Questions from the Interim Edition...

[Andy Kitkowski]

I'll make my post quick like a dagger:

First offf, LOVE the examples.  I think they help a lot.

1) I think that showing the villians doing things to activate their aspects is a great idea, and I'm glad that's still there.

However,

2) I think that their scale should be a little faster (maybe double the speed PCs) so that the GM's Villian Marionette-Show doesn't hog the players' gaming time". Normally I'd just make a house rule to this effect, but I'm wondering if it's best to actually build such an option into the system?

Whatcha think?

-Andy

[Michael S. Miller]

2) I think that their scale should be a little faster (maybe double the speed PCs) so that the GM's Villian Marionette-Show doesn't hog the players' gaming time". Normally I'd just make a house rule to this effect, but I'm wondering if it's best to actually build such an option into the system?

Hi, Andy.

Your dagger strikes right through the chinks in my armor! Choose an Aspect to target and steal some cards from my hand!

I've recently discovered the big, gaping hole in the middle of WGP... (through this Actual Play thread. Basically, the GM's job is too poorly-defined to hold up under continued use.

So what exactly a With Great Power... GM is supposed to do is up in the air at the moment. I'm leaning toward "He's just the guy who plays all the villains" right now, but I'm still not certain. Once I get this answered, the proper role of GM enrichment scenes should fall into place, I hope.

BTW, when you refer to "the GM Marionette show" you are keeping in mind that the GM isn't supossed to be talking to himself, as in other, notFun RPGs, right? I tried to stress in both the example and the rules text that players are supposed to take on the role of NPCs all the time in one another's enrichment scenes. The cards will make the decisions for those NPCs, but the other players portray them. In short, real, living, breathing folks should be busy, even when their fictional hero isn't in the panel.

[Andy Kitkowski]

BTW, when you refer to "the GM Marionette show" you are keeping in mind that the GM isn't supossed to be talking to himself, as in other, notFun RPGs, right? I tried to stress in both the example and the rules text that players are supposed to take on the role of NPCs all the time in one another's enrichment scenes. The cards will make the decisions for those NPCs, but the other players portray them. In short, real, living, breathing folks should be busy, even when their fictional hero isn't in the panel.

Hey man- I'm feeling this- However, in scenes where you have, say, 2-3 major villains talking to each other, each of the major villians played by the GM... It's not that bad of a situation because these scenes only last a minute or two anyway.  But still, to get the "starting villain" to boost to the same level in power/aspects as the PCs, you really have to bring out the Villain scenes just as much as you do for the PCs.  

I was thinking that getting the villains to double their aspects gained through scenes may help take care of this a little...

-Andy

[Michael S. Miller]

However, in scenes where you have, say, 2-3 major villains talking to each other, each of the major villians played by the GM...

Y'see, I'd farm out all the major villains but one to the players in such a case. (and it might be a different one in a later scene) The earlier Enrichment scenes, where the GM is playing the villain and the players take on some flunkies or hapless victims will serve to teach the players how those villains are to be played, I hope.

Also, I don't think that villains need to have the same number of Aspects on their sheet or in play as the Heroes. After all, the story's not about them. A villain just needs to answer three questions:

What does he want? (this is the Plan Aspect type--something I'm currently working on)

What can he use to get it? (Powers)

Who does he have influence over? (Lackeys)

Of course, having said all that, there's no reason you couldn't Prime twice as many Aspects as the villains. I just don't think I'm going to take that path in the Full Edition. But I will be glad to put it in the optional rules section.

[Kat Miller]

Hi Andy,

I've found that by having individual Villian sheets I can just hand the villian to another player-
especially if a player comes up with a really cool enrichment scene that uses the villian.

If you want more than one villian in your scene,
decide which one is controling the stakes, hand the other one to a player.
give the player a brief motivation.  This has worked fine.

Players can be very creative with the villians when given that kind of chance.