Massively Speaking http://massively.joystiq.com This is the Massively podcast http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Massively SpeakingJoystiqMassively Speaking<![CDATA[Storyboard: The way it was for three years]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/storyboard-the-way-it-was-for-three-years/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/storyboard-the-way-it-was-for-three-years/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/storyboard-the-way-it-was-for-three-years/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Going back in time.
Roleplaying is the same as it ever was. People are still shoehorning in lore characters into backstories, someone is a sparkly magic vampire, and you can still turn a corner in a tavern to find two people with a decided lack of gear or public shame. (In Second Life, that corner is the one you turn to download the game.) But I've had three years of talking about it, so it's at least a little different than it was.

I don't know if I'd go so far as to say it's better.

Every year I like to take a look back at the past year, talk about what worked well, what didn't work at all, and what I'd like to do in the future. So it is for this year, complete with a nice big surprise down at the end there. Regular readers may be less surprised, but you can just bear with me.

Continue reading Storyboard: The way it was for three years

MassivelyStoryboard: The way it was for three years originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 17 May 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featurednew-featuresopinionretrospectiveroleplayroleplayersroleplayingrpstorystoryboardstoryboard-librarythree-yearsyear-in-reviewFri, 17 May 2013 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Storyboard: Making villains work]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/10/storyboard-making-villains-work/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/10/storyboard-making-villains-work/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/10/storyboard-making-villains-work/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

So how am I going to make the header screwy next week? I have a few ideas.
A while ago, I talked about the fact that roleplaying in MMOs most closely resembles comic books. This is apropos of the current discussion because both mediums have a fundamental issue with how villains are supposed to work. A good villain should be roundly trounced by the end of a story, but you also want to bring back a villain for more antics later on. So as I begin the follow-up to my recent column on the topic, the question becomes how you can make a villain who's entertaining and satisfying to encounter without becoming boring or making everyone wonder why no one has stabbed him yet.

To be fair, there's no way to absolutely fix this problem. Someone will always have the idea that stabbing the villain to death will alleviate the problem, and that assumption is pretty much right. But there are ways to minimize the issue without making everyone seem like a colossal twit or creating the soap opera problem (wherein everyone is a malicious jerk every so often and no one seems to make long-term changes). This week I want to examine how both antagonistic and malicious villains can be played to avoid those pitfalls.

Continue reading Storyboard: Making villains work

MassivelyStoryboard: Making villains work originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 10 May 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>antagonistscharactersfeaturedjerksopinionroleplayroleplayersroleplayingrpstorystoryboardvillainsFri, 10 May 2013 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Storyboard: Just the artifacts]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/03/storyboard-just-the-artifacts/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/03/storyboard-just-the-artifacts/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/03/storyboard-just-the-artifacts/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

There are a lot of powerful items in our everyday life. Smartphones, for instance.
There's something inherently alluring about objects of power. That much is obvious; games are already fairly littered with them, ranging from weapons to vehicles to various items whose powers are invariably decided by needs of the plot. It's inevitable that as a roleplayer you would want to create something of power for your own purposes, something that has a purpose that only you know, hopefully a purpose with more careful thought than "being the most scary thing ever."

Items like this are what I'm calling artifacts. In some settings they're actual artifacts; in others they're just exceptionally well-programmed computers or bits of otherwise lost technology or whatever. They're useful for extended roleplaying, they create an additional element of your characters, and they're also really problematic in a variety of ways. Still, the drawbacks aren't significant enough to make them useless, just significant enough that you'll want to use a careful hand when adding in your own hidden wonders.

Continue reading Storyboard: Just the artifacts

MassivelyStoryboard: Just the artifacts originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 03 May 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artifactsfeatureditemsobjectsopinionrelicsroleplayroleplayersroleplayingrpstorystoryboardFri, 03 May 2013 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Storyboard: Villainy afoot]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/26/storyboard-villainy-afoot/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/26/storyboard-villainy-afoot/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/26/storyboard-villainy-afoot/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

In that moment you will realize that you are not the hero of your own story; you are the villain. You are the source of anguish. You are what must be demolished for the good of everyone.
I really thought this was a topic I had revisited on a few occasions, but apparently the only time Storyboard has discussed villainy was back in the column's infancy when I was still properly finding its voice. (Not that I feel that project has ever stopped, but that's another matter.) And it's an interesting topic for many reasons because villainy as a concept really gets put through the wringer in RP to begin with, especially if you tend to let morality be muddled into a few million shades of gray like I tend to.

