Looking for that Plot?

Good afternoon Survivors!!! It's time for a Pro-Tip Thursday! I know some of you pine away the day waiting for this moment and if it doesn’t appear you are left with great disappointment! So Fear not my friends… Pro-tip Thursday has arrived!

Today, our topic is Plot. What is the plot, where is the plot? I can't find the Plot!!!!

Well Plot is the story that your writers have worked hard for you to find and follow. It is the pieces of story that we throw out into the game for our players to interact with and run with. We have mentioned several times, WE ARE CREATING STORIES TOGETHER!!! Each of us are capable of adding to the story at any time.

If we are doing our job correctly, we place seeds of plot in front of our players and then our players grow the story.

If you have played Roleplaying games in the past. You are used to having a Game master Create a story for you to play through. Good Game masters allow the players to influence where the plot goes while having a goal in mind for them to work towards. This is our goal as the creative team that is bringing this story to life.

When planning our season we start with what we call the Season Overarc. This is the season-long plot that grows during each game we play. Each game we have has subplots that plants the seeds that leads to a season ending finale that wraps up the story for the season. We refer to this as the Weekend Overac. So we spend our time between games working on the tapestry of the story that we put out. We take the actions of the players into account as we build the story and change those stories based on what players have done during the game.

Let me tell you… It's not easy. It takes a lot of time and effort. We have to avoid putting the game on rails that do not allow players to make changes or affect the story moving forward. We have to try to engage as many players as we can with the story. We also have to create several stories and subplots for aspects of the game like Criminal, Faith, Financial.

So you can see that it's a fine line to walk.

I am sure by now you are asking “ Gee Curtis, that is a great look behind the curtain, but what Can I do to help Tell the Story?” well that is a great question, I am glad you asked!

Engaging in plot is actively engaging in roleplay. One of the best tips I can give for making a better story is actively remembering these 5 tips of improv to help you create a better story.

5 Key Tips for Doing Improv

Listen and respond. In an improv scene, it's essential that actors listen to one another and react to the information they're hearing. ...
Embrace a “yes, and” mindset. ...
Follow your first instinct. ...
Be honest. ...
Relax and have fun.
Here is a great video that explains the “Yes and” mindset
(32) Felix D&D Tips: Using "YES, AND" improv advice - YouTube

By now if you are actively involved in playing DR. You have created a character. You know them, you know how they view our world. Use that as the base and then embrace the story seeds we put out and engage in the story.

You will find that the more you engage, you create more stories that you will remember more than any plot we have written for you. Because we plant the seeds, you bring out the story harvest!

Also you can always come see us down in ops and ask us what's going on where? We will help you find the plot!

So that is the goal. Let's create a story that we remember together.

Jump in, Do the crazy thing. Risk death and have a fun time while doing it.

Remember you cannot win DR. But you can have a great time with a fun community telling a great story. That is the goal.

Till next time friends!!!

See you in the Waste!!!