What’s in a Recreation?
Most RPGs have been initially designed for lengthy campaigns, not one-off (one-shot) adventures or a shortish sequence of adventures (sometimes lower than a dozen). A sequence generally is a quick marketing campaign, however lacks lots of the hallmarks of a marketing campaign.
One other approach to differentiate is to ask your self what number of compelling issues are occurring. Some traits to contemplate:
- GMs and Gamers: The variety of GMs and gamers, and the way persistently they present up, issues lots. Particularly in campaigns with a number of GMs.
- Participant Consistency (Years of Play): Sequences and campaigns normally contain the identical group of adventurers, give or take. However in campaigns, that group can change lots over time.
- Single Story Arc: What occurs exterior of the sport periods? If it’s “not a lot,” you’re in one-shot or sequence territory. If it’s “lots,” you’re possible in a marketing campaign.
- Size and World: The setting or “world” isn’t normally vital in one-shots, possibly a bit in sequences, however it’s important to campaigns. Campaigns and sequences have a continuity that one-offs simply don’t. There’s an enormous distinction in really feel between a marketing campaign that lasts years and a sequence that lasts just a few periods.
- Charge of Development: Campaigns are all about gradual character development. For this reason most industrial “journey paths” are literally sequences – they’re designed for quick leveling. In a real marketing campaign, it’s all in regards to the journey.
One-Pictures: Bang, Zoom, Carried out!
Older industrial journey modules have been typically one-shots. There’s a particular goal and an ending attainable in a brief interval of game-time. In a one-shot, there may be one compelling factor occurring at a time.
Some actions can solely be carried out as one-shots. I consider my previous “Barroom Brawl” state of affairs from White Dwarf #11, the place 15 gamers individually obtain pre-generated characters and motivations, after which play out the journey in a tavern/inn. It’s essentially the case the place the characters won’t be used any additional (as with most one-shots) and the place the enjoyable comes purely from the interplay of the characters and their motivations moderately than the extra typical incentives of RPG play.
One-shots are extra possible dominated by tactical issues. That’s, they’re extra strategic, specializing in what you do earlier than or other than combating; and tactical, what you do throughout a battle.
Sequence: Quick & Candy (and Degree-y)
“Journey paths” consisting of a number of adventures designed to let characters commonly rise in degree, are normally a sequence/“quick marketing campaign” although the implications (degree rise) are fairly dramatic and drastic. Sequences will typically be dominated by one story-arc or goal. An instance is the trilogy of in depth modules that made up Gary Gygax’s well-known “Towards the Giants.”
Sequences and campaigns are inclined to require gamers who work collectively. If it’s a recreation with an overarching narrative, one thing they may “lose” all the way in which as much as being worn out, they’ll should work collectively. Sure that’s additionally true of one-shots, however the gamers might not care about their characters in a single pictures, and should not thoughts how others react to an absence of cooperation, whereas in even a sequence gamers might turn out to be connected to the characters.
Development tends to be an indicator of sequences. That is what makes nearly all industrial “journey paths” sequences, as a result of they’re designed for characters to rise in degree fairly quickly. Gamers can typically turn out to be targeted on the vacation spot (energy enhance) moderately than the journey (journey), whereas you may make the case {that a} hallmark of campaigns is that individuals deal with the journey and never the vacation spot. Although that is typically related to video video games (the place fast leveling is a part of the way in which the sport retains gamers coming again for extra), it predates pc RPGs.
Campaigns The Lengthy Haul
Business journey modules are not often campaigns as a result of they have to be at the very least book-length to be complete, and even then it is possible lacking one thing. Campaigns are inclined to have stronger strategic facets than sequences or one-shots. In a marketing campaign, a number of compelling occasions are sometimes occurring on the similar (recreation) time. The longer the marketing campaign, the extra possible that there shall be a number of story arcs, one after the opposite or concurrently.
Consistency of play, with lots of the similar individuals concerned within the marketing campaign over a few years, is a attribute of campaigns. You too can have multiple GM in a marketing campaign supplied there are one or two GMs who’re “in cost”. The “world” is shared by the GMs. If it’s a storytelling marketing campaign, how a lot cooperation shall be required is dependent upon the GM. Characters will also be shared amongst these campaigns. This additionally makes it simpler for gamers to drop out and in, relying on schedules. Participant attachment to characters will definitely be sturdy in a recreation marketing campaign.
It isn’t unusual for corporations to publish megadungeons and overarching campaigns, however within the early days earlier than digital merchandise such campaign-style producers have been uncommon. The previous TSR boxed units similar to Dragon Mountain got here closest. Even then, a attribute of a real marketing campaign is that it adjustments fairly considerably over time: each the gamers and the targets, typically the overarching story itself.
Subsequent time, I’ll focus on every of the three modes of play (one-shot, sequence, and marketing campaign) in additional element.
Your Flip: Which of those three alternate options do you favor?