The thing about villains in roleplaying is having a character solely meant as A Villain generally doesn't work as well, simply because no real people are as malicious as that might require. Instead, you wind up with several people serving as the villains in a particular timeframe. So we need to define what we mean by villains, what role they can play in roleplaying, and what the pitfalls are in the first place.

Continue reading Storyboard: Villainy afoot

MassivelyStoryboard: Villainy afoot originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Apr 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>antagonistsenemiesfeaturedjust-plain-jerksopinionopponentsroleplayroleplayersroleplayingrpstorystoryboardstorytellingsuggestionsvillainsFri, 26 Apr 2013 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Storyboard: Dramatic community]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/19/storyboard-dramatic-community/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/19/storyboard-dramatic-community/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/19/storyboard-dramatic-community/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

A subtle shift in process has yielded positive results with these headers.
A couple of friends of mine recently found themselves knee-deep in roleplaying community drama. For those of you who have not seen this dread beast before, let me assure you that it is the most vile of all forms of drama, in which people wind up angry at one another over elements that virtually no one else cares about. I've seen it strike many times, and it's always frustrating and unpleasant due in no small part to its sheer pointlessness.

I've talked about community drama on one occasion when it comes to the Final Fantasy XIV roleplaying community, but the fact that I'm seeing it passed around elsewhere means that it's a topic worth addressing in a general sense. This isn't drama centered around what happened within the game but drama about the managerial aspects of the community, about handling site ownership and moderation and all of the associated stuff. And there are a few tricks to help minimize this before it starts.

Continue reading Storyboard: Dramatic community

MassivelyStoryboard: Dramatic community originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Apr 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>argumentscommunity-dramacommunity-organizationcommunity-sitesdramafeaturedopinionroleplayroleplayersroleplayingroleplaying-communitiesrpstorystoryboardFri, 19 Apr 2013 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Storyboard: Profession discussion - the Builder]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/12/storyboard-profession-discussion-the-builder/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/12/storyboard-profession-discussion-the-builder/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/12/storyboard-profession-discussion-the-builder/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Anyone who mentions the name Bob in the comments is earning a disapproving look.
Human beings like to make stuff. It's in our nature, presumably because the humans who liked making things were able to create important inventions like clothing and weapons and homes and portable DVD players. That stuff gives you an edge over the guy hunting with a rock and a decent pitching arm. A lot of jobs and hobbies alike revolve around making things or changing existing made things into new made things.

The Builder isn't just someone who enjoys making things but someone who lives by making things. Our previous professions have all focused around providing something, but the Builder is the person responsible for making those things. This is a profession that's all about creating, something near and dear to most roleplayers to begin with. But it's also a profession that has a bit more to it than simply being the guy down the road who puts cabinets together at a discount.

Continue reading Storyboard: Profession discussion - the Builder

MassivelyStoryboard: Profession discussion - the Builder originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Apr 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>buildingcharacter-conceptscharacter-creationcharacterscreatingcreativityfeaturedopinionprofession-discussionroleplayroleplayersroleplayingrpstorystoryboardthe-builderFri, 12 Apr 2013 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Storyboard: Moral framework]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/05/storyboard-moral-framework/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/05/storyboard-moral-framework/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/05/storyboard-moral-framework/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Good, bad... I'm the guy with a column.
Every so often, I start a column and it just doesn't come together. So my original plans for this week's article are being changed. I could technically go back and edit last week's piece to erase any evidence that plans had changed, but that would just be wrong.

That segues nicely into this week's actual topic: morality. We generally paint morality in broader strokes than is necessarily beneficial, as evidenced by the fact that I just said that something as harmless as editing an old article could be considered wrong. Obviously it's not harming anyone, but because of standards that I impose on myself, I feel as if it's the wrong course of action to take.

Pretty much all of your characters have moral codes, and if you're not thinking about them consciously, those codes can easily default to the same ones that you have. I've touched on that idea before, but there's more to it than that. When you get right down to it, your characters need their own codes, some of which you might even find personally repugnant.

