[Open Design] Using Syllogisms to drive GM action
Taking an example from yourdictionary.com , here is a syllogism to illustrate how it's structured:
Major Premise: All cars have wheels.
Minor Premise: I drive a car.
Conclusion: My car has wheels.
For now, while I play with the basic idea, I'm ignoring the distinction between major and minor premises. Also, don't focus too much on the example's content. This could be anything about the setting you're playing in.
Let's say you had a set of premises that described some aspects of your setting. You could drive "GM" decisions by creating syllogisms out of these premises. These syllogisms would guide and drive your content, acting as boundaries.
An analogy:
Creating the content of your adventure is like coloring in a coloring book. When you color, you try to stay within the lines or boundaries. Syllogisms are the equivalent of those coloring book lines.
Problems:
Not everything can or should be driven by syllogisms. Some things should fall under what I’ve coined as Baseline Assumptions-- a fuzzy concept that I describe as “things about the setting which are unremarkable to you”. (See for a longer post on Baseline Assumptions: http://solorpggamer.blogspot.com/2017/12/using-baseline-assumptions-in-solo.html)
So, given all that, here are some questions I’m pondering:
[] How should you adjudicate what falls under the umbrella of Basic Assumptions about a setting?
[] Conversely, how do you decide what should be dominated by premises?
Assuming, you’ve figured out for yourself what should fall under each domain, there are other things that you might worry about:
[]How do you judge whether the content you’ve created has stayed within the boundaries defined by the syllogisms?
[]What is a fair way to expand those boundaries when needed? In other words, how do you evolve existing premises or create new ones?
Some ideas for the last question:
1. Trade a mechanical success, 1-for-1, to modify a premise or introduce a new premise.
2. Or, maybe create an economy with “currency” that you use to “buy” or modify premises. For example, trade a mechanical success, 1-for-1, for currency.
This is all I have for now.
Note: I’m basically re-visiting an aspect of #writingwithdice, which I call Principles. Maybe there is a cleaner and simpler way of doing that.
Showing posts with label writingwithdice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writingwithdice. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 16, 2018
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
This is partly based on things I've written in #WritingWithDice, parallel concepts I later found in the Location Crafter, and ideas that I read in The Writer's Journey. As I find better ways elucidating on it, the document will evolve.
This is partly based on things I've written in #WritingWithDice, parallel concepts I later found in the Location Crafter, and ideas that I read in The Writer's Journey. As I find better ways elucidating on it, the document will evolve.
http://solorpggamer.blogspot.com/2017/12/using-baseline-assumptions-in-solo.html?m=1
Feel free to leave feedback, ideas, etc in the comments, or anonymously if you prefer. I very much appreciate it since I'm interested in finding ways in which tools can incorporate this.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc5GjSDDZS3DQTqm8ntfL2kCcsh_GBWFJg03GDPCGYQw3_qNw/viewform
#solorpg #soloroleplaying #solitairerpg #justmusing
http://solorpggamer.blogspot.com/2017/12/using-baseline-assumptions-in-solo.html?m=1
Feel free to leave feedback, ideas, etc in the comments, or anonymously if you prefer. I very much appreciate it since I'm interested in finding ways in which tools can incorporate this.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc5GjSDDZS3DQTqm8ntfL2kCcsh_GBWFJg03GDPCGYQw3_qNw/viewform
#solorpg #soloroleplaying #solitairerpg #justmusing
Friday, December 23, 2016
Realizing you might be the villain in the story (also, stumbling into a potential character arc)
Realizing you might be the villain in the story (also, stumbling into a potential character arc)
So, I've been playing a solo game of Trollbabe, experimenting with various things in a search to take more of that "writing exercise" edge off it.*
However, what prompted me to write this bite sized AP is that the latest scene I played was probably the most immersive solo experience I've had so far, and probably the only time in my roleplaying career (social or otherwise) where a potential player character arc has manifested itself without any planning or engineering on my part.
