Back in the Game

[drathe]

It takes no time at all. I'd just do it as the game went. Now if he abused his ability to predict the future, no I wouldn't rob him of the gold he so rightly earned by barely defeating the extra Chaos Warriors, Fimir, and traps that would await his bastard @$$!

Post Transfer from Old Forum - Original Post Date: Friday January 11th, 2008 01:45pm

[Phoenix]

My regular player's don't role-play well. They use ESP to plan battle strategies and general puzzle solves. So, when they actually role-play and interact within the Heroes' realm, I give the player "Bonus Gold". It helps them realize that it's more fun to roleplay a little and not just move plastic pieces around the board.

The amount is based on how much they convinced themselves to role-play (10-20 Gold), to choose to ignore the pleas of a player from the other side of the board (30-50 Gold) or to completely ignore everything else that is going on and strictly deal with the room/corridor he is in (75-100 Gold). It also has to do with how their Hero interacts with the other Heroes and whether they perform as a cohesive unit.

If they Role-play, act as a tactical unit and get along, i'm going to be nice. If they don't role-play, split off on their own and let the other Heroes kill bad guys for them, their going to die like the cowards they are.

But then again, that's why they call me, Zargon!!!!! Mwa, Ha-Ha!!!!

Although, at work, they call me "The Play-Doh factory".

Post Transfer from Old Forum - Original Post Date: Friday January 11th, 2008 01:56pm

[drathe]

I like your Role-Play incentive. Especially the extra gold for ignoring the pleas of players across the board. My last group were totally into Role-Playing. So much so, that they would not do anything that was against the personality they gave their character. Their Dwarf was obsessed with gold, and would risk everything for the chance to find some, or get the gold first. It was great fun. I'd love to play with a group like that again. Perhaps your incentive program will be a great way to encourage it. You should draft up an official copy of what things Heroes could do, and what gold range they can earn as a guide for other Game Masters. Update it as new ideas/situations come to you.

Post Transfer from Old Forum - Original Post Date: Friday January 11th, 2008 02:09pm

[Phoenix]

I don't always follow the guide lines. I stick to specific situations when making that call. I want to encourage role-playing for the fun of the game and the sake of role-playing. I don't want to re-create any of Pavlov's experiments. I want them to do it for themselves, not for me. The whole point of role-playing is so everyone can have fun and enjoy themselves, not be my little puppets.

Post Transfer from Old Forum - Original Post Date: Friday January 11th, 2008 02:16pm

[drathe]

Question(s) then. Do you let them now that the gold they are receiving is for their effective Role-playing? Or how exactly do you go about it when you do reward them?

Post Transfer from Old Forum - Original Post Date: Friday January 11th, 2008 02:18pm

[drathe]

Also, I didn't expect that the heroes would actually be privy to this 'guide' and that it was for Morcar's eyes only.

Post Transfer from Old Forum - Original Post Date: Friday January 11th, 2008 02:21pm

[Phoenix]

I keep a close eye on the player's and their Heroes. If I notice them doing something 'altruistic' (and successful) or just playing their characters as the have described them to me (when an alternative was somewhat tempting) I will wait until the end of their turn and announce the good role-playing and offer them a little bit of gold.

Most of the time, they argue with themselves (and each other) (aloud) as to what they should do. I just sit back and watch. I'll put my two-cents in if I think it will be helpful, but otherwise, I just wait for the character to make up his mind and complete his move (however he sees fit). If I believe the situation is warranted, I'll hand out a role playing bonus OR I won't.

Post Transfer from Old Forum - Original Post Date: Friday January 11th, 2008 02:24pm

[Phoenix]

Well, not so much as to whether the player's would see it, but these people aren't stupid. If I followed a strict code of conduct in-so-far as giving out gold willy-nilly, they're going to catch on and eventually figure out the situation.

But more to the point, each Zargon will want to use their own system. Some will follow the Quest Books with a strictness that even MB couldn't have foreseen and some will treat the Quest Books as a wispy dream that never truly happened.

Post Transfer from Old Forum - Original Post Date: Friday January 11th, 2008 02:28pm

[drathe]

You give in-game advice?

I usually play the role of 'Mentor' between quests, up to the point when the first player starts their turn. From there on out, I play the role of Zargon (notice the use of the name here). I may give advice, but to who's advantage is it? I've also been known to make deals with the heroes. If a lone hero takes a death blow, I might play devil's advocate if they have a lot to lose and strike a deal. I will grant them a re-roll, an extra dice to roll that one time, or a white shield in exchange for something to my advantage such as a black shield to be used at my discretion, a re-roll of my die at a time of my choosing, etc. My benefits to the deal also have no expiration, and I keep track of them to be used at an opportune moment. Sometimes they take the deal, sometimes they would rather lose their stuff than give me an advantage in the future.

I struck a deal with Blackmane once where his Elf who was carrying the Spirit Blade and Orcs Bane at the time was in the Hall of the Dwarven Kings and I had a lot of Enemies coming down the corridor. His elf was standing at the end with a crossbow picking off the monsters while the rest of his heroes escaped. I challenged him to step up and fight like a man in exchange for a one-time use of the Chaos Spell Firestorm to be used when ever he so chose. Not realising heading down the corridor to fight put him out of view of the other heroes, his Elf fell in battle, and his artifacts were lost. I was satisfied with my clever victory, only to be thwarted by the deal at a later date when he played one of my homebrew quests and was faced with a massive room filled with elite monsters and the quest boss. That my friend, is when he chose to complete the deal and used the Fire Storm. Hence, his bastiferous taunting in the 'Question of Sound' topic.

EDIT: Some spelling mistakes

Post Transfer from Old Forum - Original Post Date: Friday January 11th, 2008 02:42pm

[Phoenix]

In game advice? Um, sometimes it's more like in-game double-talk. Give them a false sense of security, essentially play devil's advocate. I will of course resolve issues, such as, "Can the Elf see that Orc?". But mostly, I just sit back and watch.

Post Transfer from Old Forum - Original Post Date: Friday January 11th, 2008 02:46pm