Hi all, I have some questions about play reports you enjoy reading.
Firstly, detail: how much detail do you like in a play report? Do you want to know every dice roll and oracle suggestion? How much summarisation is best for you? Do you like dialogue?
Secondly, length: do you prefer play reports that are entirely self-contained, or do you prefer to read an ongoing series? How often would you like to read parts in an ongoing series (e.g. once per week or twice per week)?
Thirdly, content: what aspect of solo RPGs do you enjoy reading most about? Is it the rules system, the solo RPG techniques, the story or something else?
Any examples would be appreciated.
Thanks for your time!
Thanks for all the responses so far - they've been very helpful for understanding what people look for in a play report.
ReplyDeleteTodd Rokely My main reason for asking was because I enjoy reading people's reports here and want to contribute to this community as best I can. By finding out what people enjoy reading, I'll have some guidance when writing a play report based on my solo RPG games. I'll definitely ask for feedback - good advice!
I like a healthy mix of prose and mechanics, because I always want to see how the rules and dice combined to create the narrative.
ReplyDeleteI don't need to see every die roll -- just the interesting ones. My raw session notes contain an awful lot of die rolls, as it's often useful to record them (e.g. everyone's Dodge roll in SW d6, since it sets the number to hit them for the round). I try to edit out the ones that don't show anything special.
I do like mechanics to be set apart from the narrative. I used to just use brackets, but I recently figured out an easy way of colouring them as well so they're easier to skim past if desired.
More than mechanics, though, I like to see the players thought processes about how and why their adventure went the way it did, and how they interpreted the oracle and/or put it aside in favour of sudden inspiration.
Hello,
ReplyDeleteTrying to go through your questions in order:
Question 1: Lots of details is always good. If I get all dice rolls, that can be useful for getting hints for my own gaming. As for summarisation, that is not really my cup of tea. And I really love dialogue. Show me what you make out of the skeleton the mechanics created :) :) :)
Question 2: Since I am often short on time, the series approach is probably better for me. It also allows to comment on individual scenes more easily than if you have a dozen scenes in a large block. As for time, I don't have a preference.
Question 3: I am all for the story and narration. The techniques are also nice to know, but in the end, I want to see the adventure.
As for examples, I have started sharing a play report in this group recently.
But as others said, go ahead and do what you like. I am sure there are people that like what you like, no matter which style you prefer.
Yours,
Deathworks