Continue reading Storyboard: Moral framework

MassivelyStoryboard: Moral framework originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 05 Apr 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>character-moralsevilfeaturedgoodmoralitymoralsopinionphilosophyrightroleplayroleplayersroleplayingrpsituational-moralsstorystoryboardwrongFri, 05 Apr 2013 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Storyboard: RP in the key of C]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/29/storyboard-rp-in-the-key-of-c/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/29/storyboard-rp-in-the-key-of-c/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/29/storyboard-rp-in-the-key-of-c/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Chase the high ground, where you'd rather be, where you might be found. Face all aglow to leave from here, to pack up and go.
Music is kind of a big deal. The right choice of music can change a scene from being happy to ominous, and intentionally mismatching the scene and the music can lead to hilarious results with minimal effort. In-game music makes use of this, naturally, and it's rare to find something stirring and peppy in the midst of a zone filled with volcanoes and demons. We rely on the background music to set a mood and underscore what's taking place at any given moment.

All that goes for roleplaying, too. But the odds are that the game music isn't going to provide the romantic music you need in the Undercity in World of Warcraft or the driving combat music you need on your bridge in Star Trek Online. Game music is meant for people who are playing; the music you need is closer to scoring a film.

So given the importance of music, let's talk about it just a little this week. After all, having the right tune playing can make a lasting impression, even if it's just on the people within earshot.

Continue reading Storyboard: RP in the key of C

MassivelyStoryboard: RP in the key of C originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 29 Mar 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acousticsadviceaudiofeaturedmusicopinionroleplayroleplayersroleplayingrpsoundssoundtrackstorystoryboardFri, 29 Mar 2013 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Storyboard: The characters you like]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/22/storyboard-the-characters-you-like/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/22/storyboard-the-characters-you-like/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/22/storyboard-the-characters-you-like/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

I'm almost sure I've used one of these before.
Some of my characters are pretty awful people. Some of them aren't people in the strictest sense of the word, to be fair. But there are some pretty awful types among them. And I enjoy playing them, but I sure as heck don't like them. They're terrible people who deserve to meet with terrible fates, and the glory of roleplaying is that they serve as a bit of anarchistic fun until someone gives them what they deserve. I don't like them as people.

But that's not universal. I have other characters who will frequently do awful things but aren't fundamentally bad, just misguided on several occasions. Sometimes the line can get a bit blurry between one well-trained spy and assassin when one of them is a character I like and the other one is meant to be awful. So I started thinking about the distinguishing factors and what it means to play a character you like personally compared to one just meant to cause trouble. The answers were a bit odd.

Continue reading Storyboard: The characters you like

MassivelyStoryboard: The characters you like originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 22 Mar 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>character-experiencecharacter-traitscharactersfeaturedopinionroleplayroleplayersroleplayingrpstorystoryboardFri, 22 Mar 2013 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Storyboard: Profession discussion - The Merchant]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/15/storyboard-profession-discussion-the-merchant/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/15/storyboard-profession-discussion-the-merchant/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/15/storyboard-profession-discussion-the-merchant/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Everything must go!
People want stuff. It's a given. Part of this is because in the earliest days of human history having a sharpened stick was the difference between eating and starving, but part of it is just the way that we've structured our societies. And a lot of the things that people want are things that they can't make themselves, which means those people need someone to come to the rescue. That's where this profession comes in; the Merchant is all about getting people the stuff that they want.

This is easily the strangest profession discussion I've done yet because it's easy to understand how you could have a lot of different people in the role of a spy or an aristocrat, but it's less obvious how you could have a character with certain archetypes be a merchant. The thing is that the merchant isn't just about selling things and making money. Being a merchant is what a character does on the road, and that ranges from selling mushrooms to selling your sword in the name of a good cause.