I'll try to make it truly bite sized:
Greta, the trollbabe, arrived to a walled city called Kragg Keep (the real Keep is inside the city, so it's like the settlement grew around it). The area has had a bad harvest, and for some reason, it wasn't very welcoming to her. She was almost turned back by the authorities, but was allowed to stay for one night after some convincing. During that night, she had a comical run in with the Lord of Kragg Keep, who had invaded her room in the middle of the night. He is able to practice some sort of magic (glittering eyes, and can disguise himself as a statue).
During the course of that, Greta is accused of stealing from the innkeeper and is put on trial. She also finds out second hand that Lord Ingald is quite the unsavory character due to his wanton nature. Some conflict ensues and it's decided she is to leave the city immediately. She is sure that Lord Ingald had something to do with it, and so begins her quest to both clear her name and put this character in his place. Eventually, things escalate to a point where she is forced to kill and hurt some soldiers, including hurting one that she had some sexual/romantic tension with.
She is very close to achieving her goal of infiltrating the actual Keep and finding Lord Ingald. As the author/player, I want to make some connection between the bad harvest that is in the background, and Lord Ingald as the character responsible for it (in some way). I also want to make that connection in-character, and through the events in play, not by fiat.
In-character, Greta wants to find the same connection in order to justify her actions so far beyond just vengeance...and it is at this point that I begin feel that Greta and I don’t have very good justifications for our decisions; decisions that have led to killing in order to continue her quest, but which could have been avoided if she had just left the city.
So basically, all of a sudden it's dawning on me that she may not be all that noble (actually, 'we', because I made the decisions to keep the adventure going)...all because we were stubborn (me in not wanting a boring story where nothing much happens, and her in wanting to clear her name and get some payback against Lord Ingald).
I don’t know what's going to happen, but if it turns out Lord Ingald is not responsible for the bad harvest (in some supernatural way), she's basically ending up as a tragic anti-hero, or worse, a villain. And, it's also an opportunity for a character arc, because both of us have realized now that she might have a big character flaw.
I never expected that, and it has been one of the coolest moments I've ever had in anything RPG. I doubt that I'll ever luck into this experience again, because I don't think I can ever trick myself this way again.
######
*To that end I have tried enhancing my experience with the help of my own #writingwithdice framework accompanied by technology in the form of iOS apps that use predictive text or cut up techniques. The apps replace your keyboard with actual words (rather than letters) and this tends to make the apps suggest "their" own ideas to me, since available words are limited. You have to play around with the apps to see what I mean.
Creative Writer: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/creative-writer-fun!-easy!/id737521232?mt=8
Word palette: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wordpalette-experimental-creative/id995679850?mt=8
Actual play link here: https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?793890-Solo-Gaming-Appreciation-Month-2016-Trollbabe-actual-play&p=20689252#post20689252
#SoloPlayWithAlgorithms #SoloActualPlay
https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?793890-Solo-Gaming-Appreciation-Month-2016-Trollbabe-actual-play&p=20689252#post20689252
So, I've been playing a solo game of Trollbabe, experimenting with various things in a search to take more of that "writing exercise" edge off it.*
However, what prompted me to write this bite sized AP is that the latest scene I played was probably the most immersive solo experience I've had so far, and probably the only time in my roleplaying career (social or otherwise) where a potential player character arc has manifested itself without any planning or engineering on my part.
I'll try to make it truly bite sized:
Greta, the trollbabe, arrived to a walled city called Kragg Keep (the real Keep is inside the city, so it's like the settlement grew around it). The area has had a bad harvest, and for some reason, it wasn't very welcoming to her. She was almost turned back by the authorities, but was allowed to stay for one night after some convincing. During that night, she had a comical run in with the Lord of Kragg Keep, who had invaded her room in the middle of the night. He is able to practice some sort of magic (glittering eyes, and can disguise himself as a statue).
During the course of that, Greta is accused of stealing from the innkeeper and is put on trial. She also finds out second hand that Lord Ingald is quite the unsavory character due to his wanton nature. Some conflict ensues and it's decided she is to leave the city immediately. She is sure that Lord Ingald had something to do with it, and so begins her quest to both clear her name and put this character in his place. Eventually, things escalate to a point where she is forced to kill and hurt some soldiers, including hurting one that she had some sexual/romantic tension with.
