AMIA ARCHIVE • View topic - Small-Scale Events?

This is something I have been curious about. Are there any DMs dedicated to -small-, short plots? Something that targets groups of about three-six people? I believe smaller plots can be more personal, intimate, and interactive. Just throw something at a group of people RP-hunting or a group sitting around somewhere..

Most of the plots seem very large and and for me (and I think for more than just me) they seem like theatre with all the major actors on the stage and the rest of us standing about like the audience with a limited ability to interact and be part of the event.

Maybe I'm just being needy and these small events are avoided because DMs only have so much time and it targets less people.. And people might link the people who encounter them to DM favoritism. But if the former isn't entirely true and we get over the latter bullshit, I think they would be entirely nifty and worthwhile.

Edit: I'll give an example of what I mean:

Three new characters, just starting out in Cordor, are exploring the drudgery of the sewers when they spot a ghost of a little girl crying and fleeing them. Eventually, if they follow, they find the spot where she was murdered and may learn, by some investigative means, who murdered her--her father or so.

I feel like smaller events can also have bigger impacts on the involved characters and lead to character development

Yeah. I like the sound of this. I've gone to a few large scale events only to be turned around by PCs screaming "ITS UNDER CONTROL GO AWAY". Its actually a bit enraging because I'd really like to see the plots and get involved

. If anything smaller scale plots would be welcome. hehe

I avoid them as much as I can now. I don't like to just sit around. And I -do- try to be heard. Sometimes I am. But it's brief.

I'd rather spend my time RPing with someone so I'm actually doing something, but I think a lot of the 'audience' just stick around for the DC or because people they would RP with are there.

Smaller events are my preferred method, as I lately (weell, a bit longer than lately now, but anyway) don't have any set times when I can definitely be at the PC. But I never announce I'm about to do an event for someone. You just have to pick on the clues and see what happens. Like, if you see something out of ordinary try doing something about it IC. And, they're not always preplanned by any means, so the end results may wary.

Every single time I've done a small-scale event it has resulted in hundreds of thousands of complaints about a DM only catering to a small circle of players. For, like, the whole hour or two it lasted.

Yossarin wrote:

Every single time I've done a small-scale event it has resulted in hundreds of thousands of complaints about a DM only catering to a small circle of players. For, like, the whole hour or two it lasted.

You don't strike me as one to be persuaded by the masses.
These little events help make 'life' more interesting for our characters, and there are those of us who do appreciate the DM involvement.

My plan was to do these small little things once my big plot is over.

Yossarin wrote:

Every single time I've done a small-scale event it has resulted in hundreds of thousands of complaints about a DM only catering to a small circle of players. For, like, the whole hour or two it lasted.

Large-scale events get the same complaints. You can't appease anyone.

Yossarin wrote:

Every single time I've done a small-scale event it has resulted in hundreds of thousands of complaints about a DM only catering to a small circle of players. For, like, the whole hour or two it lasted.

Please, please, please ignore those complaints.

I've been fortunate enough to participate in precisely one small-scale event, which as it progressed, snowballed into a larger event involving a couple dozen people. It started out incredibly fun, with our adventuring party of five members able to actually interact with the plot... we felt intrigued and excited, as though our actions had meaning, as though our characters had the potential to determine the direction in which the little plot hook that had been presented to us would progress. At more and more people got involved, the event lost anything even resembling those feelings. At some point, some invisible line was crossed, beyond which there were simply too many people involved for any DM to even keep track of, let alone interact with individually or meaningfully, and the event devolved into nothing more than theater, with the PCs reduced to the role of audience to the DM's playactor.

It was still enjoyable theater, sure, but when I want theater, I go to the theater. I come to Amia for the opportunity for shared interaction, shared creation. The window of that opportunity opens way, way wider when the DM isn't obligated to divide his attention equally among fifty people.

Yossarin wrote:

Every single time I've done a small-scale event it has resulted in hundreds of thousands of complaints about a DM only catering to a small circle of players. For, like, the whole hour or two it lasted.

Yeah, that's the bullshit I was referring to. Just got to ride through it. I will defend, comfort, ect. any DM that is willing to go through with it. Whatever I can to alleviate it. I just don't want that awful mentality to bring us all down.

