstar Length: 54:10 [00:27] Intro to the show [01:30] Introduce the guests to the show [02:20] Premise of the show, a very moving game. How did it happen? [03:30] Always have a debrief at the end of a game. Time to discuss what people got out of the game. How it impacted them. [07:38] Establishing buy-in and setting expectations early on. [09:23] Transparency at the beginning of a game. [11:07] Model that your willing to use the tools your suggesting. X Card, Cutting, Breaking. [13:00] Start with a sharing circle. Talk about something that relates to the topic of the game. Get people comfortable with the subject matter. [16:18] Management techniques. Raising your hand. [17:08] Sharing an experience, doing silly things together or sharing part of yourself. [18:51] Starting with a high-trust environment. [21:03] Discussing physical boundaries. [22:39] Meta-techniques: Fist Bump, Monologues, etc. [25:51] Handling players that are not buying into the premise. How to help them engage. [32:59] Lowering the stakes through game design. [34:08] Debrief ideas for RPGs (Games on Demand). Other people doing debriefs. [36:31] As a game designer, think about entry points and exit points for your games. [37:15] Verify the players feel that their input is important and needed. [38:06] Meta techniques allow GMs to add there enter the game and check in with players. Tools for talking about the game in the game. [41:20] Players will get lost from game if they don’t feel valued. [41:39] Character non-monogamy. [44:27] Jason is running The Upgrade at Big Bad Con! [45:10] How these techniques apply to tabletop The converstaion continues...Here

Hi, welcome back to the show. This week I’m talking torches with Shaun Hayworth, Josh Curtis, and David Gallo. We discussed GMing and playing Torchbearer! Host: Sean Nittner Guest: Shaun Hayworth, Josh Curtis, and David Gallo Length: 1:35:16 [00:23] Intro to the show [01:36] Introducing the guests: Shaun Hayworth, Josh Curtis, and David Gallo [03:48] Keeping suspense in the game. Setting player expectations to expect and enjoy the grind. [09:40] The system is definitely a game. Keeping focus on fiction instead of the mechanics are driving play. [15:27] Signal to the GM that stakes aren’t high enough? Bigger rewards, more consequential actions. [17:03] Counterpoint. Putting constant pressure on the characters prevents the players from exploring other options (camp, town, pursuing belifs/goals). Deciding on how hard to push. [21:23] Reluctance to back down. Player skill to recognize when it’s time to cut losses and run? GM and Player skill. [27:38] Torchbearer teaches you how to play it, but there are some growing pains. Signpost things of significance. [29:29] How beliefs function in Torchbearer, compared to Burning Wheel. Beliefs as signals to the GM, and as aspirations for a better life. [37:22] Tracking moving parts (Conditions, Light, Turns, etc.) Gaining mastery over time. Comparing playing in person vs. online. [41:08] Role of party leader. Doling out tasks (and conditions) to the other characters and giving the GM some time off as the players discuss their options among themselves. [47:47] Resource management for the GM. Tracking light, tests, etc. [49:19] Managing real estate on the table (players deck cards, fate/persona/loot/checks tokens), dice, character sheet, etc. [52:53] Tokens for check to signal to the GM when they have/need checks. Finding locations for check and setting Ob levels accordingly. Tokens in person, Roll20 online, etc. [55:04] Pacing, when to use make test, a conflict, and when to continue pushing forward with narration. [1:03:22] Another conflict litmus test, applying a broader scope of consequences. Using conflicts when that granularity is needed. [1:04:26] Burning Wheel HQ games and Apocalypse World (and hacks) both direct you to keep having the conversation of what happens until the fiction demands you go to the dice. [1:05:49] The game atmosphere is heavily curated by the GM. The more energy you put into describing the world and talking about what happens in the fiction, the more invested the players become in the fiction. Don’t be a tired, lazy GM! [1:11:02] It takes time to learn the game. Give that time for people to learn. [1:15:06] Keeping the fiction in front during conflict (where mechanical choices are made before the fiction is described). [1:24:02] The skills I want to see players develop are based on patterns in the fiction instead of a mechanics to engage. Learning strategy in the fiction by asking over and over “What do you do?” Good idea! [1:28:59] Best twists come from following the player’s lead. Knowing that they are doing makes it easy figure out what could go wrong. [1:30:07] Miscellany – Final thoughts. 2D cash dice right here! The converstaion continues...Here

