[Anti-Pool] Unsure of where to go

[WorldSaversInc]

Hi,

I am currently running a game using the Anti-Pool variation by Mark Whithers.  The premise or theme of the game is essentially Unbreakable or that normal people have abilities or talents that are above normal people.  Also there is some American Gods motifs thrown in as well.   Essentially the characters would be Mythic archetypes both modern or classic and powers to match, but did not know it.  the game would be about discovering that they were Mythics or gifted.   The setting is real world, right now.  Mythics in society exist in quite large numbers it is that most of the talents never get discovered or are coincidental like Mother lifting car to save child.  Super smart people exist that is why the technology level is as high as it is.

I had my two players Ed and Derek create characters together.  It went really well.  they got into it.  while they did not write down there characters.  they brainstormed there characters, throwing out various things about them and writing down the snippets. Derek had his idea and had was just expressing it.  Ed went from nothing and expanded it.  I guess a better analogy would be to describe sculpture.  Derek saw his idea in a block of concrete and was slowly chipping away at it.  Ed had a blob of clay and was building it from that.  it was interesting to see the two create characters.

In the premise of the game and in specifically character creation i had specified that the two characters that they create know each other and hang out together at least once a week.  this could be coworkers and a weekly poker game.  The reason i did this was to promote party unity.  In most games, i have been in there is a distinct lack of it.  I thought if it was established in the rules and premise of the game that this was supposed to be a team game that it would be.  And it was. 

the game has been running for 3 sessions now.   Now both characters have finally realized that they are mythics.  The problem that i have now is at this point the story has come to a point where it can by epilogued.  the story that i told about awakening is over, and all that is left to tell is the epilogue.  however, both people are really excited about the game and probably like to continue.  However, if i continue i feel it would be a different story.  Similar to the way Alien/Terminator was different from their sequels.  I even in this story laid possible groundwork for a sequel.  essentially what if everybody in the world had a possibility to mythic.  Some where born to greatness, some had greatness thrust upon them, some achieved greatness.  the greatest power of a mythic is to change fate.    I introduced three organizations one out to purge the Mythic scum,  one out to see that humanity and mythics coexist in some manner though with dark conspiracy past and possible motives,  one of mythics who band together for survival reasons although actual politics are varied range the possible gambit.   

Again the problem is that the story could end here or it could continue but it would not be the same story.   I understand stories end. and campaigns do not need to last several months to years. (usual roleplaying is around 12 hour sessions/weekly over at LEAST 6 months and most likely longer)  however this game is around 3-4 hours / week. I am unsure.  I am requesting feedback from my players and probably more discussion at game time as this is important.

[Mike Holmes]

If I understand correctly, you're asking if you should end the game now? Or to go on with it as a different story?

End it.

If the story in question is over, end it.


Then, once it's over, ask the players if they'd like to do a sequel.

This probably sounds like semantics. But somehow putting a "The End" in there, and sitting back and contemplating on it as a new story, is an important part of the process here.

Mike

[Matthew Glover]

I'm with Mike.  End it, then decide whether your group would like to do a sequel.   Assuming that further play goes badly, you'll end up with That Game That Was Totally Awesome and The Sequel That Wasn't As Good.  To my way of thinking, that's way better than That Game That Was Totally Awesome For A While And Then Sucked.

Assuming that further play goes well, you get That Game That Was Totally Awesome and The Sequel That Was Great Too.  Which is just as good as That Game That Was Totally Awesome For Longer Than I Expected, if you ask me.

[Andrew Norris]

From personal experience, wrapping when it "feels right" is the way to go -- it guarantees closure. I've had groups where our campaign sequels went a session or two and sputtered, and groups where the sequel lasted longer than the original.

Taking a week or two to talk about possible directions for the next season seems to work pretty well, also. People tend to be a lot more comfortable doing mid-course corrections in that situation.