I've written a game I've named Dramatikos.  In short it is a narrative game of interactive drama.  I did my best to explain how to play very clearly, providing examples in a lot of cases.  However, I still think that the best way to learn to play is to do it, and providing an introductory scenario will be a great way to allow this.  My quandary is that although Dramatikos does support a certain style of play, it does not hinge upon a specific genre or setting.  What are some viable options for providing scenarios to introduce both how to use the system as well as to help the players understand their options for genre, setting, and characters?

Here is a little more information about the game, if it will help.

Who the players are
There are two roles available for players of Dramatikos: Actor and Poet.  Individual players can play one or the other, or even both.  Actors create and portray the key characters of the scenario (called personas).  Poets develop the key elements of the scenario.  Who assumes the role of Actor and/or Poet depends upon each player's desires and abilities.

Essence of Dramatikos
The most important things to remember about Dramatikos are these: Dramatikos is an interactive game; Dramatikos is a dramatic game; and Dramatikos is a narrative game.

As an interactive game, a lot of the fun of Dramatikos comes from how you and the other players relate to each other. Everyone feeds off each other's ideas and shares in one another's creativity. The major activities of this game---revealing character, resolving conflict, and addressing themes---depend upon how you interact with the other players. Although there is nothing in the rules preventing the players from staying in their creative bubbles, the more that everyone shares, the more fun this game will be.

What makes Dramatikos a dramatic game is its focus on the creation and resolution of conflict. This conflict can be between characters (especially personas), within character, between groups, or even between a character and the world. The rules of Dramatikos are there to help you resolve these conflicts. Your job as the player is to help develop conflicts, make them interesting, resolve them, and play out what happens afterwards. If this sounds familiar, it probably is. This process mirrors the rising action, climax, and falling action of the stories of page, film, and stage.

Dramatikos is a narrative game because it operates by the demands of story. The laws and logic of nature (and even common sense) mean less than the laws and logic of story. In a story, what is meaningful is more important than what is realistic or probable. Exactly how you define meaningful depends upon several things. The most obvious amongst them are theme, character, and genre. Keeping these things in the forefront of your mind helps you determine the most appropriate course of action in a game of Dramatikos.

Mechanics, briefly
1.  To play you only need index cards, blank playing cards, Post-It notes, or scraps of paper.  The text defaults to index cards.
Scenarios and personas have Attributes and Qualities. 
1a.  Attributes are the abstract traits that define a persona or scenario.
1b.  Qualities are how Attributes reveal themselves. 
1c.  The Attributes of a scenario are: genre, theme, mood, foreground, aesthetics, goals, and quirks. 
1d.  The Attributes of a persona are: archetype, drives, passions, threads, boons, defects, and props.
2.  Attributes have a specific value.  Qualities generated for those Attributes share that value.  Each index card records an Attribute, one of its Qualities, and the value.
3.  Conflict resolution is entirely narrative. 
3a.  Conflict begins when a player invokes a Quality and plays the card(s) associated with it. 
3b.  Conflict continues when an opposing player does likewise, playing one or more cards to meet or exceed the value of the exchange. 
3c.  Conflict ends when one player is unable to invoke additional Qualities at or above the value of the exchange.
4.  When Actors do things that make the game more fun and interesting for everyone, another player can reward the Actor with Grace. 
4a.  Actors also gain Grace from creating and portraying Defects.
4b.  Actors can spend Grace to add or change Qualities. 
4c.  Grace can also be used to determine or describe one aspect of a scene: location, character, or event.

Hi!
  Well, a trick you can use is to use a setting that is universal. A theatre, a market, a palace. These are things that exist in almost every country in almost every era. So tha the reader does not try and pigeon-hole your game into a certain era/genre.
  Good luck man!

Hey Green,

Green wrote: My quandary is that although Dramatikos does support a certain style of play, it does not hinge upon a specific genre or setting.  What are some viable options for providing scenarios to introduce both how to use the system as well as to help the players understand their options for genre, setting, and characters?

I've come across a similar issue with my game of naval adventures, which is one genre but can be in multiple settings (e.g. Hornblower to Battlestar  Galactica).

