I like being difficult so I'll be long-winded and I'll do this backwards...
And this is going to be loooong, so grab your favorite caffeinated beverage - you're going to need it to stay awake!
Some things may sound like a harsh criticisms, but the post is not meant to offend. Better tales of adventure and daring can be told once the GM knows the players a little bit better and vice versa.
We'll start with the good news first:
Feedback:
Most of my comments are coming from a certain perspective:
If it's not fun, then we're doing something wrong.
WOW! Despite some rough moments, I thoroughly enjoyed the serial. I found myself constantly coming back to the forums to read the posts and updates. I was also eager to participate even to the point about daydreaming about the game from time to time!
Kudos to Control for putting this together.
I think there were some false assumptions and miscommunication that caused frustration at times. I assumed that we had more time to do some legwork, surveillance and other homework before the Team came down on the baddies like a ton of bricks. But the reality was time was the hidden enemy
Control was (half)joking about taking out the players - and I may have been a little peeved about that. I wasn't sure if Control was trying to set up an adversarial and competitive relationship between the GameMaster and the players. I find that this can be detrimental since it promotes bad metagaming. The players treat characters are like action figures and the decisions are always tactical and cold, with no soul or color to the characters. The players are afraid to anything "wrong" and the characters are flawless and NEVER make mistakes. It becomes boring really quickly when one plays an agent that doesn't make blunders from time to time or the character that doesn't have weaknesses.
I know that our Control delights and specializes in exploiting errors and weaknesses. We have seen this in the recent serial. But at least we are given a chance to climb out of the whole we dug ourselves. And we took the well deserved share of lumps and bruises. If Control really wanted to off the characters and piss everyone off, then it could verily been much worse than lumps and bruises.
Now I understand that the
"I'm out to get you" attitude
wasn't born out of malice or the sadistic DM syndrome. Control doesn't want complacent players. This is a good thing.
Control wants to game with players and characters that are smart. He wants players who actively contribute to the story. Keep moving or die. Take the initiative or you'll find the hellhounds breathing down your neck!
I would also like to see more situations and adventures that are crafted around the character's skills and history. Players can be a shallow lot sometimes *wink* I know I can be.
Give the characters a chance to shine and show off their particular specialties. The players love that.
Once again, this responsibility doesn't solely rest on the GC's shoulders. Let us say that "Point B" is that cool event or encounter where the character can make a special contribution. The players must not assume that the GC will just lead them down the path from Point A to Point B. The players must figure out where point B is!
By the same token, it would be great if the players can also get to Point B by some other method. Sure, the players may drop the ball sometimes but there are times when the players want the ball - let them run with it!
Let me back up and say something again: players
will drop the ball. This is an observation having both GMed and played. Often it can be painfully obvious to the Control what goes on, especially when the GC has a better grasp of the bigger picture. The baddies found out we were staying at the lodge - but the players had no chance to cover their tracks since we had no choice BUT to stay at the lodge. The Binga recon team was dead in the water - there were things we wanted to try but all the wells came up dry. Perhaps a little nudge and a little carrot may be in order to get things moving. That was frustrating - doubly frustrating because this dragged on for a couple of days. The lesson here is also for the players:
1. Pay more attention to what the GC says. Read between the lines. There's a Signal in the midst of all that "noise"
2. Don't give up too easily.
3. If you get a bloody nose, hit back hard and run away!
Enough of that. Moving on to other GOOD things:
I like how there was more than one thread and how Control handled it (though it may have been tough at times). This is very cinematic and can be effective if you know how to use it. The heroes in the Star Wars movies were often split up and each group had their share of (mis)adventures.
Speaking of movies, I found it refreshing that Control let the character's do cinematic things just as long as it fit the genre, even if it meant stretching the rules at times. This was evident in combat when combat was fast and loose. I liked that. Especially when the encounters take a more narrative, colorful tone rather than making the events an exercise in die rolling and rules juggling. Once again, I really like it when Control gave the players and characters opportunities to do something really exciting.
The pictures were a nice touch. The maps were great and helped me get a better grip on the tactical situation.
All in all, the series has been a great ride. I would do this again...
Backgrounds: Action dice are excellent idea. Now I'm seriously considering sacrificing a couple of skill points for a background.
XP and Levelling up: Great!
On an unrelated note and just to be a pain, a few "lessons learned" while going through the serial:
* Be at the right place, at the right time, doing the right things.
* Carpe diem! Sieze opportunity by the throat and plant a dirty kick where it hurts! Time can be the hidden enemy.
* Time can be your friend. Given time you will get to know your character and the rest of the team members.
* OOC Communication. Talk things through - let your fellow players know what you're thinking. This will also give the GC insight into what you plan on doing.
And the bad news in a bit...