thread: 2005-07-05 : Setting and Source Material
On 2005-07-06, Matthijs Holter wrote:
Wrt guidelines/tools/techniques that help with setting creation: In "Itras By", a surrealistic Norwegian RPG*, players can draw "event cards". They then have to follow the instructions on the card, whether they want to or not. Some of these cards tell you to narrate things that can add new and important setting elements.Examples are: "The Stranger" - someone approaches your character. Describe him briefly, and then hand over control to the GM. "The Task" - someone offers to help you out of your problems if you do something for them.
As Sydney says - constraints. Giving people the power to introduce elements, while at the same time giving them strict constraints, works wonderfully. It's much easier to work with "make a nemesis for the guy on your left!" than "make something that the guy on your left can use!"
* I know I talk a lot about Norwegian games. They're the ones I'm most heavily involved in, as a player, GM and/or designer.
