Re: [BNW] Package questions, Contracts, & Game Mastering. Oh My!

["Patrick O'Duffy" <redfern@thehub.com.au>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "David Patterson" <davidnyal@efortress.com>
To: <bnw@gamerz.net>
Sent: Tuesday, February 13, 2001 3:03 PM
Subject: [BNW] Package questions, Contracts, & Game Mastering. Oh My!


> I've never heard of anyone having a contract with thier players, is that a
> common practice?

'Contract' is, perhaps, a misleading bit of jargon; one I picked up from
rec.games.advocacy over the years. Basically, it's the set of rules,
guidelines and boundaries about the game, both written and implicit.

For years, my games were plagued by things like assumption clash,
disagreement over powers/responsibilities in the game, focus for the
campaign and stuff like that. So now, whenerver I do a campaign, I do up
some form of contract. At the very least, I state upfront how I plan to
treat things like game lethality, player control of their characters, and
the degree to which the game is plotted/scripted.

I'm sure that such a process isn't necessary for most gaming groups - and
from discussions, very few groups use them. But I work pretty hard on my
campaigns, so I want to make sure they work; for that, an upfront contract
is a good idea.

(I'm playing in a game right now without such a contract, and
clashes/problems have begun to surface. The GM and I are spending a lot of
time talking things over right now, trying to work out an equilibrium.)

> In all the games I've played in, or run. It's always been
> the GM is God.

I don't care for that one, personally, even though I'm a GM 90% of the time.
I don't want total control over the game; if I wanted that, why involve the
players? I control setting, pace, theme, NPCs and plenty else, but I give
the players room to control their characters and make changes to the setting
in appropriate ways.

> So i've dealt with a couple of Tryants. Because of that I've
> always tried to be fair in with my players. But I don't let them off easy
> either. Personally, If my character is not in danger, I don't get caught
up
> in the adventure. Not that I want to run a gaunlet everytime. But a little
> healthy fear can liven up an adventure.

Oh, I'm big on danger. And certainly, as a player, I like that sort of thing
too. I do draw the line at events that stop the character being fun to
play - like a combat character becoming a quadraplegic.

The contract for my BNW campaign states up front that I won't protect the
characters from death or injuries, and that they _will_ have to change over
the course of the game to keep up with the alterations in plot and focus.
But those changes have to be agreed upon, not forced; if the player doesn't
want to alter the character, they're free to shelve that one and play a new
one that's more appropriate.

--
Patrick O'Duffy, Brisbane, Australia

I'm back. I have a ragged army hanging on my every word.
And I'm pissed off.

 - Spider Jerusalem, TRANSMETROPOLITAN: I HATE IT HERE