Hi everyone, I am returning to rpg's after being heavily into them as a teenager 25 years ago. I've been looking around alot and checking out different games, and am very interested in Prime Time Adventures.

I'm still a little confused about how the actual role-playing goes. What I would love help with is if Matt Wilson or someone who knows "how the game is really supposed to run" can point me to a podcast or audio of an actual play session.

A lot of the actual play descriptions I've found on The Forge don't seem to give enough detail, and the podcasts and audio of actual play I have found seem to be embroiled in debates and disagreements about how to play "right." I read some of the discussions on this forum, especially between players struggling for power over the narrative versus co-creating the narrative, and really appreciate the depth the game seems to offer if you do it right.

I think I understand some key stumbling blocks -- such as understanding what an Issue is, and how Stakes work in a conflict -- but audio of actual, 'doing it right' gameplay would really help.

I've worked as a professional actor and am currently in an improv class, as well as being a writer. PTA could be a tremendous tool for my creativity, and I'd love to unleash this on some of my friends who have never played rpg's before. I just want to make sure I have a good grasp of the mechanics before I host a session.

Thanks for your help!

-- Will Hall

Hi Will:

The improv/writer background ought to give you a good setup for this game. I took a lot of the stuff in the "jobs to do" section from my experience with improv in the early 90s.

I don't know of any recorded sessions, sorry, but I'm happy to answer as many hypothetical or actual play situations as you want.

If you want to listen to an actual play session, The Game Master Show (www.thegamemastershow.com) did one not too long ago, followed by their review of the system, where they note that they realized they'd done a few things 'wrong', but they worked out well anyway.

- Theo

hi folks, thanks for getting back to me. i was just at a local game story playing a drop-in card game with a friend. so it seems i am getting closer to the role playing world.

I have to say that I've told two friends about PTA, and just the description has them excited. So at some point soon we'll probably get a game going. Congrats on writing a very cool game.

reading through the rules and looking on the net, I'm getting a bit clearer on the pitfalls about play and the proper way to do it. It's clear to me for example that framing character Issues is really key, as is understanding that Stakes in conflicts are abstract, and don't pre-set the detailed narration, which is left to the high card player narrating the conflict.

So whoever's turn it is sets the Focus (plot or character), Agenda (broad story purpose of the scene) and the Location. The other players can all call out suggestions and discuss what would be cool, but it's the player whose turn it is who has final say and sets the scene.

Is this, and at the end of conflicts, basically the only time that other players call out and make recommendations on how the narration should go?

The Producer then takes the info as determined by the player setting the scene, and describes an opening scene, perhaps with npc's doing some actions. Again, the non-Producer players can make suggestions as this is happening, but the Producer has final say? Is that right?

So let's say my hypothetical example is a series combining The Prisoner TV show with Grant Morrison's Arkham Asylum. The players are all superheroes and arch-villains on Arkham Island, with different alliances, heroes facing their dark sides and villains with the potential for either revenge or redemption, with a background conspiracy unfolding of who or what is really behind the Island, confused allegiances, and the potential of uniting against the Island. Player characters would include two rival superheroes, a super villain, and an Island Nurse. NPCs include all sorts of other heros and villain (who may or may not be who they seem), Asylum doctors/nurses/staff, and a mysterious Number Two bureaucrat. Other NPC's might be a police commissioner with intermittent communication with the island, new arrivals, and a man claiming to be a former secret agent.

Player 1's turn says the scene is Plot development. The agenda is to establish some basic info about Asylum Island and how the superheros get there. The location is at a table with a chessboard in the Asylum Island cafeteria.

Question - Does the Agenda that the player sets have to specify what players are in the scene? So in this example, a correct Agenda would be "Batman and the Head Island Nurse establish how the superheroes arrive on the island." Or does it not matter - can the Producer then specify who is in the Scene if the player didn't?

So the Producer then creates an opening shot. For example "An overhead longshot through a skylight with rain and thunder. Late at night, a lone light inside. The camera cuts to a bat-gloved hand moving a chess piece, and then pulls back to show a haggard and beaten-up Batman playing chess with a calm and collected Head Island Nurse."

Or does the Producer have to leave all protagonist action to the players? So a more correct opening shot would be, "An overhead longshot through a skylight with rain and thunder. Late at night, a lone light inside, the camera moves closer to Batman and the Head Island Nurse at a chessboard." The Producer's job here just to get things going? Because they are not really adding much?

I guess what I am asking is Should the Producer try to not add any narrative content to the Player's scene Agenda, e.g. that they are playing chess not just sitting at a board?

Then the rules say:

Once a scene has been created by a player, a scene is 'played out' with the contributing players having characters in the scene say and do things. The producer will play the part of supporting characters, and the other players will take charge of their protagonists.

I'm going to try to get in on a PTA game at the upcoming indie game meetup in a couple of weeks here in portland, and if i do i hope to get a better sense of things. if anyone has any thoughts from my example that could be really helpful too, as eventually i want to put together a game for my friends. thanks! - will

Hi Will!

relaxingnap wrote:
Is this, and at the end of conflicts, basically the only time that other players call out and make recommendations on how the narration should go?