Welcome back to Narrative Control, season 3. This season we’re taking calls from listeners and offering up what advice we can about their gaming conundrums. This episode we talked to David McBride about handling a back-seat GM. Hosts: Sean Nittner, Leonard Balsera, and Eric Fattig Guest: David McBride Length: 52:05 [00:27] Intro to the show. Explicit episode in both English and French. [01:26] News: Fattig got a HOUSE![02:17] Fate Core is at print! http://www.evilhat.com/home/fate-core/[04:08] Welcome David McBride to the show. Is it David or Dave?[05:20] Regular player in a weekly group, very close friend – he back seat GMs games.[07:03] Seven players, two hour sessions, powerful (11+ refresh) characters.  Brave GM![07:42] Big fight in the game – Player suggest using another system to adjudicate it.[09:59] Does the player reflect the group consensus or is he an outlier? [11:44] What happened? How does the story end?[12:53] Starting point. Have you talked to him about this?[13:33] Sean sympathizes. I could be that player.[15:02] Worth noting that this behavior is not done out of malice. Look at his contributions. [16:47] The GM itch. The Kinsey scale. Permissive games like Dresden encourage the player contributions.[18:18] Concrete advice #1. Systematize and put constraints around how you are going to take input AND give the player something to be in charge in the game.[20:50] Co-GM as an option.[22:00] David has the dream group.[23:44] How do we take this creativity and enthusiasm and channel it positively into the game?[25:36] Familiarity may be contributing to the overwhelming flow of contributions. A history of GMing together.[28:07] Dresden Files specific solution: Give ownership of specific locations.[29:43] Where does the frustration come from?[36:05] The issue at hand is reaching a saturation point. When it’s too much.[35:57] This might be something a player needs to get out a game that they aren’t getting.[38:04] Player expressing what they want out of a game.[39:21] Get some pints![39:56] Easier to do when you’re not in the middle or running a game.[40:52] Layout the process. A guideline for future communication.[41:30] Bring it to the group. Diffuse tensions with transparency![43:20] Sean: But, but, but…[45:25] Fate Specific – Setting aspects give guidelines where what input is appropriate and what isn’t.[47:26] Recap. Practical Advice #1 – Give the player something to have authority over in the game.[47:53] Recap. Practical Advice #2 – Talk to them about what’s going on. Don’t treat it like a problem.[48:22] Recap. Practical Advice #3 – Recognize this comes from a place of love.[48:53] Recap. Practical Advice #4 – Establish a baseline – a format for presenting ideas.[49:21] Recap. Practical Advice #5 – Open the channels of communication to the group. The converstaion continues...Here

Welcome back to Narrative Control, season 3. This season we’re taking calls from listeners and offering up what advice we can about their gaming conundrums. This week we talked to Austin Smith about hierarchies in game settings. Hosts: Sean Nittner, Eric Fattig, and Lenny Balsera Guest Caller: Austin Smith Length: 52:26 Show Notes [00:26] Introduction to the show. Brining back Austin Smith from Episode 70.[01:20] Austin’s games. Built into the game setting was a hierarchy. Problems presented by power.[03:24] Using hierarchy to reinforce an aspect of the setting. Embrace what it tells you about setting.[04:43] How we deal with question of hierarchy in fiction is very different from the way we deal with it in life.[07:25] If someone is pulling rank to get what they want, lots of other things have gone wrong.[08:21] Orders vs. strong personal convictions. Good hierarchy drama![09:10] When we talk about hierarchies in a RPG, we are most often talking about them as they are portrayed in fiction.[09:50] Authority allow a GM to present different ranked characters with different challenges.[11:09] Make sure the players are using these potential conflicts to maximize drama between characters.[11:56] Firefly game – NPC captain who was ignored and wasn’t developed. Another Firefly game, agreed to run without a captain.[14:59] One way to handle an authority figure NPC. Pass the character around to the players.[16:35] Ashen Stars handles the issue by giving the captain authority only while on the ship, but authority stops there.