She is very close to achieving her goal of infiltrating the actual Keep and finding Lord Ingald. As the author/player, I want to make some connection between the bad harvest that is in the background, and Lord Ingald as the character responsible for it (in some way). I also want to make that connection in-character, and through the events in play, not by fiat.
In-character, Greta wants to find the same connection in order to justify her actions so far beyond just vengeance...and it is at this point that I begin feel that Greta and I don’t have very good justifications for our decisions; decisions that have led to killing in order to continue her quest, but which could have been avoided if she had just left the city.
So basically, all of a sudden it's dawning on me that she may not be all that noble (actually, 'we', because I made the decisions to keep the adventure going)...all because we were stubborn (me in not wanting a boring story where nothing much happens, and her in wanting to clear her name and get some payback against Lord Ingald).
I don’t know what's going to happen, but if it turns out Lord Ingald is not responsible for the bad harvest (in some supernatural way), she's basically ending up as a tragic anti-hero, or worse, a villain. And, it's also an opportunity for a character arc, because both of us have realized now that she might have a big character flaw.
I never expected that, and it has been one of the coolest moments I've ever had in anything RPG. I doubt that I'll ever luck into this experience again, because I don't think I can ever trick myself this way again.
######
*To that end I have tried enhancing my experience with the help of my own #writingwithdice framework accompanied by technology in the form of iOS apps that use predictive text or cut up techniques. The apps replace your keyboard with actual words (rather than letters) and this tends to make the apps suggest "their" own ideas to me, since available words are limited. You have to play around with the apps to see what I mean.
Creative Writer: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/creative-writer-fun!-easy!/id737521232?mt=8
Word palette: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wordpalette-experimental-creative/id995679850?mt=8
Actual play link here: https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?793890-Solo-Gaming-Appreciation-Month-2016-Trollbabe-actual-play&p=20689252#post20689252
#SoloPlayWithAlgorithms #SoloActualPlay
https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?793890-Solo-Gaming-Appreciation-Month-2016-Trollbabe-actual-play&p=20689252#post20689252
Scene 12
Scene 12
I had unnecessarily rolled to open the drain's barrier when the goal to get into the Keep was already won. Had I failed, it would just have meant a change in color (though I'm not sure I would have realized that given my state of mind then.) I'm actually afraid I broke the rules by not describing how the goal was achieved. I tried to rectify that in this scene by describing how they get inside the Keep.
Again, I'm using underscores (_) to mark PC pov stuff, and tilde (~) for the GM responses. I brought back the use of predictive text. It works really well with the new rules I'm testing in addition to #writingwithdice. I'm only writing out the interpretations to the predictive text sentences now, as I just moved along without writing them down when I was playing. They're almost self-explanatory anyway.
Actual play link here: https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?793890-Solo-Gaming-Appreciation-Month-2016-Trollbabe-actual-play&p=20689252#post20689252
########### Some after play thoughts (spoilers for this scene) ###########
+ OOC, I would like to connect the failed harvest to Lord Ingald for story purposes. Otherwise, it feels kinda like a setup with no pay off. IC, Greta would love to have a new rationalization to justify her course of action, both to herself and everyone who's been affected by the events so far.
Since she can take no action to make that connection a reality, it will never materialize as a "ripple". her only options are to assume those suspicions are true, without ever having objective confirmation.
My only other option is an oracle answer, which is what feels right here, since I want a more objective perspective.
++ Shoot, unexpectedly, I have created an opportunity for a character arc in my own insistence on keeping a story going despite having had the opportunity to just leave when told to, twice.
In my mind, she was justified, though an awareness that she might not be totally on the moral high ground started to creep in when she first used force against Joss (an awareness that was helped by Todd Zircher's comments). This has been sealed, in retrospect, by my decision to go harsh on how she dealt with the guards that surrounded her. That destruction could have been avoided if she had just left town when she had the chance.
Greta's stubborn nature is mine too, except she can probably grow as a character. :)
This is bar none one of the most interesting moments I've had solo roleplaying. Exactly the kind of immersive experience I want, though the character arc potential is a cherry on top. I'm actually not sure if I'll be able to pull this trick on myself again. I can see it being too easy to do it consciously.