My answer was to provide a few prebuilt settings that allow people to play off the cuff, that show off archetypal examples of the settings the game was designed for. They will include a bunch of ideas for stories and events that are appropriate for each setting (i.e. introductory adventures, really).

That provides people with a bunch of useful ideas and also allows the new player to grab the game and run it without too much trouble.

Thank you for your responses.  Although your suggestions are duly noted, there is something I must clarify about scenarios in Dramatikos.  Interestingly enough, your responses showed me that I left out the most glaringly obvious information: how Dramatikos defines scenario.

I will first address the glaring omission.  Here is scenario defined:

In Dramatikos, a scenario is the context for drama.  The scenario is not the drama itself, but the combination of elements that make drama possible.  Imagine drama as a cake.  Scenario would be the flour, eggs, sugar, and milk that mixed to make the batter.  The ingredients of a scenario are character, setting, and event.

In Dramatikos, a scenario provides the context for drama. It is not the drama itself, but the combination of elements that make drama possible. Imagine drama as a cake. Scenario would be the flour, eggs, sugar, and milk that make the batter for that cake. You will learn more about these ingredients later on (See “Architecture of a Scenario” below).

Dramatikos uses Attributes and Qualities to define the traits of scenarios and personas. Attributes are the basic building blocks of a scenario or persona. They represent the traits that define a character or story idea. Qualities are how Attributes reveal themselves. All personas and scenarios have Attributes, but they do not all have Qualities associated with those Attributes.  Picture an outfit: shirt, pants, shoes, socks, accessories, and so forth. Each item of clothing can be viewed as an Attribute. Qualities describe the shape, color, texture, and style of the outfit.

Scenarios have seven Attributes, each of which can have any number of Qualities. When you make cards for your scenario's Qualities, be sure to make it clear which Attribute that Quality refers to.  For the purpose of this thread, I'll describe them only briefly.

Genre: Basic purpose of the scenario.  Types of Qualities include action (what the scenario is meant to do) and convention (traits that make the genre what it is)
Theme: Meaning of the scenario.  Qualities center around questions and issues the players want to explore.
Mood: Predominant emotional context of the scenario.  Influences character behaviors and aesthetic qualities of setting and plot.
Character: Key characters of the scenario.  Usually includes personas.
Setting: Locations important to the unfolding of the scenario.
Event: Something that happens to bring everything together, starting the drama of the scenario.
Goals: What the players want to do in the scenario.  Not just with their personas, but personally as well.

Each Quality associated with a particular Attribute has a numerical value detailed in the table below.

[table]
[tr][td]Scenario Attribute[/td][td][/td][td]Persona Attribute[/td][td][/td][td]Value[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Genre[/td][td][/td][td]Archetype[/td][td][/td][td]5[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Theme[/td][td][/td][td]Drive[/td][td][/td][td]4[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Mood[/td][td][/td][td]Passion[/td][td][/td][td]3[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Event[/td][td][/td][td]Thread[/td][td][/td][td]2[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Character[/td][td][/td][td]Boon[/td][td][/td][td]1[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Setting[/td][td][/td][td]Prop[/td][td][/td][td]1[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Goal[/td][td][/td][td]Defect[/td][td][/td][td]special[/td][/tr]
[/table]

In my next post, I'll give a sample scenario.

The way I'll post the scenario is to post what would be on each card.  I could simply do a write-up where I have all the information under each heading, but I wanted to give a more accurate portrayal of how it would look on the makeshift cards the game uses.

Card One.  Genre: Horror.  Action: To scare.

Card Two.  Genre: Horror.  Convention: Gruesome deaths.

Card Three.  Theme: Is it possible to balance civilization with the wild?

Card Four.  Mood: Eerie.  Everything about the town seems a little off.  Lots of weird phenomena like fog without fog conditions, unexplained animal noises, people who look normal but come off as strange.

Card Five.  Setting: Townhouse for rent in the Outback.

Card Six.  Setting: Rinky-dink police office with holding cell.