[18:33] Werewolf does the same thing, where each pack member is in charge of their own niche.[18:51] Authority is contextual. In TNG Picard is always deferring to other people.[19:34] Difference between rank and status. Improv technique form Keith Johnstone’s Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre.[21:17] We learn interesting things about character when high ranking characters have low status.[22:57] In L5R rank was circumvented by having each character be a member of different clans.[24:13] Hierarchies were avoided in games. Why was this? Avoiding being set up to fail.[25:35] Dichotomy of wanting strict hierarchies in the setting but not wanting it to affect the game.[27:18] Choosing how much hierarchy we want to enforce in our setting.[28:28] Example of how this is handled in a setting. Worf kills Duras. Gets a stern talking to.[30:23] Authority is best used with discretion in a game. Will it make for an interesting consequence to invoke authority?[34:01] Lenny’s death haiku “Dude, you really suck.”[34:17] Difficult to find the balance between actual consequences and making look like there are consequences.[35:37] Different play styles made it difficult to get a consensus on how an authority figure should act. [36:00] Example of our Blue Gene game that we have had to stop the game in play to question an action before it happens when it would threaten our ability to justify its acceptance in the setting.[37:59] Player leader as antagonist? Discuss.[39:40] System also effects this. Does the system let you force someone to do something, or does it just allow you to put pressure on them?[41:22] Recap. Discussing the buy into to the authority. How would law enforcement work if mutants existed (ala X-men). How real is realistic?[42:44] Ask what questions are meaningful in the story. How would normal people deal with having amazing powers? How do you respond to unknowable threats around you?[44:59] Authority in the face of the unknown. Nobody has the answers. Authority in those cases just means you have a bigger gun to shoot yourself in the foot with.[46:00] To ask questions, you need to give yourself permission to talk to about these things on a player level.[47:36] Rich storytelling options to be mined. High ranking characters don’t have the opportunities to see things you can at a lower level.[48:52] Have NPCs skip levels and not play the game right to cause intrigue.[50:22] Some examples of mechanics for using authority form Apocalypse World: Leadership and Pack Alpha. The converstaion continues...Here

Welcome back to Narrative Control, season 3. This season we’re taking calls from listeners and offering up what advice we can about their gaming conundrums. This week we talked to Jamil Walker about presenting non-violent opposition for his PCs. This really touched on a cornerstone of our GMing styles. It’s a good 40 minutes. Have a listen! Hosts: Sean Nittner, Eric Fattig, and Lenny Balsera Guest Caller: Jamil Walker Length: 42.16 Show Notes [00:26] Introduction to the show. Jamil Walker from http://www.meetup.com/Indie-Gamers-Network/ comes on to talk about non-violent opposition.[01:08] Explicit warning on![01:26] Discussion about GMing styles. How does a player self-identify what kind of GM they are looking for?[02:59] Diversity in the hobby making the term role-playing game and elusive term.[05:55] Cons using symbols to designate content of games (legend). Big Bad Con will start using something like this. http://www.bigbadcon.com/[08:18] Welcome Jamil Walker to the show. Playing Apocalypse world and trying to fight the knee jerk reaction of going straight to violence.[09:43] Constant violence stalls character development long term.[10:28] Apocalypse World tools for creating interwoven threats: Fronts![11:55] We start the cult discussion.[12:15] Violence does work as an impetus to action. A threat you can’t ignore.[13:24] Branching out to find other threats they have to respond to.[14:00] Cult example, everyone leaving the hold to enter the wasting desert.[14:42] What do the player characters care about?[15:09] Real life example: Being blackmailed for breaking company policy, stakes are losing your job.[16:01] Back to the cult. Threatening to change your home. Arguing with your boon companions…risking becoming a pariah in your own community.[17:28] Trap with Apocalypse World: The setting depicts people focused only on survival but he process of play proves that image wrong.[18:11] Start with questions. Find out where the dependencies are and work with those.