 November 3, 2012 - 3:16am | I've been having a lot of fun experimenting with non-linear storytelling in my kids campaign. Instead of going with the gritty, high mortality war gaming style of role playing with my kids I've been focusing a lot more on story and character driven, heroic type play. I mean if my kids are going to sit at a table instead of playing video games, they get to save the universe, you know? Anyways, after reading a series of thought provoking articles on storytelling, I decided to approach the entire game as an unfolding saga leading up to SW2. Instead of one group of characters moving from place to place, with NOTHING happening whereever the characters are NOT, I decided to have history being made all over the frontier as stories unfold. But instead of having one set of PCs going all over the place, I thought it better to have my kids play different PCs so that they could experience events across the frontier more or less concurrently. So my kids are actually involved in 2 campaigns right now. One in the NW corner of the frontier, at the opening of the Rim territories to the UPF, and another set of PCs (the heroes of Volturnus) in the SE corner of the frontier, helping resuce the Eleanor Moraes as the crew of the Osprey. There's actually one additional level of complication: My youngest son is a little impatient at the table, so I decided to skip the Mutiny on the Eleanor Moraes module, but play out the other two in that series/campaign. So I had their main PCs, as a part of the White Light campaign be part of the crew that rescues the Eleanor Moraes. Once I got them to that part of the story, he asked me as a side note about playing an explorer type character... So I thought I'd give Moraes a try, but keep the action tight. Knowing that I was going to start developing a cast of characters to tell this BIG story of the frontier, I let them be science PSA types on the crew, figuring after the series was over, these additional explorer PCs could continue to chart new systems for the UPF, and make some interesting contacts, but I could just cut to them when something interesting happens, rather than having an entire campaign around the day to day of a planetary survey team. So for Moraes, the original heroes of Volturnus PCs are part of the Royal Marines, helping to rescue the Moraes. They arrive to meet the crew that survived the mutiny. Then I paused, and had the explorer PCs run the mutiny module, which was kind of cool because the situation seemed hopeless as they looked at the distances that needed to be covered to get to the ship in time, but knowing they met...themselves...they knew it would be possible if they tried hard and kept grinding it out. They completed the mission and saved the ship by talking Terry down, and then I paused that storyline there to pick up another. When my kids' characters are anywhere civilized, I have a section each game where they see news reports somewhere. In a bar, in a public square, etc. As the PCs made their way back from the Volturnus campaign, I had news stories running about the scandal surrounding Truane's Star government officials being in league with the Star Devil Pirates and Streel in the exploitation of Volturnus. This was to let the kids know that their actions when they discovered the facts at the Slave City One had a positive impact. They heard new stories about the CFM helping out the natives of Volturnus. So they were aware of unfolding events in the part of space they just left. But I figured the re-emergence of an advanced species (Eorna) and beginning of a new era with the RIM was too big of a story to be left to news clips and had the kids make up new PCs, and play characters that were rescued from the pirates, but still recovering from their capture on Volturnus. So those stories that the kids have heard news reels about will now be something they are a part of making happen. The particulars of the Volturnus part of the saga I wrote about in the Volturnus Revisited forum: http://www.starfrontiers.us/node/7133 The point I am bringing up is that I have been finding non-linear storytelling to be an interesting success. My kids are not such hard core gamers that they cry foul at the little bit of railroading I have to do to tie up loose ends. I'm the type of GM that won't easily allow a PC to die, either. At least without warning. My kids have seemed to enjoy 're-running' a story where they kind of know what the outcome will be and I believe it's because they are getting a grasp on the backstory of the organizations and factions they are encountering. I also find that since "life goes on" when their original PCs aren't around, it adds a sense of depth and realism, but because they are playing different characters, they can still be a part of shaping events in the frontier through their actions. In the future, I'm considering having another set of characters to run Jedion's Mooks serial with, and maybe even have a Klikk one off where some pre-rolled characters end up getting killed off as they save the universe from the return of the Klikks... |
 November 3, 2012 - 5:31am | WOW, you're an GM that likes have a lot of work. I'm deeply impressed. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
November 19, 2012 - 8:22am | So after several sessions, the PCs that I refer to in my notes as "Soldiers" - the ones captured by the star devil have completed a lot of the Pre - SW2 story arc I had planned for them. They helped the Eorna fight off corporate "raiders", finished off the Star Devil in his base on Anker and visited Capella. (Thanks Jedion for the awesome history of the Rim - it was enormously helpful). In the last session the PCs tracked down a clue they discovered on Capella. The CFM gave the Eorna delegation that visited Faire a piece of metal ship debris they found orbiting a planet in a nearby system. They gave the metal and the coordinates to the leader of the Eorna as a gift. They asked the PCs to track it down, and they discovered an Eorna colony that had been cut off for over 900 years. They reunited the two planets, and the discovery was enough to put the Eorna on the map as a legit race. The UPF released any claim to Zebulon, and the two Eorna systems joined the Rim coalition. In return, the Rim is sharing their Space Elevator technology and the Eorna shared technology with both the Rim and UPF: Pod lasers, pod laser turrets, and a new medical gel called hydrogel. It helps with all injury and burn related treatments, and gives +5 stamina back over the traditional AD rules medical treatments. At this point, the "Soldier" PCs are not only caught up in time, but 40 days or so ahead of the "Hero" PCs - the original heroes of Volturnus. Our next session will pick up where they left off, on Mahg Mar, getting ready to meet the Notui and find the Sathar scout ship, then complete the "Beyond the Frontier" series. After that - we will start to move through some loose ends and then SW 2... |