Continue reading Storyboard: Profession discussion - The Merchant

MassivelyStoryboard: Profession discussion - The Merchant originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Mar 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>backstorycharacter-typesfeaturedmerchantmerchantsopinionprofession-discussionroleplayroleplayersroleplayingrpsellingstorystoryboardFri, 15 Mar 2013 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Storyboard: Working with mechanics]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/08/storyboard-working-with-mechanics/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/08/storyboard-working-with-mechanics/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/08/storyboard-working-with-mechanics/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

If you look closely, there is a hidden meta tale.
One of the points I've harped on in the past is the idea that game mechanics don't encompass your entire character. They can't, almost by definition. Mechanics are in place to ensure that everyone plays by the rules and works according to a standardized system, while individual characters are meant to have their own unique traits and abilities. So no matter what, when you create a character in an MMO, you're creating the best possible approximation rather than an absolute copy.

The odd thing is that as I recreate one of my favorite characters yet again, I find that she's a lot easier to build and understand as a result of the limitations of many games. While there's a definite case to be made for the awkwardness of fitting a character into a system, I think we give the limitations of most systems too little credit in terms of narrowing down character ability and making for a better environment. So let's talk about the benefits of having mechanical limitations.

Continue reading Storyboard: Working with mechanics

MassivelyStoryboard: Working with mechanics originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 08 Mar 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I've got a legacy to consider.
So there's a beta going on right now that is really relevant to my interests. Yes, that does mean that there is an unofficial beta roleplaying server, also relevant to my interests. Long-time readers will know both what I'm talking about and why I don't have a whole lot of other things on my mind right now.

This actually dovetails nicely with an obvious topic, however: roleplaying in the beta for any given game. If you plan to roleplay when the game goes live, beta is a great time to get started, possibly building up character relationships and dynamics before the game has even launched. That's all good stuff.

The problem is that beta is not, in fact, a prequel to the live game. It's a test version of the real game. And even beside the obvious repercussions of rollbacks and the like, there are reasons why roleplaying in beta might not be a great idea.

Continue reading Storyboard: RP-Beta

MassivelyStoryboard: RP-Beta originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Mar 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betabeta-rpbeta-testingbetasfeaturedopinionroleplayroleplayersroleplayingroleplaying-in-betarpside-activitiesstorystoryboardFri, 01 Mar 2013 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Storyboard: Profession discussion - The Aristocrat]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/22/storyboard-profession-discussion-the-aristocrat/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/22/storyboard-profession-discussion-the-aristocrat/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/22/storyboard-profession-discussion-the-aristocrat/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

One of these people probably isn't an aristocrat.
Aristocracy is not a job in one sense. You can't apply to be an aristocrat, nor can you get a degree that leads to becoming an aristocrat, and there's a marked lack of professional guilds and unions for the field. You can't even really hope to be one when you grow up, since you're usually born into it. But in the broader sense of roleplaying character professions, "aristocrat" certainly qualifies, as it answers the question of what your character does while on the road.

Some aristocrats might hit the road because they have a duty to those of lower status. Others might be out there because they want to be anywhere other than home. Some have tastes or curiosities that can be satisfied only in a more exotic location. Whatever the reason, many aristocrats pack up their elaborate and numerous bags and head off in search of adventure, or at least the various opportunities that adventure brings along.

Continue reading Storyboard: Profession discussion - The Aristocrat

MassivelyStoryboard: Profession discussion - The Aristocrat originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 22 Feb 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>advicearistocrataristocratsbackstorycharacter-creationfeaturedjobsnobilityopinionprofession-discussionprofessionsroleplayroleplayersroleplayingrpstorystoryboardFri, 22 Feb 2013 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Storyboard: Forming a roleplaying guild is easier than you think]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/15/storyboard-forming-a-roleplaying-guild-is-easier-than-you-think/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/15/storyboard-forming-a-roleplaying-guild-is-easier-than-you-think/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/15/storyboard-forming-a-roleplaying-guild-is-easier-than-you-think/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

I'm on a plane as you read this.
Roleplaying guilds, as I have mentioned before, have a lot of problems that more normal guilds just plain don't. The Guild Counsel discusses a lot of guild problems in detail every week, and if you haven't noticed that guilds make for a litany of major issues, well, it only gets worse when you consider that roleplaying adds a new slice of potential drama and hurt feelings. I do not envy those in charge of these organizations, especially when I think over my brief stints of leadership.

As a result, forming a new roleplaying guild seems like an activity best undertaken with great care and personal protection, like installing a beehive. But it's actually far simpler than that. You can start a roleplaying guild with minimal effort and have the foundations in place for it to work. Whether or not it will work in the long run isn't as obvious, but you knew that already.

