writing efforts

[rone]

So what do you do when you have a few really cool settings, some interesting characters, but no actual story to tell?

Comments

Conflict

[(Anonymous)]

Conflict, baby, conflict!*

"What a beautiful and unusual setting this is!"

"Oh yeah?" he said menacingly. "You suck."

Continue. Repeat.

Almost writes itself.

—Allan (http://radio.weblogs.com/0105058/)

PS: I wish I’d known you were a roleplayer when we were in college. Oh, wait, we MUDded together, didn't we? Never mind. Gack, I can't believe I'm still drunk. What systems do you play?

*In order to get conflict, take your interesting characters and put things or people that are important to them in danger. Try it.

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

Good idea with the conflict... i did try that a bit, but it felt insufficient. I'll try that handy "Repeat" step; it sounds promising.

As a conservative sort of nerd, i only play AD&D 2.5 Edition (as a PC, mostly because "it's the only game in town") and D&D 3rd Edition (mostly as a DM, but i haven't run in over 6 months).

I've played Call of Cthulhu a couple of times, but the setting disagrees with me (although i cannot fault the quality of the games amywithani has run). I've looked at the Star Wars d20 ruleset, but, again, the setting leaves me pretty cold (whatever warmth i ever had for the Star Wars movies has practically dissipated). The Boy wants me to start a Heroes character, but as a member of the Warren Ellis Anti-Pervert Suit Revolution, the idea of playing someone in a pervert suit as a character gives me the heebiejeebies.

I never played in college (besides MUDing, and that wasn't really roleplaying so much as hacknslashing [remember, i stuck to DikuMUDs and scorned MUSHes]). I didn't start playing again until my stepson (The Boy) invited me to play.

Right now i have a standing invitation to go to Sacramento and observe how this one guy prepares his games, so that i may use that as a sort of tutorial for my own games. Once i do that, i figure the last excuse for not running my game will be gone.

[lots42.livejournal.com]

There's lots of potential unexplored in the Star Wars universe. What does a SW S&M shop look like? Do Ewoks taste like chicken? If you shave a Wookie will you get Luke? Is Lando gay or not? Did the Death Star have a shopping mall? What holonet entertaiment shows are there? Does anyone remember Luke and Leia kissing or did Luke use the Force to wipe it from their minds? How many blaster shots does it take to kill Threepio?

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

Actually, i did suggest something similar to this to The Boy (he's running the SW campaign and he complained about feeling fenced in). But the setting still blows... I mean, what's next, an RPG based on "Cats"? "Mamma Mia"? "Rent"? Wow, the very thought of that last one makes me want to retch.