Lizzie wrote:

I've been fortunate enough to participate in precisely one small-scale event, which as it progressed, snowballed into a larger event involving a couple dozen people.

That's why I said they should all be short-term. Short-term also allows the DM to do a small event for another group of players more immediately, and thus it goes around.

I prefer to do small scale events, myself. One of my favorites is to simply spice up the hunting of a group who's actually RPing while going through a dungeon. If you start seeing odd critters or the monsters suddenly start making much better tactical choices, there's a good chance something is up

As for people who complain about "catering to a small group," I'm sorry, but when you gripe and bitch because you're jealous someone else is getting some attention (which is what I interpret that behavior as), you quickly put yourself on my "don't do events for these people" list. If you act like a jerk, expect the same behavior from me in response.

Such reactions are only to be expected from the players. Of course it's a wrong approach in my opinion, but the DMs can also do a lot to make it seem as unbiased as possible. For example, Infernal had a great, simple idea as to how recruit people for a short-term event: He made a thread and told people to state their and their characters' names, and that he would randomly pick a certain number of volunteers for it from the list. Reckon some easy pattern was used to make the choices sporadic. I can recall Kjetta and Tranny using similar methods, too.

Well, don't know what I'm really after here, but guess it's that DMs should do their best to be (or just seem) fair.

The core idea of D&D is to run a game for a small group of players, not twenty of them, all yelling at the same time. I could even say it's the core idea of every RPG, but I know I'm wrong to say that.

This said, I fully endorse the DM team pulling events for smaller audiences. It is far more rewarding for both the players and the DM. Never been a fan of the chaotic, big ones, truth be told, although they can be succesful too, if the RP is progressive even without the DM's undivided attention. I can't agree with Gers' policy, though what the heck, it's just a game.

Never be afraid to ask on the DM channel to do something a bit PnP-y. Usually you will probably get an engaged tone, but when you don't, quite often your little request tends to turn into a mini quest, in my experience.

a few dms are actively providing plots for small groups but in all honesty, start one yourself IC. then call a DM in, its more fun that way and that way even if no dm is on you can still have your event.

tsukasa1991 wrote:

a few dms are actively providing plots for small groups but in all honesty, start one yourself IC. then call a DM in, its more fun that way and that way even if no dm is on you can still have your event.

Better yet, be in a situation that's open for some interference.

I'm doing both of the last two and it's working out well.

I love it when DMs play with hunting groups, makes the 'grind' sooooo much more fun.

Yurell wrote:

I love it when DMs play with hunting groups, makes the 'grind' sooooo much more fun.

It's lovely.
I cannot remember the DM who did it, But i was with a party of 4 people. A cleric, Wizard, Fighter type, and a Archer.
Pretty much the ideal setup, We were about ... level 15-16, trolling in the Old Yuan Ti temple (With all the massive spawns)

Then we started noticing how it suddenly started to literally 'Rain' in mobs...
Wish i had taken a screen-shot.
We were cornered, and the Cleric and fighter kept ground, while wizard and archer just kept pumping out Aoe spells.
The entire Area was -Swarmed- With Scimitar Wielding yuan ti's , chanting "Die die die"

Unsure how we managed to stay alive, But we did. The four of us Levelled, and quickly ran the hell away from there.

I only ever pick hunting groups who are actually RPing before the DM shows up. In case someone wants to know some of the criteria for random surprises.

That is for a practical reason above all, btw. If a group looks like they'll rush past before I get to the action on my side, I'm not gonna bother because I'm slow with spawns and combat situations.

I love small scale events. For the first few weeks that's all I did until...and I'm trying to be honest with you guys here...these things happened. A lot.

1. "No offense, but we kinda just wanna grind right now."

2. "Dude a DM is fucking with us in the troll caves port in port in!"

3. Entirely OOC hunting parties.

4. Suddenly 4 PC's turn into 20 PC's due to tells.

5. "I hear there's an event, can you tell me where it is?"

I would love to get back to doing the small scale events, if everyone promises me this stuff won't happen as much as it did last year.

This has bugged me for ages, and it's pretty much why I pop on and do maintenance DMing exclusively. Just sayin.

