Fanfic playtest
Aug. 22nd, 2011 01:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ffuturesOn the train heading back to London, thought I'd update on the fanfic RPG.
Briefly, I've decided that this isn't a commercial proposition; it's going to be impossible to write it without referencing real TV shows etc.
So the plan now is to produce a fairly stripped-down version as a freeby, with lots of "this is not an authorised game" warnings etc, a minimal version of the Diana rules with the changes I've been using in play-tests, and one or two adventures based on my own fanfic. I have no idea when this will happen, but hopefully it eventually will.
The session yesterday ran into a common problem - what do you do when the players spot your sources and guess some of what's coming?
This was my Wallace and Gromit / Top Gear / Deep Impact / Clangers crossover - in this case they realised that they were heading for the Clanger planet before they'd even landed, and weren't really surprised by their encounters with the Soup Dragon, Iron Chicken, etc. They completed the mission, but I didn't feel it was as much fun as it should be.
So I threw in a little extra surprise...
Half-way back to Earth everyone who had eaten Blue String Pudding - the Top Gear team, Donna Noble, and an NPC cameraman - started to feel a little ill. Then VERY ill. Then the chest-burster baby Clangers exploded out, leaving large gaping (but not ultimately very serious) wounds, and five little whistling bundles ofwool joy to look after... and soon no cheese or crackers aboard, they ate the lot.
We then had a short debate about taking them back to the Clanger planet, but in the end the Top Gear team decided to adopt them and train them as racing drivers. This may have had something to do with the discovery that The Stig was actually Tiny Clanger.
Didn't take long, but it felt like the adventurers enjoyed the little twist and it gave me some fun.
Briefly, I've decided that this isn't a commercial proposition; it's going to be impossible to write it without referencing real TV shows etc.
So the plan now is to produce a fairly stripped-down version as a freeby, with lots of "this is not an authorised game" warnings etc, a minimal version of the Diana rules with the changes I've been using in play-tests, and one or two adventures based on my own fanfic. I have no idea when this will happen, but hopefully it eventually will.
The session yesterday ran into a common problem - what do you do when the players spot your sources and guess some of what's coming?
This was my Wallace and Gromit / Top Gear / Deep Impact / Clangers crossover - in this case they realised that they were heading for the Clanger planet before they'd even landed, and weren't really surprised by their encounters with the Soup Dragon, Iron Chicken, etc. They completed the mission, but I didn't feel it was as much fun as it should be.
So I threw in a little extra surprise...
Half-way back to Earth everyone who had eaten Blue String Pudding - the Top Gear team, Donna Noble, and an NPC cameraman - started to feel a little ill. Then VERY ill. Then the chest-burster baby Clangers exploded out, leaving large gaping (but not ultimately very serious) wounds, and five little whistling bundles of
We then had a short debate about taking them back to the Clanger planet, but in the end the Top Gear team decided to adopt them and train them as racing drivers. This may have had something to do with the discovery that The Stig was actually Tiny Clanger.
Didn't take long, but it felt like the adventurers enjoyed the little twist and it gave me some fun.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2011-08-22 12:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-22 01:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-22 01:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-22 08:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-22 08:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-29 06:24 pm (UTC)Use the standard solution employed by fanfic authors everywhere - derail the plot, introduce a new one and spring a surprise crossover.