Hey, just letting you know Arannis/Emberlyn are still on their way...but I wanted your conversation with the two Harken folks to wrap up before we barged on in, hah.
Well played so far, all. The cuts between scenes have been especially well done in my opinion, specifically the cliff-hanger pattern of posts and use of suspense by omission.
Now a question for you all:
Regarding my own posts, one trouble I'm having is striking a balance between keeping the story moving and limiting my input so that it doesn't feel overwhelming. What I mean is this: when asking NPCs questions, I generally try to imagine how the NPC feels trying to take in all the requests at once, their facial reactions as questions are asked, and at what point it becomes too much for them to handle. I understand from an OOC perspective this information overload isn't as much of a problem, since one can go back and reread whatever the questioner posted. Nevertheless, I find my writing seems to break verisimilitude if I ask too much, while stagnating the story if I ask too little.
Am I trying too hard to find a flow of storytelling in a PbP game, or is there a method to balancing these two comfortably considering the format? I'd appreciate any suggestions.
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Simplicity is the grassy field which hides the pit, though in this case it causes 1d10 psychic damage, will save for half.
I personally lean toward "ask more than necessary" given that all NPCs do is guide the PCs one direction or another as information banks. It's our responsibilities to think outside the respective boxes and glean what information we can.
If the events of the last week or so were played out on the big screen, the writing may be a bit goofy due to question overload, sure. But it's our jobs to find out what we can from who we can, while we can.
Well played so far, all. The cuts between scenes have been especially well done in my opinion, specifically the cliff-hanger pattern of posts and use of suspense by omission.
Now a question for you all:
Regarding my own posts, one trouble I'm having is striking a balance between keeping the story moving and limiting my input so that it doesn't feel overwhelming. What I mean is this: when asking NPCs questions, I generally try to imagine how the NPC feels trying to take in all the requests at once, their facial reactions as questions are asked, and at what point it becomes too much for them to handle. I understand from an OOC perspective this information overload isn't as much of a problem, since one can go back and reread whatever the questioner posted. Nevertheless, I find my writing seems to break verisimilitude if I ask too much, while stagnating the story if I ask too little.
Am I trying too hard to find a flow of storytelling in a PbP game, or is there a method to balancing these two comfortably considering the format? I'd appreciate any suggestions.
I, personally, like to type more than less. I always feel more info is better than less, esp when RPing. If you feel a section gets way too big, spoiler it and title it for what it contains, that way if people want to read it they can, if they don't want to, then they don't have to. However, I am of the opinion that more is better when it comes to RPing
When in doubt, ask more rather than less. Managing to ask the "right" amount is very hard if you aren't the sole storyteller and thus in control of the other character as well. Don't worry too much about it.
If the events of the last week or so were played out on the big screen, the writing may be a bit goofy due to question overload, sure. But it's our jobs to find out what we can from who we can, while we can.
True. Perhaps I am thinking of it more like a film than an RP session. Still, I like my posts to be easy to read. Maybe I should just add more descriptions of behaviors between questions.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Celtic_D&Der
I, personally, like to type more than less. I always feel more info is better than less, esp when RPing. If you feel a section gets way too big, spoiler it and title it for what it contains, that way if people want to read it they can, if they don't want to, then they don't have to. However, I am of the opinion that more is better when it comes to RPing
Fair enough. I personally prefer "parsimonious prose," but find each has its place.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ridai
When in doubt, ask more rather than less. Managing to ask the "right" amount is very hard if you aren't the sole storyteller and thus in control of the other character as well. Don't worry too much about it.
And yet that's what I love about RPGs: the lack of control. It's what gives much (perhaps most) of the immersion to the game for me. I know how my character would respond to a specific action by another, but since I can't guarantee the other's action, I can't guarantee my own character's actions. It's a fluid interaction.
Anyway, thanks to you all; I will keep searching for a means to balance these two, but in the meanwhile try and lean toward "more" rather than "less."
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Simplicity is the grassy field which hides the pit, though in this case it causes 1d10 psychic damage, will save for half.
Apologies if you all were ever waiting on me. We've hit a pretty important part of the story and I wanted to make sure I got all my facts straight (and that my re-entrance into the main set of dialogue) flowed well. I'm still not sure if I have all the facts straight, but we'll go with it, haha. But I don't like to be the one holding things up and I personally get a little anxious when I feel like it might be my fault so wanted to say sorry if so. I'm excited to see where this story takes us!
Last edited by Great Dane : 08-11-2012 at 05:24 PM.
Hey, sorry guys. It's been a very intense and stressful week for me as foreign exchange markets get into full swing in September, especially given all this madness/drama in the Eurozone and with the coming US elections and QE3. I've barely managed to keep my own game moderated.
It's entertaining to watch as well. I'm not sure how Argius' personality will fit in, though (for drama purposes, I mean), which is why my posts haven't dealt much with interacting with others (the song, tending to the horses, etc.). My characters tend to follow my RL style of interaction: path of least resistance when dealing with others until the cost gets too high, then precision strike response. I wouldn't mind others upping that cost if it can produce some character development for all involved.
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Simplicity is the grassy field which hides the pit, though in this case it causes 1d10 psychic damage, will save for half.
I'm in the same boat, Sierim. I don't play elfy-type characters often because my vocabularies ain't all that great. He certainly won't sound like any sort of enigmatic elven mage we've all come to know The nice thing about this game is that there are such strong characters already established that I don't feel pressured to come up with anything grandiose as of yet, and can instead develop Arannis's character organically as we play. So, thanks.
For me, I'm just waiting for the next scene. Everything seems to be pointing to that, since we're packed up and preparing to march out, but only Waffle knows what we're going to see.
Regarding the past month, I think we seem to all respond more rapidly when we're under threat of combat. That may have to do with knowing it's "our turn."
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Simplicity is the grassy field which hides the pit, though in this case it causes 1d10 psychic damage, will save for half.
The hold up is on me. When life decides things are too stable, it can sometimes throw a corker into the mix. Suffice to say, things will soon be in hand and I can resume regular posts.
I am thankful for a patient group who can role play so well together.
You make a good point...let me try to come up with something for Arannis. As I've said, I'm not really sure where to take this character. Maybe you guys can "force me down a path".
Heh, that's actually nothing more than an impromptu proverb which plays on D&D mythology and an indirect reference to a campaign idea I have in the works. I'll clarify it in character, though.
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Simplicity is the grassy field which hides the pit, though in this case it causes 1d10 psychic damage, will save for half.
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Re: [4E] Harken Unto Harken [OOC]
The cuts between scenes have been especially well done in my opinion, specifically the cliff-hanger pattern of posts and use of suspense by omission.
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