Re: Svavelvinter är ju obegripligt!
Ursäkta en rookie-fråga, man vad innebär begreppet fisktank egentligen?
Första gången begreppet definierades och nämndes officiellt.
Numera har jag dock definierat begreppet tydligare, och dessutom differentierat det från vad jag kallar för underhållningsparken, vilken är ett mellanting mellan rälsning och fisktank.
Från Generica:
Game planning styles
There are probably as many ways to plan the structure of the game session as there are game masters. The do however tend to fall into one of three categories, although sometimes the definitions are unclear.
Planning the game session is important, so to give some background, these three styles of game mastering will be examined and commented.
Feel free to mix these game-planning styles as needed. Whatever way you mix and match these models, try to avoid having the players realize when they are outside the planned plot. In the end, the only thing that matters is if it works or not. If everybody is having fun, you are doing it right, regardless of which model you use.
The railroad (svenska: rälsning)
The railroad is the most basic of the game planning styles and it can be found in many computer adventure games. The railroad consists of a number of things that will happen in a set order of events, the players have little or no influence on what will happen. The name derives from the concept of a railroad track that goes in one direction only and stops at certain stations.
A typical example of this is when the characters arrive at the scene of a crime, where they find a clue, which leads them to another place, where they find the next clue and so on, until they find the bad guy, and have a shootout with him. The only influence the players have is that they may get stuck or fail at some point.
This model may sometimes be quite effective, especially in situations where the players should feel that they are not in control of the situation. Horror is a typical example of how the characters could lose the initiative and just have to react to what is happening. When the zombie horde comes shambling from every direction and there just happens to be a police station with an unlocked door behind you, you don’t consider alternatives.
It can also be useful as a way to get a long campaign started. Run a game session or two in a railroaded style to introduce the world, events, friends and enemies, them open up and let the players decide where they want to go.
The same thing that makes the railroad strong is also its biggest weakness. It does not give the players much influence over the action, which quickly gets boring. For this reason, most players in most situations frown upon the railroad.
Used correctly, the railroad is an excellent tool, but think about why you use it and if you really need it.
The amusement park (svenska: underhållningspark)
The amusement park is in many ways an evolution of the railroad. In the amusement park, the game master has a number of events planned, but the players can wander around freely and get to the events in almost any order.
A good detective story is a typical example of this. The players have a number of leads to investigate and they can do it in any order. Some leads will give more leads, or perhaps more trouble, and eventually they will have enough information to puzzle together what has happened and who the bad guy is.
This requires a little more planning for the game master. Clues need to be subtler, there need to be a lot of red herrings and dead ends, and there probably needs to be more clues than actually needed since the players will almost certainly miss something. In addition, while giving the players a lot more freedom, it also requires them to take initiative and act without relying on the game master to take them on a sightseeing trip.
The amusement park is a reliable method that works well in most cases. Even if you should use another method, some parts of your game will almost certainly have this structure.
The fish tank (svenska: fisktank)
The fish tank takes the idea of player freedom one step further by including the entire game world in the dynamic structure. In a fish tank, you just set up the starting positions, then start the game and see what happens, much like when you put different kinds of fish and plant in a fish tank, then sit back and enjoy the show.
This is a very flexible approach that requires little planning from the game master. On the other hand, it requires a game master that can think on his feet, react, and adjust as needed to unexpected events.
When planning according to the fish tank method, the game master sets the stage. He decides the circumstances, he decides the participants and their motivations, and he decides how it will start. In other words, he adds the scenery and fish to the tank. Then he adds the players and let them explore on their own. The other fish will of course react to the actions of the new fish, as well as to their original agendas, and the story will unfold more or less automatically. If it is too easy for the players, the game master adds some difficulty by dropping in a piranha or a red herring; if it is too hard, he drops in something helpful.
A murder at the casino, a fish tank mystery.
Tony and Walther were partners and built the large casino, the W&T palace. Tony cheats Walther out of his part and Walther leaves. Tony finds a new partner in Tex, and the W&T palace becomes the T&T palace.
Victoria, Walther´s daughter is married to Tex, but has an affair with Tony. She and Tony plans to kill Tex. Tex finds out and beats her. Walther, now back under the identity of Butler, finds out and sabotage Tex’s car, which goes off a cliff. No body was found. The T&T palace becomes Tony’s Palace. Tony and Victoria both think the other did it.
Tex survived the crash, and after plastic surgery returns as Bruno and is hired as bodyguard for Tony. He is intent on getting revenge on Victoria and Tony. Trixie, Tex’s daughter does not know he is alive and was Tony’s lover until she found him with Victoria.
Then one night Tony falls through a window during a party on the top floor. The players are called in to find the murderer.
The game master knows who did it, the murderer knows who did it, but nobody else knows. Everybody will try to avoid the blame while swooping in to get their hands on Tony’s fortune. Sit back and watch the mystery unfold!
The fish tank is a great tool for active players and game masters who do not want to spend a lot of time planning, but it may not be the ideal tool for novice role players. The fish tank works nicely when combined with the other methods; it is often useful to have some dramatic events pre-planned or having some subplot railroaded.
(Nerdpoäng till den som kan tala om var jag stulit exemplet.)