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Gaming Synergy
Feb. 1st, 2015 08:48 pmThe thing about running an RPG in one universe with multiple settings (WWII Europe, 1960s San Francisco, Late 90's Superhero school) is that the things one group of PCs do can affect the setting for the other groups. In some ways, this is obvious. I've been deliberately cagey about how WWII ended precisely because I'd like to role-play it, yet we're still early in the war (the most recent war-time event was the rescuing of the Dutch royal family in the aftermath of the invasion of the low countries - call it September 1940).
Other ways are subtle. I've long established that some technologies in the 90's game are more advanced and some are less advanced than in the real world. Medicine and space exploration are more advanced, because the world they're in had different priorities than ours. Computers and telecommunications are less advanced, because a lot of people who would have gotten into computers were working on rockets instead. The 90's super-verse has multiple, permanent, manned space stations and regular launches. However, the computers/cell phones/internet they're using is what we had in the real 80's.
The problem with that is that the PCs in the 60's have every piece of the cell phone puzzle. They could literally invent cell phone technology years earlier. They haven't done it yet, but I need to come up with a way to explain the discrepancy - because I'd like a consist world that allows people to fly and throw cars around while wearing tights and a cape.
Finally, the existence of time travel in the game means that characters in earlier eras have the chance to learn about the big events that the later PCs have. This hasn't happened yet, but given my plans for both groups, it would be nuts that they don't know.
It's all a big juggling act, but I'm loving it.
Some more examples:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
halfdane866 has taken to the game like a hound to a bone and is constantly extending my WW2 back story. His most recent idea involved Japanese machinations during the war and the involvement of some public-domain characters. Hey, if I can work Skull Island into the game, he can work some other dangerous islands into it. The upshot of this is he's convinced me to allow the Japanese some Gunk. Not much - the Germans were more greedy than the British (who provided Canada and Australia larger amounts).
What does this mean for the game? Well, some opportunities to role-play in the Pacific theatre (Mark: Want to run a short game?), but also the chance for one of the PCs in the 90s to change her back story, since she's 1/4 Japanese. Whether she does or not remains to be seen. Hell, It means more non-white supers, which has been one of the more inadvertently racist aspects of the game. An entirely plausible result of racist attitudes of the WWII era.
The background just keeps getting richer and richer, I love that.
--- edit ---
Oh my god! I'm making my own Continuity Porn!
--- edit ---
Other ways are subtle. I've long established that some technologies in the 90's game are more advanced and some are less advanced than in the real world. Medicine and space exploration are more advanced, because the world they're in had different priorities than ours. Computers and telecommunications are less advanced, because a lot of people who would have gotten into computers were working on rockets instead. The 90's super-verse has multiple, permanent, manned space stations and regular launches. However, the computers/cell phones/internet they're using is what we had in the real 80's.
The problem with that is that the PCs in the 60's have every piece of the cell phone puzzle. They could literally invent cell phone technology years earlier. They haven't done it yet, but I need to come up with a way to explain the discrepancy - because I'd like a consist world that allows people to fly and throw cars around while wearing tights and a cape.
Finally, the existence of time travel in the game means that characters in earlier eras have the chance to learn about the big events that the later PCs have. This hasn't happened yet, but given my plans for both groups, it would be nuts that they don't know.
It's all a big juggling act, but I'm loving it.
Some more examples:
halfdane866 has taken to the game like a hound to a bone and is constantly extending my WW2 back story. His most recent idea involved Japanese machinations during the war and the involvement of some public-domain characters. Hey, if I can work Skull Island into the game, he can work some other dangerous islands into it. The upshot of this is he's convinced me to allow the Japanese some Gunk. Not much - the Germans were more greedy than the British (who provided Canada and Australia larger amounts).What does this mean for the game? Well, some opportunities to role-play in the Pacific theatre (Mark: Want to run a short game?), but also the chance for one of the PCs in the 90s to change her back story, since she's 1/4 Japanese. Whether she does or not remains to be seen. Hell, It means more non-white supers, which has been one of the more inadvertently racist aspects of the game. An entirely plausible result of racist attitudes of the WWII era.
The background just keeps getting richer and richer, I love that.
--- edit ---
Oh my god! I'm making my own Continuity Porn!
--- edit ---
