Looking for game advice? Want to know our thoughts on something? Shoot us an e-mail at devteam@apathygames.com and it may become one the subject of our Dear Apathy column.
Dear Apathy,
When writing a setting or world book, is it better to explicitly state the type of world it is (have a sentence or two literally reading “This is a high-magic fantasy world, no steam or gunpowder or other industrialized tech. Humans are the vast majority over the other, dying-out races, and magic cards take the place of scrolls and potions.”), or is it better to use character class description, abilities, magic spell lists and equipment list, and simply having the setting’s information strongly suggested?
Looking for game advice? Want to know our thoughts on something? Shoot us an e-mail at devteam@apathygames.com and it may become one the subject of our Dear Apathy column.
Dear Apathy Games,
I’m running TPA tomorrow and maybe I missed this, but I had a weird fluff question. The text says only information can be passed through time, i.e., the laundry lists, etc. How then, are items, such as the syringe placed into people’s bags before the adventure begins? Other agents?
Looking for game advice? Want to know our thoughts on something? Shoot us an e-mail at devteam@apathygames.com and it may become one the subject of our Dear Apathy column.
Dear Apathy Games,
Let’s say I’m an eager young man with a head full of ideas and a passion for game design. How do I join the ranks of the elite and start a game company? I have a list of things I know that I need including: Product, art, a website, a layout editor, a copy editor, a means of distribution, and capital, and it would be within the realm of possibility for me to find these things, but how do I combine all those elements to actually create a company?
Each week we answer a question from our loyal audience. Our question for this week is:
Dear Apathy,
I know you guys are doing a big thing about modern games, but I’ve never been able to get into them. I played some d20 modern, and while I liked it, it bugged me how useless it was using a gun. But then I think, if guns were done realistically, everyone would die and nobody would have fun. Is there something I’m missing?
Each week we answer a question from our loyal audience. Our question for this week is:
Dear Apathy,
When I have time to plan, I’ve a very descriptive GM. Sometimes to the point where I bore my players. Other times I forget to describe something, and the game sort of becomes a board game. I guess what I’m asking is, how much detail is right, and how do I prep for that?
Each week we answer a question from our loyal audience. Our question for this week is:
Dear Apathy,
I play regularly, but my players still have a difficult time remembering what was going on last session, and it takes them a while to fall back into their characters. How can I get them into the game faster?
Each week we answer a question from our loyal audience. Our question for this week is:
Dear Apathy,
My group has started to do a lot of out of character planning and talking in combat, and it is really starting to piss me off! How should I go about trying to reign it in?
Each week we answer a question from our loyal audience. Our question for this week is:
Dear Apathy,
Our group is going to try a very improvisational game in which the players can contribute to the plot and story — instead of the GM coming up with the premise and preparing an adventure, the players can come up with the ideas, even during game play, and then the GM runs it. We will be using Spirit of the Century (FATE) which already has rules support for this sort of thing at a micro-level (players can “declare” Aspects which don’t contradict anything the GM has planned).
Any advice for making this sort of thing work on a macro level? I can see several pitfalls, including players getting carried away with zany and disruptive plot modifications which could make the GM’s improvisation even more difficult, or modifying the game world to suddenly make things too easy or too difficult for themselves, or one player monopolizing the collaborative process. How can we keep things fun, creative, and flexible, without degenerating into unmanageable chaos?
Each week we answer a question from our loyal audience. Our question for this week is:
Dear Apathy,
I’m running a sandbox games, and my players each want to go a different direction. How do I nail them to a single train? I don’t want to railroad them, but I want them to pick a direction.
Each week we answer a question from our loyal audience. Our question for this week is:
Dear Apathy,
My style is to have a very detailed setting, but not to develop an overarching storyline. I like to plant a few seeds and see where the characters go with them. This approach is exciting when players run with it, but they often do not.
So I actually want the players to hijack the story. That is when I have the most fun, because everything becomes unpredictable.