Yeah, that's another reason I don't touch hunting parties that don't RP during the time I observe them. There's a chance they'll tell me to buzz off instead of jumping the opportunity to get some free XP and DCs instead of grinding.

And also, exclusivity IS a virtue with small events. The less people, the more the people involved get to participate and the chances that everybody leaves the event in good mood are higher.

And that is why I never go to DM events once they've started, I can just imagine the frustration >.<
And I can't imagine who would ask a DM to bugger off while they grind, that's just ... *shakes head* this is why we can't have nice things!

Lally wrote:

I love small scale events. For the first few weeks that's all I did until...and I'm trying to be honest with you guys here...these things happened. A lot.

1. "No offense, but we kinda just wanna grind right now."

2. "Dude a DM is [removed] with us in the troll caves port in port in!"

3. Entirely OOC hunting parties.

4. Suddenly 4 PC's turn into 20 PC's due to tells.

5. "I hear there's an event, can you tell me where it is?"

I would love to get back to doing the small scale events, if everyone promises me this stuff won't happen as much as it did last year.

This has bugged me for ages, and it's pretty much why I pop on and do maintenance DMing exclusively. Just sayin.

for the problems you listed.... 1-5 I would have solved it by spawning 1000 monsters on them....make it 3000 just to be safe.

1. you are giving them what they want, grind power.
2. you are balancing out the extra players who have contracted steven-kings the shining IC....
3. they are OOC hunting part the monsters are OOC as well ; )
4. same as number two... damn you steven king....how did you infect players with your shining.
5. portal rod randomly opened up a portal to a plane of monsters......they ripped your face off.

if the players are gay about it, just screen shot it then dont do anything for them and if they bitch about DMs not doing anything for them send it to them.

Nekhy wrote:

Yeah, that's another reason I don't touch hunting parties that don't RP during the time I observe them. There's a chance they'll tell me to buzz off instead of jumping the opportunity to get some free XP and DCs instead of grinding.

yeah I'm bad about not RPing when hunting most of the time because I'm alone killing lowbie monsters for a IC reason, like the undead and demons in Caraigh that I have killed like 1000 times allready.

I don't really know what to say to console the DMs.. I promise..? I'm just one guy. I can't promise for the server. I know that there will always be people who will do 1-5 on Lally's list. I know I often do #3 myself. Nobody RPs at all and you just get into the hack-and-slash trance.

It's disheartening. But that's the world we live in. People arn't perfect. Some are less so than others. If the stress is too much then it's too much and we'll have to be without the small events.

But I honestly believe that the rare gems of story-telling and role-play that dealing with the drudgery will eventually produce is entirely worth it. I'm speaking without DM experience here, so do take my words with that consideration, but that is what I see. If there was never any such gems why would we have dedicated DMs at all?

Oh trust me I've had some fabu times. Honestly I should probably pick my head out of my butt and give it another go.

Lally wrote:

Oh trust me I've had some fabu times. Honestly I should probably pick my head out of my butt and give it another go.

allways a place for you to do mini events in logtown

corypx wrote:

Lally wrote:

Oh trust me I've had some fabu times. Honestly I should probably pick my head out of my butt and give it another go.

allways a place for you to do mini events in logtown

To be honest I don't personally care about how selective she and other DMs are... They're here for fun too. It isn't a paid job. Why must they suffer themselves through something they are repulsed by..? Or even uninterested in? The large pressure to be egalitarian about it is probably what discourages them so much.

After all, arn't we as players selective in -our- RP? We avoid so and so and favor so and so? I'm not encouraging favoritism (I'm a total socialist), but I think people need to stop expecting this extra service from the DMs like it's their right. It isn't. Your right isn't being taken from you if they prefer a certain group or groups.

I'll just be glad that any are happening at all.

@ Lally: Cheers! you brave soul!

IMHO, any good plot has to have both small and large scale events happening within it to properly explore the plot's depth and breadth, and giving as many people room to explore as possible.

I admit I once spoke out of line on an OOC basis on this regarding a specific event, but since then I like to hope I've got my head squared on right.

I've apologized before and I'll apologize again, I apologize for that series of happenings, and if they should happen again, I apologize again. *I pray they don't, that'd mean some ill feelings which shouldn't be happening*

I know! Get more DM's who want to be IG, and can deal with people complaining!