Continue reading Storyboard: Forming a roleplaying guild is easier than you think

MassivelyStoryboard: Forming a roleplaying guild is easier than you think originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Feb 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>advicefeaturedguildmaking-guildsopinionroleplayroleplayersroleplayingroleplaying-guildsrpstorystoryboardsuggestionsFri, 15 Feb 2013 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Storyboard: Profession discussion - the Spy]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/08/storyboard-profession-discussion-the-spy/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/08/storyboard-profession-discussion-the-spy/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/08/storyboard-profession-discussion-the-spy/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Oddly, none of these people are spies. Even though one of them traditionally is.
Long-time readers will remember that back around the end of this column's first year, I wrote a series of columns about character archetypes. It was a series I'm quite proud of as a whole, and one that I've wanted to follow up for a while, but I had to wait until I had an idea that fit. That was when I started thinking about how that series talked entirely about who a character is rather than what he or she actually does. In reality, the two can be miles apart.

Take my first choice of profession, the spy. A spy might believe that she's doing something for the greater good. She might see this simply as part of her duty and a necessary task. She might be doing this because she's fundamentally amoral, she might be hoping to find the answer to a puzzle she's long agonized about, or she might even be doing this because she just really wants to know secrets. But today I'm not going to talk about that. You want to make a spy; let's talk about what goes into that.

Continue reading Storyboard: Profession discussion - the Spy

MassivelyStoryboard: Profession discussion - the Spy originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 08 Feb 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>character-creationcharacter-occupationscharacter-professionscharactersfeaturedopinionprofession-discussionroleplayroleplayersroleplayingrpspiesspystorystoryboardsuggestionsthe-spyFri, 08 Feb 2013 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Storyboard: Play to the medium]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/01/storyboard-play-to-the-medium/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/01/storyboard-play-to-the-medium/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/01/storyboard-play-to-the-medium/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

I need some more screenshots and images. Going further afield lately.
One of the greatest moments of education I had in college was when a professor sat down to discuss a story I was writing with me. He said to me, "Eliot, this story is never going to be as good as it could be like this."

"Well, I'm learning. I mean, I could rewrite the --"

"No, it isn't that you're not good enough as a writer, it's that this story isn't a novel. You're writing the best novel out of it that you can, but this is a story for a graphic novel. No matter how well you write it, it's always going to be a novelization of a comic book."

That was the first moment that I really started to understand the idea of writing something for a medium instead of just writing a story in the form available to you. That there are some stories that just don't work in certain formats, whether that format is novels or comics or movies or even roleplaying. And it's why I'm talking specifically about the medium today, because it's an easy concept to miss but an important one to keep in mind.

Continue reading Storyboard: Play to the medium

MassivelyStoryboard: Play to the medium originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Feb 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuredopinionroleplayroleplayersroleplayingrpstorystoryboardFri, 01 Feb 2013 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Storyboard: One of us is going down]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/25/storyboard-one-of-us-is-going-down/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/25/storyboard-one-of-us-is-going-down/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/25/storyboard-one-of-us-is-going-down/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

I want to redo this header, but at this point I can't help but think I'm messing with an institution.
You and your group of roleplaying companions need something new to do. You've grown tired of sitting around talking about problems in the outside world or engaging in a non-stop soap opera drama wherein someone is always sleeping with someone else inappropriately. By complete coincidence, you and your companions all appear to be heavily armed and armored, leading to an excellent suggestion -- you should go out and get involved in a conflict! A fracas of some kind! What a concept!

Sarcasm aside, long-running conflicts are a lot of fun when handled right. While I've talked about them in brief before, today I want to look at a handful of common conflict types and offer some tips about how to run them without tears. If you think drama can spill over into OOC channels when it's just a matter of pretend romances being spurned, you don't even want to know what happens when the knives come out.