[20:04] Connect problems to scarcity – deny things. Have an NPC say “no”.[22:28] Stop thinking about people in terms of their fantastic characteristics, and think of how people say no to you.[24:04] Superman’s real Kryptonite – People being afraid of him.[25:18] Push the denial strongly. Let the players initiate the violence.[26:37] You can get a lot of mileage out of the repercussions of violence.[27:35] Make NPCs as fickle as needed to present opposition.[28:04] Give the players things. Allow them to win. Give them something they care about.[29:09] Enforcement of denial. How’s it work? Jamil’s notes.[30:52] Slow your roll there… use the details of the setting.[33:44] Someone lied. Lies start a chain of consequences.[35:16] It’s okay for the players to feel on top of the world. It makes defeat that mush more brutal.[37:00] Letting the players win. Legitimate victories chip away at the problem of “only caring about being alive”.[37:55] Get excited about their victories and defeats. Put your own emotions on the table.[41:18] With that knowledge… you should run a game at Big Bad Con.[41:37] Want to be on the show? Emails us narrativecontrol@gmail.com Jamil’s notes from the show: The trap of violence is that it demands action Threaten What The Value •      Their peace•      Their resources•      Their loyalty•      Their homes•      They’re resources Give them stuff. Love it to death. Then break your own heart To “Push There” Threaten something they have (object/relationship/group/resource) •      Someone wants to destroy it (to rebuilt, to consume, to make example of)•      Someone wants to change it (to serve a new purpose, to signify something malevolent)•      Someone wants it for themselves•      The thing they have disagrees with them•      The thing they have wants something harmful And threaten via: •      Greater numbers (violent or non-violent)•      Denial of resources (shelter, supplies, protection)•      A tempting offer (away from the thing being threatened)•      A direct threat or warning Someone can’t (or won’t) give them _______ because: •      someone else says they can’t•      they don’t think you deserve it•      they don’t want to do _____ anymore•      they don’t have it anymore (taken, spoiled, burned up, ran out)           •      they don’t want what your offering in exchange (anymore)•      their supplier died/moved/cut them off. The converstation continues...Here

Welcome back to Narrative Control, season 3. This season we’re talking about methos for finding a game that will suit your needs. It's kind of the anti-hack episode (Episode 69) where our goal is to find you a system that will match your epectations without having to re-invent it yourself. We doing something special this year and hosting a fundraiser for Doctors Without Borders Hosts: Sean Nittner, Eric Fattig, and Lenny Balsera Guest Caller: Soren Ludwig Length: Show Notes [00:30] We’re doing good. In the holiday spirit we’re raising money for Doctors Without Borders. (see the link above)[01:20] Sean is moving to the Bay Area! My last Davis summer.[02:15] Fattig’s exciting story. The one not involving a donkey and three pounds of cocaine.[03:29] Soren Ludwig’s question: How to pick out a tabletop RPG.[03:57]Lenny’s strategy. Throw money at friends making games.[04:44] Welcome Soren![05:17]The only advice you’ll ever need from Lenny. Look for the name “Leonard Balsera” on the spine of the book.[07:07] And now we get back to the point, picking out a game (instead of hacking one)[09:09] Don’t focus on premise when looking for a game. What we dig is more focused around systems.[11:42] Instead figure out what do you want out of a system. [12:30] Some examples that lead us to Swashbucklers of the 7 Skies[13:35] Lets boil down what Soren is looking for in a game.[14:30] Looking for discovery and mysteries leads us to Gumshoe.[16:30] Asking the power questions of any game: Big Three and Power 19[19:11] Highlighting “what makes it about that?” by looking at the character sheet.[21:41] Places to find information about games. RPG.Net Reviews[24:00] Search on Story Games Forum[25:21]Actual play posts: Recommending The Walking Eye and Mom’s Basement and more at RPGpodcats.com [27:00] Talking to peeps! Asking people who have played the game, immediate friends, the twitters…[30:05] After a brief digression… is your Google-fu strong?[31:28] Lets pimp out Josh Roby for a moment. @joshroby[32:50] Go to cons and play lots of games… try them out. Local cons. Meet ups. Store game days.[35:50] After games are done, talk to the GM of a game. Trust us, they want to talk.[37:30] Online resources for playing: Online cons like AetherCon. Google Hangouts like CONcurrent[40:46] If you’d like to be on the show, please contact us at narrativecontrol@gmail.comsoon for s

