The heart of most RPG is a collaborative effort dictated by a conversation. The programming loop of most games is ‘player dictates own narrative, makes check, GM describes narrative until they are prepared to give it up, then they hand narrative back to players’, and it can seem jarring to deviate from that.
Genre Police: One More Time
You should always make sure that any session you design with time travel in mind should have a planned structure – a focused view rather than a wide angle.
Genre Police: Time After Time
These notes are for anyone wanting to use time travel as an adventure option but also to people who are planning a whole weird campaign where the point is to get lost in the river of time.
Genre Police: Time Stand Still
RPG tips on how and why speeding up, slowing down or even cutting up the flow of time can make you a better Game Master.
Genre Police: Deep Time
If you’ve ever said ‘And we skip to the next morning’, you’ve moved the time dial up for a moment then put it back.
Genre Police: The Quickie
When we talk about the third dial of game structure – Duration – perhaps we should just pause and understand that often, this dial is dictated by people’s lives.
Genre Police: Going the Distance
It’s a format I have barely ever heard discussed: The Long Weekend Game.
Genre Police: Coming Up Short
One Shots are difficult. This is not the game on easy mode, if anyone has lead you to believe that, they’ve lied to you.
Genre Police: The Long Game
In this RPG tips article, we look at the role of longevity in campaigns; its merits, flaws and what to do about them.
Genre Police: Serial Killer
We look at continuity in this series of practical take-home tips to write and run better roleplaying campaigns.