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We are very deeply honored to get a shout out on Be the Serpent!
I can talk a little more in depth about the narritive technology they touched on, because it was a huge concern for us going into the first arc of Skyjacks. https://twitter.com/serpentcast/status/1354398178485956609
I can talk a little more in depth about the narritive technology they touched on, because it was a huge concern for us going into the first arc of Skyjacks. https://twitter.com/serpentcast/status/1354398178485956609
On BtS they mentioned it felt like we had done alot of prep as a cast to set up the world/show.
The structure of many AP shows is what they mentioned on BtS "the GM knows alot and the players are going to find out alongside the cast."
The structure of many AP shows is what they mentioned on BtS "the GM knows alot and the players are going to find out alongside the cast."
There are some like @Friends_Table that bring you in by letting you be in on the world building as part of play.
We were faced with the challenge of wanting to retain an audience we already had but could easily lose.
We were faced with the challenge of wanting to retain an audience we already had but could easily lose.
My cast is strongest and most confident speaking in character. So I wanted to get to *that* as soon as possible.
Spéir was a totally new world. People couldn't take in information like they did with Star Wars to understand narritive choices.
Spéir was a totally new world. People couldn't take in information like they did with Star Wars to understand narritive choices.
"Oh Bacta is a clone that means this major event is in his character history."
We had to show off the characters and help people understand the world without making people feel lost or bored from exposition.
We had to show off the characters and help people understand the world without making people feel lost or bored from exposition.
Before recording 1 we had a 4 hour session zero/character creation session. There I talked through the narritive building blocks and character arcs everyone wanted, while discovering world details.
That session *massively* changed Spéir. (There is another trouser leg of history where the ships were necropunk using lungs for bellows.)
Also only ¼ of that session was usable because Tyler brought a different (and better) character to game.
Also only ¼ of that session was usable because Tyler brought a different (and better) character to game.
We still had this problem of unraveling the audience experience. "How do we get people to appreciate these choices without putting them off with an info dump?"
My theory of narrative is that it feels best when you learn through story and character action.
My theory of narrative is that it feels best when you learn through story and character action.
In the first three episodes of Skyjacks i treat even the most mundane character facts as reveals.
Like, the Captain is dead. That's how we pitch the show. However, you find out in the narritive when his jaw falls off.
Like, the Captain is dead. That's how we pitch the show. However, you find out in the narritive when his jaw falls off.
We only had an hour to draw people in and (in my mind) three to hook people. There wasn't much we had for people who were craving the deep satisfaction of Star Wars Campaign where everything was significant because we knew the characters so well.
So I dressed up the stuff folks were learning as precious secret jewels. The audience was already in the position of not knowing who these people were, so I tried to make that as interesting as possible.
Instead of saying "Travis is a changeling" I let Johnny introduce Travis as an insufferable bastard and later on in episode 2 you find out he can become a Rabbit.
I still consider the first three episodes of Skyjacks our complete pilot because by the end of them there is an intriguing reveal about every single main character on the show.
It's all super basic stuff, but presented in a way to grab you.
It's all super basic stuff, but presented in a way to grab you.
How is this useful?
Well, if you're making an AP, think about how you are giving the audience information. Even the simple stuff could be working for you.
Well, if you're making an AP, think about how you are giving the audience information. Even the simple stuff could be working for you.
Most importantly it creates the illusion that you and your cast know what you are doing. At least enough to make three savvy litterally analysts/writers think that you and you cast really prepared for something when you actually spent 4 hours BSing.
