Crafting a game

Crafting a good game takes lots of time. I want to make sure that if I am running I have key plot points to put in somewhere that will result in closure at the end.

I took a class in screen writing, so if I am running a known NPC, I am a little anal on how to speak like them. I try to pre-write any evil monologues, just because they are important times in the story where the focus is on that character. (I can always tailor them later.) Lately I have been preparing two games. The first is an ICON's game where the players are all villains trying to get the evilympic games to bring their show to the fictional town from Phineas and Ferb. I do this because I love Heinz Doofinshmirtz. Seriously.

He has a fun and kiddish villain way about him. Everything is an -inator, and everything cures some minor annoyance in his life. An example of his dialogue is, "Ahh Perry the Platypus, as always your timing is impeccable. And by that I mean... completely peckable!"

I am also preparing a DC Adventures game with the likes of Ra's Al Ghoul and the League of Assassins. Here, Ra's is very well spoken. He is very educated and very exact in his phrasing. "Humankind must be forced to serve the planet instead of it's own appetites." On the other hand I also have another villain who is not as reserved in the wings of this game who has the exact opposite character, juvenile and punny.

It is important to me, because I think that dialogue helps players jump into character, especially in one shots, where there is not as much time.

Another thing that I do to prep is make sure I have what the characters need to know. For the DCA game, this is in the form of Dossiers that look like what the Justice League computer may show or a file Batman would have in the Batcave. This way the players have all the information that they can have and it allows for a break while reviewing is going on.

But most importantly, I look at the ways a game can go and plan accordingly. Even if none of the routes are taken, I can pull elements from them to still reach the end result if I need to. Usually I am very good at coming up with game plot on the fly, but it is still nice to have that sense of security. Almost like Linus' blanket... almost.

Anyway... enough of my rambling. Have a great weekend!

*** A note to our friends in the DC Area... DC Game Day is upon us. Sign ups are tonight!