#ap #actualplay #trollbabe
https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?793890-Solo-Gaming-Appreciation-Month-2016-Trollbabe-actual-play&p=20689252#post20689252
I had unnecessarily rolled to open the drain's barrier when the goal to get into the Keep was already won. Had I failed, it would just have meant a change in color (though I'm not sure I would have realized that given my state of mind then.) I'm actually afraid I broke the rules by not describing how the goal was achieved. I tried to rectify that in this scene by describing how they get inside the Keep.
Again, I'm using underscores (_) to mark PC pov stuff, and tilde (~) for the GM responses. I brought back the use of predictive text. It works really well with the new rules I'm testing in addition to #writingwithdice. I'm only writing out the interpretations to the predictive text sentences now, as I just moved along without writing them down when I was playing. They're almost self-explanatory anyway.
Actual play link here: https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?793890-Solo-Gaming-Appreciation-Month-2016-Trollbabe-actual-play&p=20689252#post20689252
########### Some after play thoughts (spoilers for this scene) ###########
+ OOC, I would like to connect the failed harvest to Lord Ingald for story purposes. Otherwise, it feels kinda like a setup with no pay off. IC, Greta would love to have a new rationalization to justify her course of action, both to herself and everyone who's been affected by the events so far.
Since she can take no action to make that connection a reality, it will never materialize as a "ripple". her only options are to assume those suspicions are true, without ever having objective confirmation.
My only other option is an oracle answer, which is what feels right here, since I want a more objective perspective.
++ Shoot, unexpectedly, I have created an opportunity for a character arc in my own insistence on keeping a story going despite having had the opportunity to just leave when told to, twice.
In my mind, she was justified, though an awareness that she might not be totally on the moral high ground started to creep in when she first used force against Joss (an awareness that was helped by Todd Zircher's comments). This has been sealed, in retrospect, by my decision to go harsh on how she dealt with the guards that surrounded her. That destruction could have been avoided if she had just left town when she had the chance.
Greta's stubborn nature is mine too, except she can probably grow as a character. :)
This is bar none one of the most interesting moments I've had solo roleplaying. Exactly the kind of immersive experience I want, though the character arc potential is a cherry on top. I'm actually not sure if I'll be able to pull this trick on myself again. I can see it being too easy to do it consciously.
#ap #actualplay #trollbabe
https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?793890-Solo-Gaming-Appreciation-Month-2016-Trollbabe-actual-play&p=20689252#post20689252
Thursday, December 15, 2016
Lone Wolf Roleplaying • View topic - Solo Gaming Appreciation Month 2016: Trollbabe actual play
This one is straight #WritingWithDice (with predictive text, but no Oracle). I didn't really need to roll for interacting with the boy, since you can assume there are boys in cities. Meaning that I could have just written freely, but I think it makes for a more fun game to try and use the mechanics when interacting with new fictional characters or elements. Makes it feel more strongly like I'm roleplaying (or rollplaying) that way rather than just writing with constraints.
I left the predictive text as I generated it since I think it is pretty self-explanatory. If they're confusing, let me know (if anyone is reading at all). However, during scene 9b, I left out a line said by Greta in one of the conflicts, which I clarify in the post if anyone cares.
https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?793890-Solo-Gaming-Appreciation-Month-2016-Trollbabe-actual-play&p=20671052#post20671052
I'm noticing that the use of Oracles has become more optional to me than using the #WritingWithDice + predictive_text combination. Part of the problem is the form factor of playing in mobile where sometimes the browser refreshes and you lose all the stuff you had generated in the Oracle logs.
But it's also true that sometimes I'm in the mood for having that extra layer of unpredictability that the Oracle adds, and sometimes I'm not in the mood for it. The #writingwithdice / predictive_text combo feel like they add enough uncertainty during those times. Maybe I'm just fickle.