Card Seven.  Setting: Wolf's Head Tavern, the local pub and meeting place.

Card Eight.  Setting: Dense wilderness just outside of town.

Card Nine.  Character: The Creature responsible for the murders.

Card Ten.  Character: Sheriff, only local law enforcement around.

Card Eleven.  Character: Mayor (for lack of a better term), political leader of the town.

Card Twelve.  Character: American exchange student.

Card Thirteen.  Character: British tourist.

Card Fourteen.  Character: Businessman from Sydney.

Card Fifteen.  Event: One of the local people gets torn apart and halfway eaten by some creature.

Card Sixteen.  Goal: Improve skills for developing atmosphere for horror.

Card Seventeen.  Goal: Make one player scream

Green, do you have a specific, step-by-step procedure for creating scenarios (it looks like you do)?  If so, do you have examples (or better, a running example) in, next to, or after that step-by-step procedure?

I ran into a similar "problem" in Full Light, Full Steam -- details of the player characters are an essential ingredient for creating the situation, and so a "generic" sample adventure is impossible.  What I offer instead is the step-by-step procedures for creating characters and situations, and then gave a running example of creating a group of characters and then a situation that was based off of those characters.  So while, yeah, I guess there is a "sample adventure" in there, it's nothing that I ever expect anyone to play.

I do have a procedure where the elements of the scenario are explained more fully and given a running example.  It is not, however, a linear process where you need each step to follow the other.  Here is the information from the text:

Architecture of a Scenario
Scenarios have seven Attributes, each of which can have any number of Qualities.  When you make cards for your scenario's Qualities, be sure to make it clear which Attribute that Quality refers to.

Ann wants to do something slightly familiar for in her first turn as a Poet, so she decides to adapt a known drama  She knows she wants something Shakespearean, but she cannot decide between “Hamlet” and “Romeo and Juliet.”  Tim says that if she did “Romeo and Juliet,” he'd love to play Tybalt.  Mike asks, “Why can't you do both?  Can't we do 'Romeo and Ophelia' or something?”  After hearing this, Rick pipes in and adds that it would be interesting to see how the story would change with a different character in the title, perhaps even with Hamlet.  Ann decides to go with this and names her scenario, “Hamlet and Juliet: a Modern Love Story.”

Genre
Genre defines the basic purpose of the scenario.  There are two types of Qualities associated with genre: action and conventions.

The genre's action describes what the scenario is meant to do.  In many cases, genre is defined by the emotional impact you wish the scenario to have.  For instance, “Horror: Scare” or “Adventure is supposed to excite.”

Create an index card for each of your chosen genre's actions.

After thinking about it for a while, Ann determines that the scenario is a tragedy.  Furthermore, she defines her scenario as a romantic tragedy.  Ann realizes that her romantic tragedy is supposed to evoke pity.  So, on an index card, she writes “Romantic tragedy: Evoke pity.”

Genre conventions are the traits that  make the genre what it is.  Can there be horror without somebody dying a gruesome death?  Is a romance a romance without love interests?  Does action exist without cool special effects? 

Make index cards for each of your scenario's genre conventions.

The first thing that comes to Ann's mind for her scenario's conventions are star-crossed lovers and the death of major characters.  So, on one card she writes, “Convention: star-crossed lovers.”  On another, she writes, “Convention: At least one persona will die.”  She can't think of any more conventions at the moment, so she leaves it at that.

Theme
The theme of a scenario describes how events will have meaning.  It determines what your scenario will be about.  What questions do you seek to explore?  What statements do you want to make?  What are some issues important to your scenario?  What are the events in the scenario supposed to mean?  Themes are not always tied to genre, but your choice of genre can determine a lot of ways that question can be addressed and answered.  To ask, "Is it better to be loved or feared?" means something different in a romance than it does in a political drama. 

Make an index card for each of your scenario's themes.

Ann's scenario will feature two families of different nations embroiled in a bitter feud.  The lovers in this tale will have to choose between love and duty.  From there, she settles on the theme for her scenario, “Which is stronger: love or duty?”  She creates a card for this theme.  Satisfied with the huge potential for conflict, she lets this be the only theme for her scenario.

