RPGnet Columns
07-20-2005, 06:49 AM
Post originally by SlurpeeMoney at 2005-07-20 05:49:30
Converted from Phorums BB System
I've dealt with a few dark turns in my day; in fact, it's almost become a halmark of my games to start off light and rather fluffy and take on a rather dark, dramatic tone. Mostly, it's good storytelling. The light fluffy stuff brings the audience in, makes them like and appreciate the characters. Then, as things get more dramatic and dire, the audience truly cares what happens to those individuals. The same thing happens in my role-playing experiences. The characters start off with a light, humourous tone, and slowly, the game takes on a more dramatic feel; relationships deepen, danger rises, and when it all seems like it's going to fall apart, they come out alright after all.
Mostly, I've seen this kind of turn happen in anime. For instance, Trigun starts fluffy but turns into a sort of dark redemption story. If you've not seen it, I suggest you go rent/buy/find-it-on-tv.
And to quote Joss Whedon for a moment "...the more [the characters] suffered, the better our ratings got." Unhappy characters (with happy players, obviously) makes for great role-playing.
Cheers,
Kris
Converted from Phorums BB System
I've dealt with a few dark turns in my day; in fact, it's almost become a halmark of my games to start off light and rather fluffy and take on a rather dark, dramatic tone. Mostly, it's good storytelling. The light fluffy stuff brings the audience in, makes them like and appreciate the characters. Then, as things get more dramatic and dire, the audience truly cares what happens to those individuals. The same thing happens in my role-playing experiences. The characters start off with a light, humourous tone, and slowly, the game takes on a more dramatic feel; relationships deepen, danger rises, and when it all seems like it's going to fall apart, they come out alright after all.
Mostly, I've seen this kind of turn happen in anime. For instance, Trigun starts fluffy but turns into a sort of dark redemption story. If you've not seen it, I suggest you go rent/buy/find-it-on-tv.
And to quote Joss Whedon for a moment "...the more [the characters] suffered, the better our ratings got." Unhappy characters (with happy players, obviously) makes for great role-playing.
Cheers,
Kris