[UA] Reactive vs Proactive Players

[Ted Prodromou]

Something I try to do with reactive players is create
an initial structure which has story already written
into it.

If you try to bring in a stick later, reactive players
will sometimes take it wrong.  "Not only do I not know
what to do, but now my dog's dead, too."

I try to restrict character concepts from the start,
so that PCs are dynamic.  "Make a character that wants
something badly."  I've started rejecting character
concepts that involve stability and a resistance to
going out and doing things.

On top of that, I'll try to make the initial
assumptions of the story automatically imply action.  

"You're working for someone who hands you missions" is
an old favorite that works. The first UA game I was in
was an amazing game James Holloway ran that followed
this format: we played tabloid video jounalists.

Others that I've seen in play that have worked:
"You're in an occult family, and there's a rival
family in town."
"You're a neighborhood watch group and crime is on the
rise."
"You're an informal group of obsessively curious
people, who research weird phenomena."
"You're cops in a 1950's police department who also do
Occult Underground stuff."
"You're all homeless and need a place to stay."
"You're the occult-aware teenaged sons and daughters
of prominent adepts, and you're attending high school
together!"

Characters who start with goals, and who have a
structure that sends them into action, are much easier
to run.  This is especially true with reactive players
- they can react to stuff that's already in the
assumptions of the game.

Just my thoughts.

Ted

--- Chris Cooper <insectking at yahoo.com> wrote:

> I've come to the understanding that UA is a game
> that
> relies on proactive players - players that take
> initiative and get into the game.
> 
> I've always run games for proactive players. I
> suppose
> I'm just hardwired that way. I create a setting with
> the plot partly established and the opening scene is
> the characters getting involved one way or another.
> 
> How do I make games for reactive characters. Y'know
> the ones that have to be prodded and handed evidence
> on platters. Particularly in UA games.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> C.
> 
> I have a damn blog. Happy now?
> 
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