Welcome back to Narrative Control, season 3. This season we’re taking calls from listeners and offering up what advice we can about their gaming conundrums. This week we talked to Rich Rogers about a transgressive experience he had playing in a game and review both what he could have done differently and what both GMs and players should watch out for so that they don't cross over boundries inadvetantly. Hosts: Sean Nittner, Eric Fattig, and Lenny Balsera Guest Caller: Rich Rogers, of Canon Puncture and RPG Crosstalk Length: 50:27 Show Notes [00:28] Welcome to the show. This episode is explicit because of the content. Specifically character rape. [01:17] Welcoming the hosts on board. Discusson of secrets. Sean presents his theory. [03:37] Lenny's thoughts on secrets... or is that what we're really talking about? [05:53] Eric's crazy project. Building the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A) Presentig the situation [07:42] Bringing Rich onto the show. Rich tells us about the game. [09:50] A failed carousing roll results in his character being raped. We ask some clarifying questions. [11:20] Player reacton: laughter and ridicule. [13:06] After the game reaction from the group: tweets celebrating the game. [13:54] Rich's reaction: leaving the game. [16:12] Our follow up questions. Reponse from the GM. Other experiences with the players. Breakdown of what went wrong [16:50] Issue: using lines and viels requires a discussion in advance, not after the fact. [17:58] Issue: failure stakes never made explicit. Consequences way out of scope. Discussion of narrative authority, who gets it? [20:33] Suggestioin: Speak up when uncomfortable. Consier what is the worst thiing that will happen? It is okay to not be okay with something. [21:56] Issue: players response. Taken seriously and with respect virtually any subject matter can be handled with respect. But the reactoin here was ridicule. [22:39] Issue: deprotoganoizing a PC. A really hot button for Sean. [23:35] Issue: appropriteness of the content and the player's reaction. Lenny plays devil's advocate. [26:16] Suggestion: When playing online, pay much more attention to what is going on with the other players because of the missing the body language. [27:27] Suggestion: elaboration on how to respond, halting the game right there and discussing what's going on in the game. [28:22] Suggestion: negotiate out of character, don't work within the narrative. [29:18] We have to laugh because it is so awful. Sean's experience watching Brazil unprepared. [30:23] 30 minutes into a game, hearing this, we're surprised Rich didn't just hang up the call. [32:09] Suggestion: Games can handle very serious, transgressive and contovercial issues. First thing to do is to check in with the other player. [33:55] Recap of suggestions: Call the GM on the carpoet or leave the game. Be very clear in skype/online games to communicate intent and check in with each other. [36:25] Issue: it feels more uncomfortable to object the longer the game goes on and the more the other players buy into it. [37:21] Issue: recap of he players response. In some ways even more offensive than the GM's actions. [39:42] Suggestion: If you bring a new player into a game, evaluate your existing group dynamic before trodding ahead. [40:35] Suggestion: Response to the players is the same as response to the GM. Call them on their response. [40:56] Sean is so upset by players teasing each ohter. It's bullying. [42:37] We wish we had more practical advice. We're angry on Rich's behalf. [43:02] Rich is not only upset about what happened in the game, but also about his reaction. [44:00] Issue: how to deal with players who are teasing you in game? [46:18] Suggestion: The people watching this going down (a 3rd party) should call people out on this. [48:07] Closing thoughts. This happens to other people. We've heard these stories. The converstation continues...Here

Welcome back to Narrative Control, season 3. This season we’re taking calls from listeners and offering up what advice we can about their gaming conundrums. This week we talked to Austin Smith about both dropping clues to your players, keeping them attached to the outcomes, and introducing a rich setting.Hosts: Sean Nittner, Lenny Balsera, and Eric FattigGuest Caller: Austin SmithLength: 1:01:36 The conversation continues… here.