November 19, 2012 - 10:17am | I like the hydrogel as we never introduce new med equipment- everyone wants the shiny new guns. Make the hydrogel of limited availability in the UPF with the eorna trying to expand production - on the eve of the SW2 it will be a god send but because of a bottle neck in production its something you conserve. Then you can do a non linear side adventure of a medical supply run to supply a forward combat support hospital. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
November 19, 2012 - 10:36am | I like the hydrogel as we never introduce new med equipment- everyone wants the shiny new guns. Make the hydrogel of limited availability in the UPF with the eorna trying to expand production - on the eve of the SW2 it will be a god send but because of a bottle neck in production its something you conserve. Then you can do a non linear side adventure of a medical supply run to supply a forward combat support hospital. That is a GREAT idea. It would work in well with my overall plan for SW2 as well. I plan on the "Day of the Juggernaut" scenario being the opening of SW2. In that scenario, Strike Force Nova is involved. I plan on the Juggernaut being a means to hold SF Nova by Scree Fron, and then have the invasion take place in earnest. A fleet will come in from Liberty on it's way to Theseus. Another fleet will come in from outpost 1 toward K'aken Kar. A third fleet will come in from the formad cluster toward Capella. With the Rim and the UPF having a new treaty, the Flight and SF Nova should be able to make quick work of the Sathar "West" fleet, but the other two fleets will be able to have some success before the remaining UPF task forces arrive. This would be a great backdrop for an emergency medical run... |
November 19, 2012 - 12:32pm | And with CFM captains holding resever commissions in the Flight and the CFM ships functioning as a cross between auxillary warship and merchant marine you may be interested in Mooks part 3 for which I'm working up a deck plan of the HS 5 common CFM ship. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
November 19, 2012 - 1:51pm | And with CFM captains holding resever commissions in the Flight and the CFM ships functioning as a cross between auxillary warship and merchant marine you may be interested in Mooks part 3 for which I'm working up a deck plan of the HS 5 common CFM ship. I am greatly looking forward to seeing it. I really want to run "Mooks" but am holding off for the ship's plan to do so. I'm toying with the idea of making the PCs an 'honorary' member of the Flight based on their connection to Volturnus - but not allowing them to function as merchants that ship CFM goods without undergoing the CFM apprenticeship. That might be a way to work the mooks storyline in as well. |
December 18, 2012 - 4:05pm | So the grand saga of the frontier came to a sort of head this week: The Second Sathar War. My kids' "Hero" characters have: 1. Joined the Clarion Marines, 2. Rescued Volturnus, 3. Liberated the Mhemne from the Sathar and have generally established themselved as heroes. At the same time, my kids' "Soldier" characters were freed from Slave City One on Volturnus and joined up with a couple of key NPCs who stayed there to help the Eorna. These guys: 1. Helped fight off corporate raiders, 2. Defeated the Star Devil, 3. Found another Eorna colony in another system nearby - which basically tipped the balance, resulting in the RIM coalition receiving Zebulon and Eelonn (the other colony) as members in exchange for giving technology, trade and mutual defense areements with the UPF. In the time since those points-the HEROES left the CRM, and finished up some personal plot business, all with a tie in to SW2. One character had a family member who discovered a tetrarch artifact (Jump Gate) that went to a Sathar system. This discovery helped to explain how the Sathar have been attacking from all around the frontier. The other character had been a part of a spying operation on a criminal figure, and uncovered a plot to use a WMD in Port Loren on Founder's Day. This was led by an individual who was being controlled by the Sathar - in an attempt to damage UPF command and control prior to their invasion. Meanwhile, the SOLDIER characters followed a lead by a CFM merchant leading them to the Sundown system, and the discovery of a sathar base (and something older in the Clikks) there. Jumping back to Scree Fron, Strike Force Nova is in the system, and just in time for a massive Sathar Juggernaut to enter the system. The UPF task force and the PC's modified Flight auxiliary freighter take part in destroying the Juggernaut that signalled the beginning of the invasion. They were called back by the Flight who had learned of a massive fleet and jump gate in the Formad Cluster. All ships are being called to Capella to prepare for an attack. Strike Force Nova goes to Capella as well in honor of the mutual defense treaty. The Sathar invade the Frontier AND the RIM, with battles ranging all over. Both the HEROES and the SOLDIERS are involved in the fighting, and watch the Sathar get beat back again. The jump gates give an indication of where several Sathar bases are located, and they are wiped out, critically damaging the ability of the Sathar to wage war in the future. The only thing left is a few rescue/mop up operations. After the end of the battles, I have a few ground battles planned, after which this campaign will have "ended" by telling one of the biggest stories to tell. Next up, a Frontier with less Sathar, more corporate misbehavior and greed, and a looming Clikk threat. The Heroes will find a yet-uninvented plot device that will involve a jump gate and will put them in another part of the galaxy, in an Alternity-style setting... |
 January 17, 2013 - 1:54pm | I'm a little late on this, but I love everything up to the point of mixing in Alternity, though I understand your desire to mix it up. You have done an excellent job with this. Question: Where is jedion's history of the Rim located? View my profile for a list of articles I have written, am writing, will write. "It's yo' mama!" —Wicket W. Warrick, Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi "That guy's wise." —Logray, Star Wars Ep.VI: Return of the Jedi Do You Wanna Date My Avatar? - Felicia Day (The Guild) |
January 21, 2013 - 7:56pm | I'm a little late on this, but I love everything up to the point of mixing in Alternity, though I understand your desire to mix it up. You have done an excellent job with this. Question: Where is jedion's history of the Rim located? Thanks. Yeah, trying to mix it up. I'm taking elements of the setting to provide backstory to another region of space, but using the SF rules and also the Tetrarchs and Clikks as kind of unifying elelments. Eventually everything is going to melt down into the Clikk invasion of known space. On the timeline, I was talking with him and he offered to send it to me. I'm sure if you ask him, he'll hook you up. It's a good read. |
