[DitV] Second try with Cornfield Branch

[Arturo G.]

Ok! My second try with [DitV] Cornfield Branch.

Three players. All of them new to DitV (1 hour to create the characters, and 3 hours of play).

This time the Dogs judged that the children were not completely guilty because they were not able to fully understand what they were doing. I played Hydi and Gracen as very frighten and sorrow, even after Gracen tried to kill one of the Dogs. I think, this fired-out some of the player pre-conceived ideas. The players were most of the time thinking the children were influenced by a mature bad-guy.

The Dogs were very near to kill one of the children when she was fleeing from them using some sorcery. But after that they managed to put all the pieces together and "cleaned" the children using some ceremonies. They put Chaffin on charge of his family and sent Dianarea to The Ancients to keep her under strict control and re-education (just in case). The other two children were convinced that the corrupt wordship was a mistake and that their terrible sin will be forgiven by a strict daily-life in The Faith. They put the Steward on charge of them.
The session was ending in a hurry. I was lacking time to press them with the desperate parents of Izen asking for a more terrible vengeance. Probably the Dogs would have sent the other two children far from the Branch.

In the future I should press these players with a child doing some more harsh, perfectly conscious of her/his sins and not so eager to admit she/he is wrong ;-)

My impression about the Branch:
It is nice for a quick shot with new players. Really simple because all the problems are closely tied together around one person (Dianarea). Indeed, at the end I was thinking it is perhaps too much focused ;-)

Players enjoyed it.

About the players:
1) One of the players was a very experienced RPG player and game designer, but new to narrativist games. Although we have been discussing about them previously. He said he has the feeling that most of them are highly situational or psychological experiments.
He took the narrativist CA from the first moment. Anyway, from my discussions with him I guess that his preferred CA is (and will be) gamist. Fortunately he is a coherent and nice guy who really enjoys playing almost any kind of games like they are supposed to be played, As I expected he was not showing any kind of incoherent play at all.
He liked the game concept a lot; but complained a little about the resolution system. He thinks it is innecessary complex for this game.
I must say we were having some troubles to get a fluid "raise and see" procedure. It took more time than usual to make them describe something for Block and Taking the Blow. No problem with Raises, as usual.

2) Other one (he has played only some times to things ranging from D&D to PtA) only said DitV is the RPG he likes more from those he knows.

3) I had no time to talk with the third player (the wife of the second one).


Cheers,
Arturo

[Bret Gillan]

My impression about the Branch:
It is nice for a quick shot with new players. Really simple because all the problems are closely tied together around one person (Dianarea). Indeed, at the end I was thinking it is perhaps too much focused ;-)

Players enjoyed it.

I am really glad you're getting some use out of this town, and I'm glad that you say it's a nice quick shot for new players - that's precisely what I made the town for. Now if only I can pull some players together to run it!

Sounds like an awesome game, too!