Mood
Moods define the emotions that dominate your scenario.  Think about some emotions you associate with your scenario.  How does this emotion express itself in your scenario?  How does it affect how characters look, speak, and behave?  How does it influence the aesthetic qualities of your scenario? 

Create index cards for each of your scenario's moods.  Briefly describe how they reveal themselves.

Right off the bat, Ann wants this scenario to be rife with tension.  The conflict between the two families is intense but not open.  Secondly, she decides that romance describes one of the scenario's moods as well.  Despite the potential for graphic, gritty conflict, there remains a sort of softness and delicacy about everything (at first).  Intense emotions, especially love and hate, color everything about the scenario.

If you get stuck, the genre and themes of your scenario may give you ideas about its moods.  Even if you are brimming with ideas, finding ways to include genre and theme can help give your scenario more emotional punch.

Character
The key characters of your scenario are the heroes and villains and movers and shakers of the scenario.  They do not need to be the most powerful individuals in your scenario, but they must be the most important.  What they want and what they do should have the greatest impact upon your scenario's plot.  Some of the personas the Actors portray will be drawn from this pool of characters, or the Actors will contribute their personas to the list of key characters. 

Create index cards for each of your scenario's characters.  Give a short description of who they are and the role they play in your scenario.

Ann immediately realizes that the most important people of her scenario will be the title characters.  She makes index cards for Hamlet and Juliet.  She describes Hamlet like this, “son of the CEO of Denmark, Inc.  The hero. Juliet's lover.”  She describes Juliet like this, “daughter of the president of Capulet Enterprises.  The beloved.  Hamlet's lover.”  She creates Hamlet's uncle, Stephen Denmark, and writes the following on that index card, “CEO of Denmark, Inc.  Authority figure.”  For Juliet's father, she writes, “John Capulet.  President of Capulet Enterprises.  Authority figure.”  She creates a card for Tybalt that reads, “Antagonist of Danish family.  Loyal protector of Capulet family.  Renowned duelist.”  To round things off, she makes a card for Mercutio that says, “Witty, urbane sidekick.”  Finally, she rounds out the bunch with Commissioner Marshall, the local law enforcement head and another authority figure.  With that, Ann feels that she has covered most of the important characters

Setting
The settings of your scenario describe the places important to the unfolding of the story.  They can be as large as a world or as small as your own back yard.  The most important thing about your setting is not where it is, but who goes there and what happens while they're there.  Think of settings as potential locations for scenes. 

Make a card for each of the settings in your scenario.  Give brief descriptions of the setting that let the other players know what it is and who goes there.

Ann imagines the city of “Hamlet and Juliet” to be a very big place, and she has a few problems narrowing it down to a few choices.  Mike and Tim offer to help.  They suggest creating cards for the headquarters of each family.  Jane says that Juliet could live at an idyllic manor on the outskirts of the city.  Rick says that he thinks it would be cool if Hamlet lived in a tower.  Tim says there needs to be a place for young people of the city to hang out, and he creates a card for a club called the Tigers' Den.  On the card, he describes it as, “young toughs and would-be thugs gather.”  Jane makes a card for Capulet manor.  Rick creates a card for what he calls the Tower of Denmark that reads, “home and business center of Danish family.  Huge Gothic skyscraper.”  Mike makes three cards.  He makes one for St. Luke's, the oldest church in the city and its spiritual center.  He makes another for Downtown, where everybody in the city can gather and mingle.  The last he makes for Valentine Park, a well-kept spot perfect for clandestine meetings.

Event
Event describes something that happens to bring everything together.  By bringing characters into contact, it is easier to start the conflict that will drive the action of the scenario.  It forges links between personas even if they themselves remain unaware.  A good event is one that affects all the personas in some way.  A great event motivates personas to act.  Your scenario may have more than one event, but be careful of them  going in different directions, which weakens the drama.

Write down your scenario's event on an index card.

