By Sebastian Hickey
(Continued from yesterday…)
Autopsy 6 – Too much Structure
A huge problem in presenting Hell for Leather lies in my confidence. Since I’ve started HfL I’ve been working toward something I can’t quite make out, something solid and organic, like a big chunk of wood that needs sculpting. As I get closer to completion I begin to see what’s missing and what’s extraneous. Until I have the confidence that this version is neither lacking nor loading erroneous parts, I’m in trouble. No confidence = no enthusiasm = no fucking point.
Luckily I’ve identified another tumour in the rules. There’s too much structure. It’s all tied into this new Story Pip currency. Once you run out of Story pips, the narrative suffers. That’s lame.
Fix: Make the Pool of Story Pips indefinite (no shortage = no problem). Broaden the scope of the narrative contributions by lowering their number (boil it down to characterisation and scene setting [Character & Backdrop]). Set up a new option called Challenge (where players pay other players to explore the narrative).
Conclusion
It hurt. Oh boy did it hurt.
But as the old saying goes, “no pain no gain.”
By Sebastian Hickey
(Continued from yesterday…)
By Sebastian Hickey
(Continued from yesterday…)
Autopsy 1 – First Game Scenario
We played the standard First Game scenario from the beta rule set, and began in media res, as suited the opening Checkpoint. As usual, this was a bad idea. There was too much action too early. A one-shot RPG like this works better with a clear arc of escalation. If you turn up the heat too early, the whole story burns out before you’re done. That’s one thing to fix.
Fix: Change the First Game scenario, especially the first Checkpoint.
Autopsy 2 – Setting the Tone
Everyone was working off a different page. There was this shunting and crumpling of the narrative. How much violence should we use? Where are the characters? What is their relationship to one another and their environment? What does the TV show look like/feel like/sound like? All of these questions were explored after the game had begun and should have been taken care of at the start.
Fix: Introduce “Gore Threshold,” a player defined rating that determines when and how Felonies can be used in the game, and “Tone & Theme,” a descriptor for the game world, mood and TV Show aesthetics.
Autopsy 3 – Video Diaries
Video Diaries put people on the spot. Not in a good way.
Fix: Instead of asking “why are you good enough to be on the show?” (daunting), I should ask “describe your recruitment into the show” (open ended). Players narrate how they imagine their pimp/lumberjack/plumber being escorted/abducted/ensnared. Players are still put on the spot, but there is less exposure and more creativity.
(Continued tomorrow… Tension and Rules)
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