The Producer then takes the info as determined by the player setting the scene, and describes an opening scene, perhaps with npc's doing some actions. Again, the non-Producer players can make suggestions as this is happening, but the Producer has final say? Is that right?

Question - Does the Agenda that the player sets have to specify what players are in the scene? So in this example, a correct Agenda would be "Batman and the Head Island Nurse establish how the superheroes arrive on the island." Or does it not matter - can the Producer then specify who is in the Scene if the player didn't?

So the Producer then creates an opening shot. For example "An overhead longshot through a skylight with rain and thunder. Late at night, a lone light inside. The camera cuts to a bat-gloved hand moving a chess piece, and then pulls back to show a haggard and beaten-up Batman playing chess with a calm and collected Head Island Nurse."

Or does the Producer have to leave all protagonist action to the players? So a more correct opening shot would be, "An overhead longshot through a skylight with rain and thunder. Late at night, a lone light inside, the camera moves closer to Batman and the Head Island Nurse at a chessboard." The Producer's job here just to get things going? Because they are not really adding much?

I guess what I am asking is Should the Producer try to not add any narrative content to the Player's scene Agenda, e.g. that they are playing chess not just sitting at a board?

So say the Batman player is narrating. The Head Nurse is also a player. So both of them are in the scene. So how exactly does it go now? Each player has control of their character, plus the Producer controls NPCs. The other players, assuming they don't spend Fan Mail to enter the scene with their character -- do they call out suggestions and give ideas of what should happen? Does each player only have control of their character, otherwise it goes to a Conflict, or can the players assert action on each other and agree that they accept it? If Batman says "I am playing chess with the Nurse," he has brought the Nurse into action - do they have to agree? Do they players discuss?

I guess what I am asking is, Does it go something like this:

Batman player: I'm groggy, I've been drugged. My hand trembles as I move the chess piece, but I checkmate the Head Nurse, and growl, OK so I played your game, Nurse, now you play mine,. How did I get here?
Nurse Player: I stand up and light a cigarette and say, "Impressive, even semi-drugged you can still beat a rated player with some exotic moves. I should ask you the same question Batman. Why do you think I'm here? I woke up drugged myself 8 years ago..." We look at each other.
Batman: I am surprised and start to speak and-
Producer: An Orderly comes in and interrupts, giving the Nurse a cross look as he drags Batman from the chair and across the room towards his cell. Batman tries to struggle, but though his mind is clearing, his body is still weak from the drugs, and he is easily subdued.
Producer calls cut as the scene has ended.

(This is an example without conflict, I'll get to that in a second.) The Agenda has been met, because now the plot has established the superheroes are drugged and kidnapped somehow, and that the Nurse claims to have arrived there similarly.

But my question is, say the Nurse doesn't go along with playing chess, would prefer to just be sitting at the table, because in the players mind the Nurse and Batman would never be intimate or friendly. What then?

Also, what if the other players want to call out, "He wasn't drugged, he went in voluntarily because of some finished business with an old rival." or "Batman is upset because he has been unmasked! The whole Island thing is about revealing the alter ego of the Superheroes." Or do other players not call out suggestions when the role-playing is going on?

So in my example, the roleplaying is 'realtime;" there is no player deliberation. Could it go otherwise? What if the Batman character set the scene with the Head Nurse. Then it goes like this:

Producer: Camera zooms to Batman and Nurse at Chessboard.
Batman player: Are we playing an game or are we just there symbolically?
Other player not in scene: Make them play chess and Batman bets with the Nurse.
Nurse player: No let's just play chess, Batman wins, but he's drugged. He's been kidnapped.
Batman: Ok. and the Nurse tells me how she got to the Island too right?
Nurse: Yes, and Batman and the Nurse realize they might have a common interest.
Producer: No, right when they start to talk about that, an Orderly interrupts and drags Batman away.
Other player not in scene: Yah that's cool, then its like the Asylum staff are up against the Asylum creators.

This certainly seems like a 'writers conference' that is going to instruct the role play. 'Realtime" role-playing sounds more right, except that, How do other players contribute ideas and suggestions? Or does that collaboration only happen when Scenes are being established and in the Narration after conflicts?

It seems like no real Stakes or Interest would be there for a Conflict in this example, right? Unless say, the Nurse character calls Conflict at the moment Batman says they are playing chess instead of sitting at the chessboard together? Or when the orderly NPC comes in, Batman could call Conflict, and set the stake as "Batman continues to challenge the Nurse for information." Since Batman's Issue is Siding with Justice Not Vengeance, his doesn't seem like a very good Conflict. Success might mean he knocks out the Orderly and he and the Nurse continue their conversation?

Ah thanks this is helpful, i will look at those two threads. I have a sense I am trying to describe in words something that is more of a feel to go for in actual play. Your points about not scripting the players beforehand being boring is very important. It feels like this is getting clearer, I appreciate the help. Indie game night is in a week and a half and I'll get some hands on experience before running my own game. - will