Welcome back to Narrative Control, season 3. This season we’re taking calls from listeners and offering up what advice we can about their gaming conundrums. This week we talked to Joe Harney about hacking settings from one game into the system of another’s. In this case we focus on Gordian Knot of Settings: ShadowrunHosts: Sean Nittner and Lenny BalseraGuest Caller: Joseph HarneyLength: 45:07 Show Notes [00:25] Intro to the show – Hacking settings to systems.[00:55] Joe starts the call. Used to run Shadowrun, but the system doesn’t do what I want it to do.[02:36] What isn’t the existing system doing? - Discuss[03:41] Are you interested in changing or emphasizing parts of the setting as well? – Discuss[05:11] First suggestion – Prime Time Adventures for interpersonal drama.[06:33] Discussion – PTA will not provide the level of crunch some players are looking for.[07:14] Tangible advice – Pick a system that allows you to identify: X is important -> assigned to Y mechanic.[07:35] One system that does this well: PDQ – Scoped qualities. [09:30] Tangible advice – If you know another system with a high concept similar to the game you’re converting, those might be early options[10:12] That’s Leverage – Same high concepts, just need race, magic, and cyberware[11:33] Cortex+ is very easy to represent what is important: they get a die.[13:08] Challenge: Represent the exclusionary force between Magic and Cyberware. Discuss.[19:05] System: Don’t Rest Your Head – Hackable so long as there is a limited number of places to gain power from.[20:53] General advice: Find games that focus in design toward a concept that closely matches the concept of the game you want to run.[21:50] This flies in the face of the idea of using a generic system (Gurps, FATE, d20, etc.)[22:43] Focused games also self-identify what won’t work. Example: Dogs in the Vineyard[24:06] If you were doing d20 Shadowrun look to Spycraft.[25:10] If you want to do a ton of work reskin Apocalypse World[27:07] Hacking Fate – Time required to develop it. Using skills vs. stunts to represent.[30:30] How tight or how loose do you need to enforce the setting expectations? – Discuss[32:12] Introduced a new group to the setting. Concerned that the existing mechanics would turn off new players.[33:09] The foundation of your hack should be relevant to what enthuses you about a setting.[34:33] Decide what mode of play you want. Combat-centric? Investigation? Interpersonal Drama?[35:24] You will have more success selling your own enthusiasm than anything else.[35:40] Challenge: Present a world where the consequences of actions matter.[36:33] Suggestion: Technoir. Tools for developing, as you play, the web of interconnections.[37:33] Challenge: Present juxtaposition of technology and magic.[37:51] Suggestion: Look at Mortal Coil as it helps you define what magic is (as well as what is important in the setting). Mechanizes that which is special.[38:39] Tangible advice – Read a lot of games. Steal liberally.[41:16] Suggestion: Making the world respond: Fronts from Apocalypse World[42:19] Suggestions: Aspects from Fate or Distinctions from Cortex+[43:20] Recap of practical advice.[44:31] Want to be on the show. Emails us at narrativecontrol@gmail.com or post on the forums.The conversation continues… Here.

Welcome back to Narrative Control, season 3. This season we’re taking calls from listeners and offering up what advice we can about their gaming conundrums. This week we talked to David Bozarth talking about selling players on complicating their characters.Hosts: Sean Nittner, Eric Fattig, and Lenny BalseraGuest Caller: Dave BozarthExplicit. This episode contains a smattering of explicit language. Length: 37:14Show Notes[00:27] Intro to the show. Dave Bozarth coming on and talking about adapting your play style to the group, games that help sell players on character complications and Rob Donoghue’s “The Trick”[00:55] Daniel Hodges of the game Victoria had me on his podcast Penny Red. You can download it here.[01:22] Want to be on the show. Email us at narrativecontrol@gmail.com or on the forum [01:53] The hosts arrive, Eric Fattig and Lenny Balsera[02:04] But I digress. I just play tested Durance. Here’s my AP report[02:40] Dave recounts his situation. A player character that killed off his brother because he was a liability.[04:15] Our discussion begins. Why was this a problem and not just grist for the mill of character drama and story?[04:33] What happened next? Was this discussed?[05:26] What system were we playing? Mage. System isn’t going to help us here.[06:22] More context. Was this important in the setting?[07:06] Future of the game? Did it keep going?[07:27] Player motivation: Dodging the issue or generating new conflict?[09:22] A common occurrence. Players protecting their characters from weakness, liability and responsibility. Result = no story.[12:01] Some games work really well for power fantasies and crazy awesome competence. Leverage![12:58] A Hard sell. Selling players on accepting weaknesses. Ideas?[13:45] Suggestion: Show how connections to the game can be strengths as well as weaknesses.[15:19] Suggestion: Dropping offers meaning fewer offers made. More of them made to other players? Would this satisfy the player?[17:27] Suggestion: If this is something that seriously detracts from the game experience. Play a different game?[17:52] Changing the group dynamic, other players doing the same thing.[18:28] Good experiences playing Apocalypse World.[18:55] Players accepting complications in that system.[19:10] Use the system! AW will change your game.[20:37] Suggestion: Talk about how you are mimicking the success/complication model from Apocalypse World.[21:47] We are pretty horrible about knowing what we really want.[22:10] Suggestion: Conditioning the group. Play enough games with explicit rules for complications so that they can be made implicit in other games.[22:53] Sean’s “Plot Hammer” voice.[23:11] Forming new habits. Changing old capital “H” habits. [23:35] Suggestion: Being explicit with the group about what you like. Positive reinforcement of players embracing change, consequences, etc.[25:50] Some systems are better for encouraging this.[26:55] Suggestion: Maybe you should change your GMing style. [29:00] Suggestion: Many players give a lot respect to the “system” over a GM’s style.[30:00] Suggestion: Point to the mechanics and get the player’s feedback so you’re not in the line of fire.[30:57] Rob Donoghue’s “The Trick” – Threatening the things “around” the players.[32:27] Looking at an iconic (vs. dynamic) character. Jack Bauer. [34:32] Learning which buttons to push.[35:25] Suggestion: Authoring your own tragedy. Sometimes players just want to control that.[36:00] Set an example: “Die in the first scene!” We’re playing weekend at Bernie’s and I’m Bernie.The conversation continues… Here.

