Whether a player, GM, or host, games require management. How do we organize participation to encourage diversity, player agency, & a happy, healthy, inclusive game environment?
Description:
Most people play tabletop and larp RPGs to socialize with others, yet quite often our gaming groups come with undesired drama and unnecessary tension. Though we want to be open and welcoming to all players, sometimes personality clashes, or perhaps less clear factors, lead to discomfort and disenfranchisement of one or more players. Perhaps organizing role play should not require one to be a therapist, human resources manager, diversity trainer, and life skills coach. Nevertheless, we find ourselves in those roles sometimes. Last year we talked about dealing with toxic players. This year, let's expand the discussion to talk about how we can improve our games by improving the dynamics of our gaming communities. This session will begin with an introduction to the topics by Dr. David Simkins, experienced RPG organizer and scholar, followed by a moderated, open discussion.
Informal discussion on what is involved with running that first game. Hints, suggestions & no-no's. Join the fun!
Description:
Informal discussion on what is involved with running that first game. Hints, suggestions and no-no's. What do you do first? Game Master responsibilities, Player responsibilities. All ages, all experience levels welcome. Join the fun!
We RP for fun, so why does it sometimes feel like work? Why is there so often out-of-character drama in our role-playing groups? What can we do about it? Guided discussion with a RP researcher.
Description:
We RP for fun, so why does it sometimes feel like work? Why is there so often out-of-character drama in our role-playing groups? What can we do about it?
After over forty years of running and playing larp and tabletop campaigns, and now a professor researching both, I’ve noticed some patterns form in the the out-of-character drama that plagues role playing groups. This is a seminar for players and GMs alike. We will discuss some specifics issues that affect larp or tabletop campaign games, as well as more general problems that can affect either. We will even touch a bit on the overlapping drama in MMORPG guilds and other forms of collaborative play.
The format will include approximately 45 minutes of presentation followed by a guided discussion.
If kittens are worth 2 experience points, we can improve your game. We will explain how to reward the behavior you want & how to create NPCs worth talking to.
Description:
We will explain how to reward the behavior you want, how to discourage killing everything in sight, how to create NPCs worth talking to. We will talk about the 4 kinds of players and how to keep them all coming back for more. We will discuss how to get the lurker to take an active role, how to deal with the guy who thinks he should be part of every interaction, how to create heroes worth mourning. We will discuss dice and when not to use them.
Informal discussion on what is involved with running that first game. Hints, suggestions & no-no's. All ages, all experience levels welcome. Join the fun!
Informal discussion on what is involved with running that first game. Hints, suggestions & no-no's. All ages, all experience levels welcome. Join the fun!
Engaging Quandary: Designing Complex, Meaningful Decisions For Role Play
Summary:
This seminar explores the design of character decisions in role play.
Description:
Join David Simkins, assistant professor of game design and development at Rochester Institute of Technology, for a talk on techniques in role play. Giving players complex, meaningful decisions can increase the sense of player agency, can heighten the tension and drama of a game, and can be used to express deeper themes through role play. This seminar explores the construction of decisions through digital, tabletop, and live-action role play. Using design theory, designed game structures, dramatic techniques, and case examples, we will explore some effective ways of developing meaningful decisions.
Informal discussion on what is involved with running that first game. Hints, suggestions and no-no's. All ages, all experience levels welcome. Join the fun.