Ann thinks long and hard about a way to involve all the characters in the scenario.  All of them except the commissioner are either Danes, friends of the Danes, or Capulets.  To put a modern twist on things, she decides that a family of Danish aristocrats has just bought out one of the Capulet family's most prized satellite companies.  Because both businesses are family-owned and family-operated, this starts a cold war that can erupt at any time into a violent blood feud.

Goals
Goals are what the players want to do in the scenario.  Goals help make the game into something all the players can contribute to and enjoy.  There are two types of goals: story goals and personal goals.

Story goals are things the players want to happen in the events of the scenario.  What sorts of events and developments do you want to happen in the scenario?  How about the other players?  What do they want?

Because her scenario is a Shakespearean tragedy, Ann realizes that one or more personas have to meet their end in the course of the scenario.  Thus, she has a story goal of “One or more personas must die.”  When she asks the other players what sorts of story goals they have, Rick says that he wants to pull off a soliloquy.  Mike says that he wants to die as dramatically as possible.  Tim has no particular story goals.

Personal goals are things the players want out of the game.  They rarely have anything to do with the scenario or the persona, though these things can be revealed through them.  What are some of your personal goals?  What do the other players want out of the game?

When Ann asks the other players what they want out of the game, Jane says that she wants to see the personas make a difference in the story.  She wants their actions and choices to have the most impact on what happens.  Tim has no specific goals, but  he does not want Tybalt to die meaninglessly, “like being hit by a bus or something.”  Rick says he wants to get practice in improvising lofty speech.  Mike says that he wants to explore playing a persona  different from the brooding silent types he normally plays.  Ann makes note of these goals and creates cards for them.

Make cards for each of your scenario's goals.  Be sure to note whether they are story goals or personal goals.

When defining the goals of your scenario, try to be as specific as possible.  This helps the other players help each other to achieve their goals.  Something as vague as "to become more powerful" for a story goal does little to define what the character is actually doing.  But, "to become rich and well-connected" does.  A personal goal of "to have fun" can help no one.  However, "to improve improvisational skills" does.  Describe your goals in concrete terms, and you cannot go wrong.

Actually, I stopped in to try to give some advice, but it seems that you have a solid foundation laid out, right here.  I think all that's left is to make your documents widely available, do playtesting locally or over the internet (organize games on indie-netgaming and the like: I'd recommend not just saying, "Please playtest my game", but rather setting up and recruiting for directed playtests, giving a brief blurb of the game and setting up a few suggested times, etc.

Good luck!
-Andy

{ Insert agreement with Andy } Let 'er rip!

Thanks for your replies.

I'm tweaking a few things beyond the scope of this thread.  For the most part, I'm making it clearer how certain elements should be involved in play right from the start.  The rest of the text is still a bit too academic, but once I've finished with this next bit of editing, it should be ready to playtest.  I'll probably go for a play-by-post game or even a chat-based game because it's too hard right now to try to organize a tabletop or LARPG with some of the other things going on in my life at the moment.

I agree that this game looks really solid already -- I was thinking there could be some more 'gamey' features added regarding the cards, but I don't know if that's really the feel you're looking for. (For example, allowing players to defy a Genre Convention under specific circumstances, or allowing players to change or add Index Cards in play in a more dynamic way. Playing against genre is a very powerful dramatic tool, and it would be cool to see some support for it.) I really like the Index Card stuff, but it seems like it's a lot to do all at once -- though I assume you can add more conventions, scenes and characters later if necessary?

I think you're on the right track for introductory scenarios when you talk about going back to your original sources of inspiration. I was actually going to suggest using well-known scenarios from movies and plays (like you do in the examples above): the balcony scene in Romeo & Juliet, or the mexican standoff in Reservoir Dogs. I think the key to a good Introductory Scenario would be to provide all the Poet-created elements and throw the players directly into a single 'scene' of action that will let them draw on the pre-created traits, etc. They don't have to be as complex, and including several (from different genres, as well as different mediums) should be easy.

Ice wrote: I think the key to a good Introductory Scenario would be to provide all the Poet-created elements and throw the players directly into a single 'scene' of action that will let them draw on the pre-created traits, etc.