Heya,

Killa seemed like he wanted the previous thread to end, so I started a new one here to address something he said.

Michael S. Miller wrote:
Why should all the PCs band together? Why do they have to be on the "same team?" Why do they even have to be in the same story all the time? Why can't they be foils for one another? Does that bring you closer to your Vision for the game, or is it just because you think "that's what role-playing games are supposed to do?"

I see role-playing as an opportunity to emmerge myself in my imagination. Even though I don't role-play doesn't mean I haven't ever (I just haven't been horribly compelled by a setting or game system, and beyond that, I'm quite the hermit these days.... but I digress). The type of story/game that most engages me, which will most certainly be the type of game I strive to construct, is the adventure—specifically, the "fantastic" adventure, where reality still applies, only with some kind of twist. I love stories within this genre that involve a diverse group that somehow ended up working together. They may be friends, co-workers, or just a bunch of pissed-off parents working together to recover their kidnapped children. I love that character dynamic within the group, especially when the shady, untrusted guy ends up risking his neck for the other guy.

I could certainly see the possibility of having just one/some of the players involved at any given time, having multiple narrators when players aren't involved. Just as I don't disavow this set-up, I don't necessarily see a need for it either. It'd be like playing a CRPG, it seems. I guess that's where "What's the goal of your game?" comes in.

-You answered the question "Why would the players band together?" but not the question "Why would the characters band together?" In your game, why would they band together?

Peace,

-Troy

killacozzy wrote: I love stories within this genre that involve a diverse group that somehow ended up working together. They may be friends, co-workers, or just a bunch of pissed-off parents working together to recover their kidnapped children. I love that character dynamic within the group, especially when the shady, untrusted guy ends up risking his neck for the other guy.

I guess it's just up to the characters.... common interest or common goal. The former included friendships, love-interests, shared activities, and the like. The latter includes co-workers, an assembled troupe, small "mobs" with shared goals, and the like. Then there's the mixed group, which is the most common.... you have Hero A (on a mission), who has faithful Sidekick B (a loyal friendship), who encounter Rebel C (on the same mission as the Hero), who free Mystical Old Man D from bad guys (he feels indebted)..... it could go on and on. Each has his reasons for banding together, but in the end, they either want to accomplish the same thing or lend their aid to a friend/ally who wishes to accomplish something.

Again, it's really all up to the characters.