[PTA] Revelation: Matching Characters to Play Styles

[Mr. Sluagh]

All this time, I thought I wasn't a good roleplayer.  I've been collecting the books and talking on the forums for years, but I've never played much.  Whenever I did, I'd always freeze and not be able to think of anything to do the second someone put me on the spot and wanted me to act on my own initiative.  Now, I've finally figured out how to prevent that.

My group is currently running a PrimeTime Adventures game.  It's a sci-fi dramedy aired in the setting of Lois Bujold's Cordelia's Honor on Beta Colony.  I play an experimental AI named Robin.  The others play various specialists who teach and study Robin (a teacher, a computer scientist, and a psychologist).  In most episodes, the specialists make silly blunders when speaking to Robin, Robin reacts appropriately, and the specialists fix the damage.  Last night, I was given the impression that I owned the outdoors.  Next week, my supervisors must convince me that I don't.

Here's the thing: I barely have to exhibit any personal initiative when playing this character.  It's completely reactive.  The only problem is in setting scenes, but I usually just toss out a vague idea and then let the others make suggestions.  If possible, I skip the first part.

I used to somehow feel obligated to give my characters overarching goals or personal plotlines, but I'd fall flat when the GM wanted me to explore them.  Now, I've realized that that's not necessary.  All I have to do is come up with a reason for the character to be there, a useful ability, and a quirk or gimmick to make things interesting.  I'll probably gravitate towards low-powered, well-structured games now, rather than nuclear-powered catfights like Exalted and Nobilis and open-ended exploratory games like the WoD and Unknown Armies.  Anything else just makes me want to sink into a hole in the floor.

[Matt Wilson]

It's a sci-fi dramedy aired in the setting of Lois Bujold's Cordelia's Honor on Beta Colony.

Awesome.

And I'm glad you're having a good time.

[clair]

Hello...
You sound experienced...
I have a question: Don't you think that your character(s) should have some similance of a plot or goal? I kind of thought that it was rpg etiquette to allow other characters to achieve a personal endeavor while still blending with the central plot.

Just a question, I'm a rookie...

clair

[Andrew Cooper]

Clair,

Those are good questions.

In many traditional RPG's there is a single person, the Gamemaster, who is often responsible for preparing a plotline for the game that the players have their characters follow.  The players might have some sub-plots that their characters engage in but the GM generally pulls those plots into the predetermined plotline he has planned.  The players get to act out scene in character and get in fights and stuff but regardless of what is done or said in the scenes the GM makes sure the players get from Plot Point A to Plot Point B to Plot Point C... etc etc.

In many of the Independent Games here at the Forge, this style of play is avoided.  Not because it can't be functional but because we feel there are more interesting ways to play.  In many games here there is no preplanned plotline.  The players collectively create the plot on the fly during play.  Most of the games here have very good  systems for doing this.  Sometimes the system is very cooperative.  Sometimes the system is very competitive.  So, yes, sometimes the system requires that you allow other players have their characters achieve their personal endeavors and goals while other systems make it so that players activiely oppose each other in achieving their goals.  Boths ways to play can be fun.  Depends on what you are looking for.