Welcome back to Narrative Control, season 3. We’ve taken a break for Gen Con and my very own Big Bad Con and now we’re back in the saddle. Season 3 has a new format. We’re taking calls from listeners and offering up what advice we can about their gaming conundrums. This week we talked to David Miessler-Kubanek from dmkcreative.com. We’re talking about intellectual properties, setting expectations and finding out what’s going on with an unhappy player. Hosts: Sean Nittner and Lenny Balsera Guest Caller: David Miessler-Kubanek Length: 32:01 Show Notes [00:31] Welcome back to Narrative Control. Intro to the season three format.[01:22] Eric Fattig is out for today. Welcoming guest host Lenny (not Leonard) Balsera.[01:45] What real friends are for.[02:57] “Shuu Nittner” – A name that will never been used.[03:13] Sean’s current project – Apocalypse Galactica.[04:09] Lenny working on Fate Core and Paranet Papers for Evil Hat and just moved to Austin, TX.[04:34] Bringing on David Miessler-Kubanek from DMKcreative.com[04:57] David’s “Dragonfly” game (Star Wars mashed up with Firefly)[05:54] Problems started when some new players joined the game. Specifically a player with a LOT of Star Wars lore. Problem identified: One player’s expectations not matching up with the rest of the group’s expectations.[07:49] Lenny’s first salvo – setting expectations. Why do we do it? Not to adhere to them but to have a framework for talking about them when it comes up in the future.[09:34] David noticed a play style difference. One player who has read all the rules, knows all the mechanics, versus his own play style which was much less tied to mechanics. Problem re-identified: Player was unsatisfied by the mechanics, and uncomfortable with the rules system. Trad player walking into an indie game.[11:28] Communication was poor. Can we revisit that communication? Start the game over, start the discussion over?[12:40] Is David’s gaming style compatible with this player? Looking back, would he want to start up the game again with just a few of the players? All of them?[14:09] Problem re-re-identified. Is it hurtful or malicious to be concerned with whether or not a group is going to have a good time, if that means not including a previous player?[16:05] GM’s confidence being shaken by a bad experience. An experimental game with an experimental system. Was it his fault. What to do to get back in the saddle?[18:49] Role-playing games are a conversation. Internalizing that very hard to do. Identifying if the problem is about the game or the social dynamic? [19:56] Getting the conversation away from the trappings of the game. Problem is potentially fixable as soon as it is out in the open.[21:37] Often discussion in RPGs is about trying to manipulate the game “If I make it about how this system works, I’m not being a dick.”[22:52] “I want what I want for me. But I don’t want to look like a jerk, so I’ll use the game mechanics to get it.”[23:10] When it is the games fault. But that is still a human problem.[25:00] Regrets about the game. David starting the game back up again. The game was fine, the mechanics were fine. Start this bad boy back up again![28:01] Why setting expectations is important (redux)? It creates a foundation for change and a place for the conversation to start from.[29:26] The future of David’s gaming group.[31:01] Would you like to be on Narrative Control? Email us at narrativecontrol@gmail.com, hop on our forums, or tweet me @seannittner. The conversation continues.... Here!

Hi, welcome to the last episode of Season 2.  Warning, this one is explicit.  This episode is my farewell for a time as well as the bloopers from Season 2.  Good times in here! Hosts: Sean Nittner, Justin Evans and Eric Fattig Length: 25:29 Show Notes A few minutes of me talking about the show followed by 20 minutes of our mistakes.  Have fun.