#ap #actualplay #trollbabe
http://solorpgs.freeforums.org/solo-gaming-appreciation-month-2016-trollbabe-actual-play-t35-10.html#p79
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
I ended up using #WritingWithDice exclusively almost by accident, since the scene was mostly driven by conflicts. Since I failed more than I won, there wasn't much occasion to resort to GM narration (and I forgot to go to the GM tools when it was the GM's turn to narrate). #WritingWithDice worked nicely, though, as a tool to guide me.
I ended up using #WritingWithDice exclusively almost by accident, since the scene was mostly driven by conflicts. Since I failed more than I won, there wasn't much occasion to resort to GM narration (and I forgot to go to the GM tools when it was the GM's turn to narrate). #WritingWithDice worked nicely, though, as a tool to guide me.
http://solorpgs.freeforums.org/solo-gaming-appreciation-month-2016-trollbabe-actual-play-t35-10.html#p77
#ap #actualplay #trollbabe
https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?793890-Solo-Gaming-Appreciation-Month-2016-Trollbabe-actual-play&p=20665787#post20665787
http://solorpgs.freeforums.org/solo-gaming-appreciation-month-2016-trollbabe-actual-play-t35-10.html#p77
#ap #actualplay #trollbabe
https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?793890-Solo-Gaming-Appreciation-Month-2016-Trollbabe-actual-play&p=20665787#post20665787
Monday, December 12, 2016
Scene 8 of Greta's adventure (Trollbabe)
Scene 8 of Greta's adventure (Trollbabe)
This time due to not being able to use my mobile phone, I decided to use #writingwithdice straight, which in part meant looking at the Principles and writing according to them, but also paying attention to the Principle/Fluff dichotomy.
I didn't have much Fluff to work with, except for purposefully treating Skarr as if he was still in the embryonic idea stage. I interacted with him or the idea of him by trying a Social Conflict. I also have the street market that Joss and Greta passed earlier marked as a Fluff/Embryonic Idea piece that I can’t write about until I interact with the idea mechanically (somehow). Maybe for next session if the flow takes me there.
I have to be honest, though…while #writingwithdice has been more enjoyable to me than using paper and dice oracles, it can’t beat the automated oracles + predictive text combinations I’ve tried lately. At least not by itself. It did in a pinch , however, for this instance I wasn’t able to use the electronic tools.
I also still like that it makes me focus on the setting via the Principles, such that I was able to bring in that aspect of how humans may react to Trollbabes. Also that it forces me to use the RPG mechanics to interact with ideas before I run with them in a freeform manner. I’d like to find a way to reconciled that with letting the predictive text apps lead. Maybe like: embryonic ideas interact with RPG mechanics first, before I can develop them further through the oracles and apps as usual.
https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?793890-Solo-Gaming-Appreciation-Month-2016-Trollbabe-actual-play&p=20664526#post20664526
This time due to not being able to use my mobile phone, I decided to use #writingwithdice straight, which in part meant looking at the Principles and writing according to them, but also paying attention to the Principle/Fluff dichotomy.
I didn't have much Fluff to work with, except for purposefully treating Skarr as if he was still in the embryonic idea stage. I interacted with him or the idea of him by trying a Social Conflict. I also have the street market that Joss and Greta passed earlier marked as a Fluff/Embryonic Idea piece that I can’t write about until I interact with the idea mechanically (somehow). Maybe for next session if the flow takes me there.
I have to be honest, though…while #writingwithdice has been more enjoyable to me than using paper and dice oracles, it can’t beat the automated oracles + predictive text combinations I’ve tried lately. At least not by itself. It did in a pinch , however, for this instance I wasn’t able to use the electronic tools.
I also still like that it makes me focus on the setting via the Principles, such that I was able to bring in that aspect of how humans may react to Trollbabes. Also that it forces me to use the RPG mechanics to interact with ideas before I run with them in a freeform manner. I’d like to find a way to reconciled that with letting the predictive text apps lead. Maybe like: embryonic ideas interact with RPG mechanics first, before I can develop them further through the oracles and apps as usual.
https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?793890-Solo-Gaming-Appreciation-Month-2016-Trollbabe-actual-play&p=20664526#post20664526
Friday, December 9, 2016
Treating the Oracle as a fake audience, and asking Oracle questions in-character
Treating the Oracle as a fake audience, and asking Oracle questions in-character
I'm not sure if anyone has thought of this before since I haven't seen it in the wild yet, but I like to navel gaze a lot about solo play and how to improve it for myself. I care a lot about character immersion, and it had occurred to me that it would be nice if at least some Principles in #writingwithdice were stated in the 1st person point of view.
