tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post2323077303090108175..comments2024-03-28T15:30:09.903-04:00Comments on GROGNARDIA: Dwimmermount and PreparationJames Maliszewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-83531050445483936262009-11-30T14:03:40.826-05:002009-11-30T14:03:40.826-05:00There is nothing better than having a group of pla...There is nothing better than having a group of players (or at least most of your group) who are not just decent players, but can just relax and go along with the GM's flow. Makes winging it so much easier (and fun for GM as well as players).Kevin Machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14122665488285424578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-74505911860614651512009-11-29T11:27:34.276-05:002009-11-29T11:27:34.276-05:00Indeed, I know for my part my experience playing &...<i>Indeed, I know for my part my experience playing "storygames" has equipped me with a strong set of GMing tools which have stood me in good stead in my recent forays back into the old school.</i><br /><br>I don't doubt it. The biggest difference, I think, is that most old school games are very open-ended in their focus, whereas most storygames tend to be more tightly focused. There are exceptions on both sides, of course, but I think it's the diffuseness of old school games that makes them so attractive to me right now.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-30034069340903876732009-11-29T04:06:04.042-05:002009-11-29T04:06:04.042-05:00It's interesting to see how many point of simi...It's interesting to see how many point of similarity their are between your prep for "old school" play, and the kind of prep that's common for dirty hippy storygames.<br /><br />* list of names<br />* a broad outline of situation<br />* ideas for points of challenge, but without preconceived outcomes<br /><br />...and in play...<br /><br />* honoring player choice<br />* soliciting and respecting player input<br />* letting player engagement + the rules system determine final outcomes.<br /><br />Indeed, I know for my part my experience playing "storygames" has equipped me with a strong set of GMing tools which have stood me in good stead in my recent forays back into the old school.<br /><br />That's not to say there aren't distinct differences between the newest and oldest schools, both philosophically and procedurally. Still the existence of strong points of similarity in "practical GMing" would seem to indicate to me that there is a common core to what it means to play a roleplaying game successfully.Rafialhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07077298546098373938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-57678049355344887022009-11-28T23:51:29.197-05:002009-11-28T23:51:29.197-05:00There are far too many products that illustrate th...<i>There are far too many products that illustrate the gospel truth approach to dungeon design (buy the module and run it "properly") and maybe none that do justice to the dynamic-development approach.</i><br /><br>Probably because there is no "Gospel truth" to dungeon design. I do what I do because it works for me, as I suspect most referees do. I don't deny that what I do and why might prove interesting to others, but I would hate for anyone to take my approach as <i>the</i> approach.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-55549383605879556232009-11-28T23:49:18.901-05:002009-11-28T23:49:18.901-05:00How dare you! You just making it difficult for som...<i>How dare you! You just making it difficult for somebody to publish Dwimmermount 30 years from now. %-)</i><br /><br>I am reliably informed that I am indeed a bad, bad person. This is just further evidence of that.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-34603670251032290512009-11-28T12:09:45.049-05:002009-11-28T12:09:45.049-05:00Building on Rob's comment, it would be very in...Building on Rob's comment, it would be very interesting later to compare your original maps to all the changes you made and why.<br /><br />If you're looking for products to spin off from Dwimmermount, an example of its development from original ideas to first execution and then the evolution of the dungeon in response to character actions would attract and fascinate a large contingent of the DMing population out there.<br /><br />There are far too many products that illustrate the gospel truth approach to dungeon design (buy the module and run it "properly") and maybe none that do justice to the dynamic-development approach.<br /><br />For now, to keep that idea open, probably all you'd have to do is keep copies of the various stages of your work and jot the occasional reminder note about why you made each change.<br /><br />Just a thought.Rick Marshallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01707062453047354335noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-83876506717841005392009-11-28T11:40:23.262-05:002009-11-28T11:40:23.262-05:00In play, I often change the maps on the fly, as I ...<i>In play, I often change the maps on the fly, as I get new ideas, so those maps are, like so much of my prep work, guidelines rather than the Gospel truth. I also partially filled those maps with monsters and treasures, using the tables in the OD&D books.</i><br /><br />How dare you! You just making it difficult for somebody to publish Dwimmermount 30 years from now. %-)Robert Conleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03863009007381185340noreply@blogger.com