Axes: Campaigns 1.1 (LONG)
Leon von Stauber
http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~leonvs/rpgCampaign.html
for those without WWW access. It won't be pretty, but here goes.
Axes
Classification of Campaigns and of GM Preferences
Version 1.1
Intro and Acknowledgments
This is a system of classification of RPG gamemastering
styles. It's pretty much entirely a summation of other
people's ideas, drawn from discussions on
rec.games.frp.advocacy, hopefully presented in a manner that
will clarify, rather than obscure, the issues. It draws
especially heavily on the ideas of Rodney Payne. The
vestiges of the ol' plot/world business is still in here:
I can't remember if that was John Kim's, or if he was
summarizing someone else's ideas. The Diagetic setting
issues here were spurred by Mary Kuhner's original
"romantic/realistic" contrast. Kevin Hardwick is responsible
for making clear to me the Template dramatic
technique, and for helping me refine some of the terms. And
of course, all of the people engaged in the
discussions on r.g.f.a. have added immeasurably to the
exposition and value of these ideas. (Please remind
me if I've left anyone out! My memory's not so good,
and it's even worse with names! :-)
This system is intended to classify individual campaigns.
It can also be used to rate general GM tendencies and
preferences.
That having been said, onward we go!
Outline
Preparation
Detail
Script
Setting
Drama
Template
Individual
Theme
Diagesis
Fantasy
Heroism
Conflict
Improvisation
Direction
Mechanism
Metagame
Authorship
Length
Campaign Preparation
Axes: Campaigns 1.1
The Preparation issues deal with setup of the campaign.
They describe the kind of preparation a GM does.
They deal fairly directly with the motivations and
limitations behind the preparation for a campaign.
NB: This scheme presumes in its descriptions a
simplistic pattern of game design followed by game play, and
never the twain shall meet. Of course, this doesn't
actually exist, but the system should still hold for the
normal routine of
design/play/design-while-playing/design-some-more/play/design/etc.
Detail
Setting Axis
10-| /
9-| Setting /
8-| -oriented /
7-| /
6-| /
5-| /
4-| / Script
3-| / -oriented
2-| /
1-|/
0-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-| Script Axis
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
The distance along each axis measures the amount
of preparation of that sort that was done for a campaign.
(This is usually limited by the amount of time
the GM has to spend.)
Campaigns with more time spent on Setting design
than on Script fall into the upper left of the graph, and are
termed "Setting-oriented". Campaigns which fall
into the lower right are termed "Script-oriented". (For
those of you with a background in physics, this
is analogous to the definition of spacelike and timelike events
on a relativistic spacetime diagram.)
The origin (0,0) of this graph is pretty much
meaningless -- it indicates no preparation of any kind. "10" on
either of these axes represents some sort of
humanly achievable limit on the amount of preparation.
Setting preparation is typified by a wealth of NPCs,
detailed histories, copious maps, background events, and
the like. The Setting-oriented campaign provides for
a broad range of PC actions, but doesn't lay out
consequences too far into the future.
Script preparation concentrates on relevant plot
elements, possible outcomes of PC choices, and NPCs as
sources of motivation. A Script-oriented campaign
sets up a more limited decision space for the PCs, but
maps the outcomes of those decisions in more detail.
In short, a Setting-oriented campaign requires a
greater breadth of preparation, while a Script-oriented
campaign emphasizes depth.
Drama
Individual Axis
10-| /
9-| Individual /
8-| -oriented /
7-| /
6-| /
5-| /
4-| / Template
3-| / -oriented
2-| /
1-|/
0-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-| Template Axis
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
These axes measure the degree to which the Script and
Setting preparation hinge on the "dramatic necessities"
of the PCs. Basically this describes how much the
Script/Setting hook into and are dependent upon elements
of the PCs' personalities and backgrounds.
A "0" on either axis means that Script & Setting are
designed completely without reference to the PCs that
will be involved. A "10" describes preparation that
is based entirely on PC considerations. This, of course,
means that a lightly Dramatic game would probably have
the GM design Script & Setting long before the
players make up characters, while the very heavily
Dramatic game requires knowledge of already-made (or
nearly so) PCs.
Preparation influenced by Individual Drama concentrates
on the backgrounds and motivations of PCs
considered as separate, um, ... individuals, whereas a
Template-oriented approach treats the PCs as part of a
unified group upon which generic Dramatic techniques may
be employed (e.g. a military company, a ship's
crew, or a traveling circus).