I thought it would provide a sort of meta-narrative that was still in-character and thus character-immersive. I felt like I could even set up future events or milestones before I started an adventure without damaging my immersion, because I'm just telling a story in-character.
Long story short, then I thought: "Well, why not use this with Mythic GME?" I can ask a question in-character as if Mythic was the listener, and not violate my sense of immersion. I tried it sparsely for Scene 7 of my latest AP, and I think it worked for me. Just passing the idea along in case you've never tried it and care about character immersion. If anyone uses it, let me know what you think.
I'm not sure if anyone has thought of this before since I haven't seen it in the wild yet, but I like to navel gaze a lot about solo play and how to improve it for myself. I care a lot about character immersion, and it had occurred to me that it would be nice if at least some Principles in #writingwithdice were stated in the 1st person point of view.
I thought it would provide a sort of meta-narrative that was still in-character and thus character-immersive. I felt like I could even set up future events or milestones before I started an adventure without damaging my immersion, because I'm just telling a story in-character.
Long story short, then I thought: "Well, why not use this with Mythic GME?" I can ask a question in-character as if Mythic was the listener, and not violate my sense of immersion. I tried it sparsely for Scene 7 of my latest AP, and I think it worked for me. Just passing the idea along in case you've never tried it and care about character immersion. If anyone uses it, let me know what you think.
Monday, August 31, 2015
OK, I somehow deleted or lost my #WritingWithDice post. Sorry for any comments that were lost!
OK, I somehow deleted or lost my #WritingWithDice post. Sorry for any comments that were lost!
Hi,
This is an implementation of something I've been musing and working on for a long while. It's built to provide a structure around writing fiction during those parts of a game when you are not engaging with creative aids (oracles, idea generators, etc).
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hXMIYl-3qr4wAmxAqXx8rfcWfO82soBWpYhvZb_puzs/edit?usp=sharing
I'm looking for playtesters, so I'm putting this out there as an open source thing. If you have a chance to give it a test drive, let me know how you like it by making a G+ post.
Use the tag #WritingWithDice in your post, if you don't mind. :-) Just makes it easier to search later.
Hi,
This is an implementation of something I've been musing and working on for a long while. It's built to provide a structure around writing fiction during those parts of a game when you are not engaging with creative aids (oracles, idea generators, etc).
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hXMIYl-3qr4wAmxAqXx8rfcWfO82soBWpYhvZb_puzs/edit?usp=sharing
I'm looking for playtesters, so I'm putting this out there as an open source thing. If you have a chance to give it a test drive, let me know how you like it by making a G+ post.
Use the tag #WritingWithDice in your post, if you don't mind. :-) Just makes it easier to search later.
Hi
Hi,
This is an implementation of something I've been musing and working on for a long while. It's built to provide a structure around writing fiction during those parts of a game when you are not engaging with creative aids (oracles, idea generators, etc).
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hXMIYl-3qr4wAmxAqXx8rfcWfO82soBWpYhvZb_puzs/edit?usp=sharing
I'm looking for playtesters, so I'm putting this out there as an open source thing. If you have a chance to give it a test drive, let me know how you like it by making a G+ post.
Use the tag #WritingWithDice in your post, if you don't mind. :-) Just makes it easier to search later.
This is an implementation of something I've been musing and working on for a long while. It's built to provide a structure around writing fiction during those parts of a game when you are not engaging with creative aids (oracles, idea generators, etc).
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hXMIYl-3qr4wAmxAqXx8rfcWfO82soBWpYhvZb_puzs/edit?usp=sharing
I'm looking for playtesters, so I'm putting this out there as an open source thing. If you have a chance to give it a test drive, let me know how you like it by making a G+ post.
Use the tag #WritingWithDice in your post, if you don't mind. :-) Just makes it easier to search later.
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