This is something I know +Jonathan Henry and I have talked about at
length before. It’s been included in our personal discussions as well as part
of Giant Dragons Gamer Chat (if you haven’t checked that out before, be sure
you do—a bunch of guys and gals sit around between 6pm and 9pm Wed thru Fri and
talk about gaming). There is a certain bit of intensity that you get when you
are in a dangerous situation or even when you watch an action sequence in a
movie. A good writer can even make that tension palpable in a book. And, let’s
face it, combat is an integral part to many a roleplaying game. Even if you
play to the intrigue of a setting, there is typically going to be at least one
combat in most RPG game sessions. Combat can be a complex process with square
or hex grid maps, measurements, a variety of tactical choices, etc. It can also
be relatively light and freeform. It seems that this combat is missing the
adrenaline influx and blood pumping we get in other fast paced, high tension
scenes. There is regular meta gaming going on while we discuss options and have
side chatter. In fact, combat is often full of laughs and moments of awe when
players make an unbelievable roll or come up with a cool idea. But, where is that
ticking clock, stressful feeling we get from combat.
Okay, I know RPGs are supposed to be fun. And, I go so far
to say if you’re not having fun, someone is doing something wrong. And, being
in a death defying situation in real life isn’t fun. However, we have fun when
we see these fights in a movie, read about them in a book. People have fun
scaring the hell out of themselves on roller coasters and in haunted houses.
People can have fun by raising their blood pressure a little, making game
combat a bit more tense. But, how do you do that?
I know +Jerrod Gunning has times where he does a very disruptive and
loud countdown—don’t call out your action within that three seconds and lose
your turn. Some people hate that, some like it. Others use egg timers, set for
a few or thirty seconds. It was even discussed to base a modifier on how long
it takes someone to decide what to have their characters do. Others use cards,
slapping them down quickly—almost like a game of Speed—to help keep things
moving quickly.
Personally, I haven’t found a method that works for me yet.
Maybe it’s because most of my games are so laid back. But, I’m interested to
hear what thoughts others have and what others have used to keep the action
tense, fast, and fun. Do I need to start playing the part of Sam Kinison or
Bobcat Goldthwait to get people to sweat a little during combat? And, it’s not
just for combat, but trying to make that swing across a bottomless chasm on a
vine or being involved in a car chase or anywhere else our where we would be
excited and doing things quickly in order to survive.
No comments:
Post a Comment