Theme
|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-| Thematic Axis
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
This weighs the influence of Thematic elements (such
as betrayal, kinship, honor, the glory/ignominy of war,
etc.) on campaign preparation.
"0" - No consideration of thematic elements
"10" - Campaign design is completely driven by Thematic considerations.
Campaign Diagesis
Axes: Campaigns 1.1
These are also issues for campaign design, but they deal with what the GM
prepares. They describe the
characteristics of the campaign or setting. (The word "diagetic" is purported
to mean setting-related;
confirmation of this is still being sought.)
Fantasy
Realistic |-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-| Fantastic
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
This is a measure of the extent to which a setting
abides by the same physical, sociological, and psychological
rules that govern the real world. (Of course, we may
not all completely agree on what those are!)
"0" - Faithful model of reality
Example: This is something scientists are still trying to achieve!
"10" - Outlandishly fantastical setting which violates
everything we know about how the world works
Example: Lovecraft's stories set in the Dreamlands come close.
Heroism
Nihilistic |-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-| Heroic
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Will the PCs prevail against overwhelming odds? Or are
the PCs doomed, and it's only a matter of time?
"0" - "Abandon hope, all ye who enter here."
Example: Call of Cthulhu
"10" - The PCs almost can't lose.
Example: 4-color supers campaigns
Conflict
Mundane |-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-| Conflictual
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Is the setting rife with conflict (war, political intrigue,
famine, religious conflict, etc.)? Or are things pretty
quiet, and it's up to the PCs to find something interesting to do?
"0" - "Doesn't anything ever happen around here?"
Example: Kansas
"10" - "Whoa! Slow down!"
Examples: Bosnia, early 15th-century Europe, cyberpunk settings
Note on Terminology: "Mundane" seems to imply "boring", which
is not really the intent.
Campaign Improvisation
Axes: Campaigns 1.1
These two axes are the only ones that really deal with
in-play decision-making.
Direction
Natural |-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-| Directed
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
This is an important one. It measures the degree to which
the GM takes a hand to maintain the levels of
parameters established during campaign design. In a Directed
game, the GM makes a conscious attempt to
keep things Dramatic, to keep the Script on track, to make
sure the Conflict level stays high, etc., perhaps
giving up some setting consistency in order to do so. In a
Naturally GMed campaign, the GM will interpret
and respond to PC actions in the way that seems most likely
and consistent, given the particular setting, even
if some Drama is lost or the Script is derailed.
"0" - Any way the campaign goes is fine.
"10" - Complete railroading
Note on Terminology: A Natural GMing style is the primary
component of what's known as "simulationism".
Mechanism
Freeform |-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-| Mechanical
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
This is a measure of how willing the GM is to bend or
break the rules in favor of game considerations. It's
sort of a game-mechanically-oriented form of the Direction axis.
"0" - "Dice? What dice? And did you say something about a rule book?"
"10" - The GM will beat rules lawyers to the punch. "The dice are always
right."
Note on Terminology: "Mechanical" is a terrible term.
Note on Terminology: "Freeform" has been used to
describe rules-light game systems, which is not quite the
same usage as this. That is, a Freeform GM could use
a rules-intensive system and just not pay much attention
to the rules, or a Mechanical GM could go by the letter
in a rules-light system. If "Freeform" as applied to
game systems is commonly used, this may cause some confusion.
Campaign Metagame
Axes: Campaigns 1.1
These relate to things external to the game setting or story.
Authorship
Troupe |-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-| Auteur
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
This is a measure of how much authorial control is in the
hands of one person.
"0" - Equal control among all participants (perhaps no GM as such)
"10" - No meaningful player input ("control freak" GMs)
Length
One-Shot |-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-| Long-Term
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
While this seems pretty straightforward, I'm not sure
what the exact correlation between a number on the axis
and a real duration should be, if there even is an exact
correlation. Also, is this more useful in measuring the
time that has already passed in a campaign, or the length
as planned by the GM?
"0" - You talk, maybe make up characters, and never play.
"10" - The campaign started in 1973, and never quit.
_____________________________________________________________
Leon von Stauber <leo...@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu>
http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~leonvs/
University of Texas, Computation Center Consulting Services
"We have not come to save you, but you will not die in vain!"