Wallys last blog post..Key to understanding me during dark times.

Since I mentioned it in a Podcast today, I just want to say that I’ve been doing those mini-campaigns since last August and it’s worked like a charm! We played 3 such campaigns and PCs are now at level 9, one of which is the same since day one.

I think it depends a lot on session length and frequency, too. I’m currently playing a group that gets about 3 or 4 weekly 4 to 5 hour sessions in every month. I don’t know what the DM’s long term plans are, but as an alternate game I’m running a Savage Worlds mini-campaign (Zombie Run) that is structured very much like a TV mini-series. So far, this is working really well. However, I won’t be continuing the experiment. Once the “Run” is over, we’ll be moving on to something else.

Dr. Checkmates last blog post..Lately it occurs to me

This serves both the short term goals of being focused, while allowing you the long term elements of the myth arc, should you choose to invoke them.

What has worked OK is (not surprisingly) a DM-generated rough direction that the players play along with, but can provide their own twists and turns that the DM then in turn incorporates in the storyline. If you are familiar with agile software engineering, it’s not that far off… Game sessions are like sprints of development and the direction is re-checked between each session.

While both go well together they are not the same. A sandbox game can be exceedingly prepped if the GM needs a “ready for everything” toolbox to run it.

But what do I know, I suck at improv and the idea of running a sandbox game scares the $hi7 out of me!!

Plot hook’s, with some organizations their goals, typical henchman leader and I would improvise for the rest base on the player action.

That being said I did some prep before each session but it was mostly a though process to be mentally prepared and have the most probable material at hand.

Every one as is own approach and mine does not mean that every GM that uses the sandbox approach rely as heavily as I do on their own improvisation skills.

If they are prone to committing crimes, then you prep some heists up to have on hand. If they are wont to rescue princess you have some damsels in distress to drop in.

Stupid gravatars won’t update.

Captain Cursors last blog post..I Need a Horse!

Your concept is almost the default game settings for this kind of GMs. It requires no big conceptual leap in a sandbox game to change group. What you’ve bin doing (The mythical plot) is a lot harder to do in the sandbox approach.

Thought provoking idea.

A peek at our game world is at http://admc.pbwiki.com/ – quite lightly covered, since I don’t have time to translate the whole thing from Finnish and there does not seem to be much interest in pseudo-historical settings (I kind of understand – anyone could check Wikipedia for such details)

For instance, I’m not sure my buddy Yan would like to DM such a campaign model (yes I’m baiting him… he he he)

But if all Micro Campaigns occur in the same gameworld on a shared timeline, previous (or expanded) world building work is not lost at the conclusion of one micro campaign. Much like short stories done in the same world like some Conan stories.

Why not make shorter campaigns around a specific Story Arc? Let’s say 5 to 6 four hours game sessions based around a core idea I can describe in 10 words of less.

Hum, the same reason most modern writers write novels instead of short stories. (well, half of the reason why at least.)

A writer writing a 5,000 word short story may do 1/10th to 1/4th as much research and setting development as they would for a 120,000 word novel. The time writing and editing is often on a similar discount. In the long run, word for word, it is much more efficient to write novels than short stories for most writers. (Then there is the money thing… short story publishers don’t pay a living wage for your work. In SF, the major magazines are still paying the same rates for a short story as they were in the 1960s. But that really isn’t here or there.)

I suspect that you’d face a similar (though possibly less extreme) problem with running a series of micro-campaigns.

Michael Phillipss last blog post..Geneology, what’s that

In my short-run game group, we did the same with Star Wars Saga– we wanted to try it out but not commit to an indefinite campaign. The GM prepared a 6-8 session adventure, which wound up feeling like the perfect length, like one of the movies. We’re currently clamoring for a sequel when he gets time enough to prepare it! [Which is another great advantage-- it can be difficult to foresee obligations months off. If something comes up, then you were already planning on a break point. If nothing comes up, time for a sequel!]

ScottMs last blog post..A few recent finds

Bar your door, because saying BSG sucks is apparently geek heresy. That said, THANK YOU. Season 3 blew goats, and turned my entire group off the show — our weekly pre-gaming ritual for many months.

I’ve since snuck back and starting watching season 4, which is excellent so far (3 episodes in). If you, too, stopped at the end of 3, I recommend giving 4 a try.