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Emperor
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 Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 1:05 pm Post subject: Is it cheating |
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So my first SG that I was going to post was initially one story in what I was calling the "Shards" or "Crystal" trilogy. Though I have strong bones for any of the three stories, I'm have a real hard time sanding off the rust on my writers pen and getting anything actually written. Now with several deadlines looming in the near future I feel the pressure to start writing so that at least I'll be back in the habit when my writing deadline nears.
Which leads me to my question....
I have another story (separate from the trilogy thing) in a very rough form, with mostly developed characters, but in essence it is completed to some degree. If I allowed room for DP's and allowed those DP's to change the story - is it still cheating? Or am I just splitting hairs when it comes to what my idea of a SG is? Thoughts?
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A synonym is a word you use when you can't spell the other one. - Baltasar Gracian
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Thunderbird
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| Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 2:29 pm Post subject: |
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I get what you're saying, I think. I have a similar concept in mind coming where I plan to re-run an old SG with new dps and details so that the story may be retold but I am a little concerned that since there isn't as much plot point wiggle room as an open and fresh SG, perhaps the dps might feel a little less... meaningful.
I think I'm gonna try it anyhow because expecting players to follow through an old story that ran on for quite a few chapters without giving them the ability to PLAY the game the whole way through is likely to fail. It's like starting a story on chapter 18 and expecting players to read all 18 chapters before jumping into the current dp... uh... right. We've seen these attempts crash and burn time and again and many times, the story was excellent and even fondly remembered by current players on the site and it still wasn't able to pull it off. Case in point, when Dragonfire returned to pick up where left off... didn't go so well.
My advice, then, would be to try the same approach with your story that you've already mostly completed and we'll see how it works. Add details to the story that you haven't yet considered and make them the territory for DPs so that your main plot continuity may continue unhindered. By letting us know what you are doing we might not feel as cheated with less pivotal DPs.
That said it seems there's a growing trend to make Meta-DP suggestions as opposed to staying inside the bounds of the DP Question posed. This means I'm finding that, lately, players aren't just taking a question of "What will the character do next?" and answering to that in their suggestions but are also adding ideas that simply take and twist the plotline that go beyond what the "character will do next".
This trend could make keeping the plot continuity a little more difficult unless it is clearly expressed up front that such suggestions will not be included in the poll.
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scissorkitty
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| Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 2:30 pm Post subject: |
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I wouldn't consider that cheating, so long as (as you said) you allowed the outcome of the DPs to change the path of your story. If there's player interaction within a story, it is by definition a Story Game, right? That's pretty much what's going on with my FantaSea story, anyway. It was my failed NaNoWriMo attempt, so I've chopped it up, and started SGing it.
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Smee
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| Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 2:48 pm Post subject: |
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I think it's well known I don't like meta dp's... but to the case in point. A SG isn't like NaNo... there's no rules about not having done any preparation, or even having most of the story already in your head, although it may make decision point creation trickier.
The only thing there is, is a warning to be prepared for the story to change, and be willing to make those changes if a poll dictates it.
*wanders off muttering about blood-thirsty voters giving him a damn Overseer to deal with.* 
Happy Writing 
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scissorkitty
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| Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 2:54 pm Post subject: |
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There you have it! The Mayor himself, in all his Smee-ness, has decreed that we are Doing No Wrong using previously started stories to create SGs. 
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Crunchyfrog
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| Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 3:21 pm Post subject: |
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If you already have well developed characters, I don't think you'd really have a problem. Although you would be relinquishing control over the main character, as long as all your other characters react to the DP in a way that you believe is true to their behaviour, I think you can still get the same kick out of writing the story - whichever way the plot twists.
From my (limited) experience, I have found that the better I've come to know my characters, the easier it has been for me to set the DPs and to stick by each of the outcomes.
There've been some pleasant surprises as well - one character I'd intended to be a minor one has ended up having a significant role and he is a joy to write - and that was all down to an unexpected DP outcome early on in the tale.
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