I have a tendency towards OOCing in party because grinding bores me. In most cases there is generally not a DM on when I do hunt. So to entertain myself and the two others with me, we usually chat about things.

Now, because I OOC in party does NOT mean I do not RP in game to. I do, quite frequently. I fail to see how my talking in party with my fellow players should effect if a DM pops in to look around or not, espically if I am RPing still while hunting. I don't think judging the quality of a parties RP based on how much party chatter you see DM side is fair. Unless you pop in, you wouldn't know if they are actually demonstrating some seriously high quality RP or not.

Just because players are friendly and feel like being a bit social with each other, doesn't mean they are not RPing. I don't really care if I get DC's or not because of my party chat personally, but it does worry me that people avoid RPing with me because I do chat a lot in party, and possibly prevent them from getting DC's.

ShortSlasher wrote:

I know! Get more DM's who want to be IG, and can deal with people complaining!

Is this supposed to be an insult?

ShortSlasher wrote:

I know! Get more DM's who want to be IG, and can deal with people complaining!

Or... you could get more players who aren't out-of-character a lot, and don't complain as much.

Why does that have to sound negative to you! It was meant to be like, start looking for more DM's who want to be Ig! I mean, you have one who says they are strictly forum DM's, how many others are like that? How many are IG? We don't know!

Uh, no one said they are exclusively a forum DM.

I've never heard of a strictly forum DM. Not to mention you generally are asked to log X amount of hours in the client (unless RL gets majorly in the way) per week/month/etc.

Lally wrote:

This has bugged me for ages, and it's pretty much why I pop on and do maintenance DMing exclusively. Just sayin.

I imagine this means requests and such.

Either way! Do you all think that more Dm's IG is a bad thing?

TormakSaber wrote:

Uh, no one said they are exclusively a forum DM.

Though it may be slightly off-topic, I just want to say that even if you were "just" a "forum DM", that's not in any way a bad thing, in my opinion. I'm kind of I'm astonished at how much time you invest in supporting the players via the forums... seems like every single time I log in, your name is on that little list on the bottom of the screen, of people who have been on the forums within the last five minutes. There's lots of ways to be an amazingly devoted DM, and I doubt you get enough credit for all your work, even if more people do know you through the forums than in-game.

ShortSlasher wrote:

Lally wrote:

This has bugged me for ages, and it's pretty much why I pop on and do maintenance DMing exclusively. Just sayin.

I imagine this means requests and such.

yes and it needs to get done at somepoint anyway, so its not as if it was time lost anyway.

and pop on offen means short time online, so instead of rushing a small IC thing she does maintenance so maybe when a diffrent DM logs on they can do thier plot and not be stuck doing Kobold changes for hours..... am I right Paladin ; )

Yossarin wrote:

Every single time I've done a small-scale event it has resulted in hundreds of thousands of complaints about a DM only catering to a small circle of players. For, like, the whole hour or two it lasted.

I have nothing but praise for how your non-combat events were executed.
For a change, people do not have to be epicly buffed to the teeth for an event.
I wish there were more of these thinking events that did not involve a swordarm.

Lally wrote:

Oh trust me I've had some fabu times. Honestly I should probably pick my head out of my butt and give it another go.

I will forever remember the small interaction you had with me during the plague plot, when Auron was confined within the Salandran temple randomly painting NPC people and sceneries; and how it encouraged me to spend DCs on an easel PLC. More often than not, I was left alone, RPing with myself, since the other drow PCs would not risk going to the surface nor did they know about him being there.

corypx wrote:

and pop on offen means short time online, so instead of rushing a small IC thing she does maintenance so maybe when a diffrent DM logs on they can do thier plot and not be stuck doing Kobold changes for hours..... am I right Paladin ; )

Fuggin' kobolds.

Selvec Darkon wrote:

I have a tendency towards OOCing in party because grinding bores me. In most cases there is generally not a DM on when I do hunt. So to entertain myself and the two others with me, we usually chat about things.

Now, because I OOC in party does NOT mean I do not RP in game to. I do, quite frequently. I fail to see how my talking in party with my fellow players should effect if a DM pops in to look around or not, espically if I am RPing still while hunting. I don't think judging the quality of a parties RP based on how much party chatter you see DM side is fair. Unless you pop in, you wouldn't know if they are actually demonstrating some seriously high quality RP or not.

