Post by Triple 7 on Nov 29, 2022 20:26:57 GMT -8
It isn't the first time this has come up for me. I get lost in my own genius and forget to bring you all in for the rest of it! At least twice this has happened..
I create this brilliant (in my mind) storyline full of intricate detail with twists and turns galore! Through the cunning use of DTA's and dropped hints in random scenes I build the web of creativity and start plotting the reveals here and there to impress the Players. I then sit back and watch, waiting, and hoping I did my part well enough to entice and intrigue the Player to explore the storyline I carefully crafted.
Nothing happens.
As a Storyteller I feel it is my job to guide you through the Chronicle, but sometimes I forget to lead. Not all Players are created equal and there is nothing wrong with that. Some Players want to be left alone and explore your setting on their own terms. Others want (need) you to hold their hand and escort them down the path of darkness. I tend to forget the second half, ignorantly relying on the weight of my own genius (ego) that the Player has everything in their tool kit to follow the storyline I just introduced. I am wrong, so very wrong at times. This isn't always the reason storylines run long (Camarilla/Sabbat Meeting), sometimes I get backed up and my creativity gets washed away by stress, fatigue, and distractions. However, since this has happened twice, I can't help but wonder how many Players feel stuck in a rut with one of my storylines dangling in the breeze because they're not sue where to go next.
That's a foul on me I am willing to change.
There is no shame in asking. If you feel like you don't know where your Character should be going or what they should be doing, ask me if there is anything you could do to figure out the next step. I would much rather break the fourth wall and show you the lager picture of the Chronicle than to have a Player feel lost, hopeless, or small. No one should feel that way in a hobby they love. We are inclusive and I love including you in this story I have worked so had to tell you. I may not give you all the answers, but I will tell you the design I have for the storyline in question. I have been accused at times of writing storylines where there is an answer I'm looking for to solve it, but the Players just haven't realized the key to unlocking it yet. That is the weight of my brilliance getting the better of me. I am not a smart man at times. I craft every motivation for every NPC in every scene they participate in, but fail to give the Players multiple avenues to succeed.
My first true Storyteller, Roy, told me that a story had a beginning, middle, and an end. The beginning and end were up to me, but the middle was all Player involvement. To be fair (to be fair) he was running a LARP at the time and not an online Chronicle. He didn't have an open world concept going, only a short story he wanted us to experience. With a Chronicle like this, I have to evolve the story as we go. I had a beginning and I have an ending. If I end it, though; we don't have a game anymore and the Chronicle dies. That's no good for anyone. I keep the antagonists rotating to add diversity and keep them from getting removed from the chess board of life. Without the antagonists, we don't have a story and without that we don't have a purpose to run the game. In a world where you're immortal, politics and patience go hand in hand. It takes years for anyone to move. At least that is my perspective of the environment. I could be wrong.
I like to think I am doing a great job getting my point across in Character when I drop information, directives from NPC's, or other information. I don't. I have been told multiple times that Vauske is hard to read or his words are not clear. That's when that Perception + Empathy, Difficulty 7 roll comes in handy. I can explain things out of Character a lot better (hopefully)!
When in doubt, please ask. There is no judgement here when it comes to understanding my motives..
Yeash!
I create this brilliant (in my mind) storyline full of intricate detail with twists and turns galore! Through the cunning use of DTA's and dropped hints in random scenes I build the web of creativity and start plotting the reveals here and there to impress the Players. I then sit back and watch, waiting, and hoping I did my part well enough to entice and intrigue the Player to explore the storyline I carefully crafted.
Nothing happens.
As a Storyteller I feel it is my job to guide you through the Chronicle, but sometimes I forget to lead. Not all Players are created equal and there is nothing wrong with that. Some Players want to be left alone and explore your setting on their own terms. Others want (need) you to hold their hand and escort them down the path of darkness. I tend to forget the second half, ignorantly relying on the weight of my own genius (ego) that the Player has everything in their tool kit to follow the storyline I just introduced. I am wrong, so very wrong at times. This isn't always the reason storylines run long (Camarilla/Sabbat Meeting), sometimes I get backed up and my creativity gets washed away by stress, fatigue, and distractions. However, since this has happened twice, I can't help but wonder how many Players feel stuck in a rut with one of my storylines dangling in the breeze because they're not sue where to go next.
That's a foul on me I am willing to change.
There is no shame in asking. If you feel like you don't know where your Character should be going or what they should be doing, ask me if there is anything you could do to figure out the next step. I would much rather break the fourth wall and show you the lager picture of the Chronicle than to have a Player feel lost, hopeless, or small. No one should feel that way in a hobby they love. We are inclusive and I love including you in this story I have worked so had to tell you. I may not give you all the answers, but I will tell you the design I have for the storyline in question. I have been accused at times of writing storylines where there is an answer I'm looking for to solve it, but the Players just haven't realized the key to unlocking it yet. That is the weight of my brilliance getting the better of me. I am not a smart man at times. I craft every motivation for every NPC in every scene they participate in, but fail to give the Players multiple avenues to succeed.
My first true Storyteller, Roy, told me that a story had a beginning, middle, and an end. The beginning and end were up to me, but the middle was all Player involvement. To be fair (to be fair) he was running a LARP at the time and not an online Chronicle. He didn't have an open world concept going, only a short story he wanted us to experience. With a Chronicle like this, I have to evolve the story as we go. I had a beginning and I have an ending. If I end it, though; we don't have a game anymore and the Chronicle dies. That's no good for anyone. I keep the antagonists rotating to add diversity and keep them from getting removed from the chess board of life. Without the antagonists, we don't have a story and without that we don't have a purpose to run the game. In a world where you're immortal, politics and patience go hand in hand. It takes years for anyone to move. At least that is my perspective of the environment. I could be wrong.
I like to think I am doing a great job getting my point across in Character when I drop information, directives from NPC's, or other information. I don't. I have been told multiple times that Vauske is hard to read or his words are not clear. That's when that Perception + Empathy, Difficulty 7 roll comes in handy. I can explain things out of Character a lot better (hopefully)!
When in doubt, please ask. There is no judgement here when it comes to understanding my motives..
Yeash!
