RPing -> Writing

Mare Kuntz · 2004-03-31T22:01:54

Okay, probably most of you are aware that tabletop RPGs often spawn fantasy novels written by the players about the adventures the characters had during the campaign. Often these are awful books, and a common denegriating comment heard about them is, "You can practically hear the dice rolling in the background." If you're into fanfiction you may also know that people also do fan RPing, usually online and diceless, and the posts and/or chat scripts that make up these games sometimes get edited into fanfiction. Similarly again, people who are into improv acting may record improv sessions and mine them later for ideas for play scripts. So, we've established that instead of the usual turning fiction into games that we do here, it can also be done the other way around, turning games into fiction. Now, the thing is that what makes a good game often does not make a good story or vice versa. We as game writers either have to learn to write the way a game plays, or we have to write fiction and then hack at it until it becomes game-shaped. So, here's a new idea: What if we tried writing a game script by RPing it? Anyone interested in trying this out to see how it works? The idea being that content we generated by RPing would be much more naturally suited to being turned into a game than regular fiction, but in the editing step to turn the RP materials into a game script we could add that coherence and polish that would make it good writing. Who wants to try? Shall we try with the AI Love Game, with my romance game design (Or are you writing that now, Boolean? Don't want to step on your toes...), or do you have another suggestion? [edited by - sunandshadow on March 24, 2004 12:56:27 AM]

Writing for Games Game Design

Started by sunandshadow March 23, 2004 01:55 AM

50 comments, last by sunandshadow 20 years ago

Sensei Maku

140

March 31, 2004 12:51 AM

Sounds great! I have quite a few ideas, but I think I am going to stop posting here as this topic is getting rather long considering we have a dedicated place to discuss this project. So the only question I still have is -> When do we start?

sunandshadow

7,435

Author

March 31, 2004 10:01 PM

Ok, if you guys feel we''re ready to go, the let''s go! Feel free to start posting in the yahoogroup. I suggest starting with your avatar''s reaction to being alienified and de-gendered, and any NPCs who would be in the first game area, the school.

I want to help design a "sandpark" MMO. Optional interactive story with quests and deeply characterized NPCs, plus sandbox elements like player-craftable housing and lots of other crafting. If you are starting a design of this type, please PM me. I also love pet-breeding games.

RPing -> Writing

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RPing -> Writing

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