Just because players are friendly and feel like being a bit social with each other, doesn't mean they are not RPing. I don't really care if I get DC's or not because of my party chat personally, but it does worry me that people avoid RPing with me because I do chat a lot in party, and possibly prevent them from getting DC's.

That's correct. Party chat doesn't matter, at least to me. But if a group goes on for the 5-10 minutes I'll spend following them without announcing my presence and don't stop at least once to do something RPly, don't utter anything ICly and generally behave like they're more interested in the grind than anything else... well, I port elsewhere to look for players.

I don't discriminate who's in the group, so I probably won't remember if the last time I checked your group you were all quiet for the 10 minutes. I do have a changing list of players in my head who I know are always RPing on a hunt (and generally, too), and thus I'll check on them if I see them online; a bit of positive discrimination. But I dare you call that favouritist.

Passive 'you', btw, in case it doesn't translate in the text.

Nekhy wrote:

tsukasa1991 wrote:

a few dms are actively providing plots for small groups but in all honesty, start one yourself IC. then call a DM in, its more fun that way and that way even if no dm is on you can still have your event.

Better yet, be in a situation that's open for some interference.

The above, a hundred times over.

Best laid plans of mice and men...

heh, back in my DMing days I used to spring random events on hunting parties when I got bored, I did that alot. Twas fun and I hope the players liked it too.

I love small-scale events, a lot. Too bad my main character is massively oriented towards huge plots rather than small adventures.

There are hardly small events that I've seen. Maybe a couple of times a NPC get's possessed, but that's about it. Large events on the other hand, which are broadcasted all across the server. I think the broadcasting is an invitation to almost all players in the area to come and see what's up. If DMs want to complain about the complaint of players complaining that the event is for closed circles, then please state that in your broadcast as an OOC notice or just don't shout across the globe what's up. Players are already starved of RP events, so if you do broadcasts like that, it's a feeding frenzy.

Now, small events are much more fun, probably more-so then the larger ones. Diplomatic stuff is fun too, one head of the factions talking with certain important folk of various cities. Create some sort of alliance and have them be broken etc. You can include everybody in a sort of formal gathering, creating somewhat of an public forum for all 'adventurers' and 'heroes'.

Also, the hunting parties that do not RP, do that for a reason. After a while it gets redundant, there is nothing to RP about in all honesty. What do you want other players to do? The usual happens, the generic RP - then it just falls short in the end and everyone just talks in party. Places have been visited before and seen over and over again. For example, the kobold priest quest. Which farmer has so many necklaces that were lost? Or how many orc chosen are there and how many times do we need to show his head? Everyone get's almost the same starting sequence, perhaps not if you start on B and switch between them, but in all honesty, there isn't much variation. It's as if we have to pretend others never done those quests before.

I wish the small scaled events were like those quests, go from A to B and retrieve this and that, thus doing this whilst needing that. It's alot of fun and doesn't take much time. Ask for some adventurers to gather something for the NPC possessed DM and have them do this errand. If the players reject, it's even more fun to try and convice them that they'll get a decent reward for their troubles.

There are countless ways to do this. In addition, you could also find someone with a unique background to their character and incorporate it into a small or even large scale event. Makes everyone feel a bit special in their own right.

I Like this topic.
It provides a little insight about the DM's and their concious/Sub concious choices, and how we (The players) should act to be rewarded by Mini-events.

I know for once that -I- Will henceforth stay away from an event if i get a tell saying "Hey, Mate, Come over to [Insert area] There's an event going on here!"

Lots of tips here...I like it

Yossarin wrote:

Every single time I've done a small-scale event it has resulted in hundreds of thousands of complaints about a DM only catering to a small circle of players. For, like, the whole hour or two it lasted.

Boot them for being douches. In a real PnP session I wouldn't want some guy complaining to the DM about others getting their turn.

Quote:

I know for once that -I- Will henceforth stay away from an event if i get a tell saying "Hey, Mate, Come over to [Insert area] There's an event going on here!"

You didn't already know this?

Welp.

Small-Scale Events?

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