Continue reading Storyboard: One of us is going down

MassivelyStoryboard: One of us is going down originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 25 Jan 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>antagonistsconflictdramafeaturedfeudheroesnemesisopinionprotagonistsroleplayroleplayersroleplayingrpstorystory-arcsstoryboardvillainsviolent-conflictFri, 25 Jan 2013 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Storyboard: Roleplaying for churn]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/18/storyboard-roleplaying-for-churn/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/18/storyboard-roleplaying-for-churn/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/18/storyboard-roleplaying-for-churn/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Sometimes it's an art week.
Odds are good that you're going to be moving on from your current game of choice at some point. I'd even ramp those odds up to nearly absolute under certain circumstances (if you're the sort who claims newer games aren't engaging whilst hopping from game to game on a regular basis, for example). This leads to a bit of a problem with a lot of roleplaying stories because there's a very real possibility that your character's arc is going to be truncated as a result.

It's not intentional, but it happens just the same. You spend time building up character relationships at launch, and then as the three-month mark rolls around, people start leaving, playtimes drop off, you get tired of some of the game's systems... and the next thing you know, the people who cared about the character you've been building for some time have all evaporated, leaving you to either make your character relevant again to a whole new group of players or just stop bothering.

One of the things I've been both considering and playing with of late is the idea that maybe this can be embraced instead of feared. Rather than planning something of indeterminate length, you can try working with the assumption that you've got a more limited window to work within and pace yourself according to that.

Continue reading Storyboard: Roleplaying for churn

MassivelyStoryboard: Roleplaying for churn originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 Jan 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>changing-gameschanging-titleschurnfeaturedideasopinionplayer-churnplayer-exodusplayer-turnoverroleplayroleplayersroleplayingrpstorystoryboardtime-limitsturnoverFri, 18 Jan 2013 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Storyboard: Hint, hint]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/11/storyboard-hint-hint/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/11/storyboard-hint-hint/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/11/storyboard-hint-hint/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Sometimes I don't really have a theme. Sometimes I do. Guess which this week is!
During the last several months of Final Fantasy XIV, my main character did the unthinkable: She went to work for her old mentor alongside the Garlean Empire. Everything she was doing outside of personal ventures, up to and including rejoining the mercenary company she had previously helped found, was based around collecting information. She had quite the dossier by the time she was finished, too, having flushed out a number of secrets regarding both Eorzea's defensive plans and the Ala Mhigan resistance.

Not that anyone knew this because it simply never came up.

Part of how I screwed this one up came down to both my choice of roleplaying groups and my own work-based schedule in the game. But another part of this was the simple fact that I didn't make it clear quickly enough just what she was up to. I dropped some hints here and there, but they were lost in a rush of other events, and as a result that whole subplot never got explored, which is a shame, especially because I like to think I'm usually pretty good at dropping hints and getting others to catch on. So as I reflect on what I did wrong, let's talk about how to do it right.

Continue reading Storyboard: Hint, hint

MassivelyStoryboard: Hint, hint originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 Jan 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>advicefeaturedhintsopinionpacingplottingrevealsroleplayroleplayersroleplayingrpsecretsstorystoryboardFri, 11 Jan 2013 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Storyboard: To be the jerk]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/04/storyboard-to-be-the-jerk/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/04/storyboard-to-be-the-jerk/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/04/storyboard-to-be-the-jerk/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Find and replace every instance of the word jerk with the word pony. That's your bonus article for the week.
I've talked many times about the pitfalls of playing a jerk. What I haven't done is mention the benefits of playing one, starting with the fact that playing a jerk can be all kinds of fun. You've got your garden-variety jerks, you've got jerks who are stunningly competent and who treat everyone else as a lesser person because of that, you've got jerks who just don't care about other people, you've got jerks clinging to antiquated beliefs that don't line up with reality... so many jerks, so many ways to make mistakes.

But also so many ways to play one correctly. Heck, you can play a character who takes pretty awful actions from time to time without issue -- why not a character for whom "awful" is the default setting? There has to be a way to make a jerk who works, right?

The answer is yes, most definitely. Jerks are playable. But you have to be a bit more careful about it because as I've mentioned in previous weeks, if your first impression is "pointless jerk," no one will want to hang out with you. So let's talk about playing one in such a way that your character comes across correctly while still being worth a closer look.

Continue reading Storyboard: To be the jerk

MassivelyStoryboard: To be the jerk originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Jan 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>advicecharacter-traitsdemeanorfeaturedjerkjerksnegative-traitsopinionroleplayroleplayersroleplayingrpstorystoryboardFri, 04 Jan 2013 10:00:00 EST