[Random Encounter] A challenge for your creative impulse.

[Rook]

There's a certain element in table-top RPG that can be sometimes a little lacking in play by post.



Coming upon the unknown, opening the door and discovering something that helps you understand your character by challenging the comfortable normality.

I'm talking about the unknown. A new light to reveal a previously unknown facet of your character.

To some extent, other players and the Gamemasters do provide this.



I'm greedy so I want more of it in my play, and rather than expect somebody else to do the work for me, I figured I'd do it myself.


Even if the tag is not approved, I assume it's acceptable to post such open hooks as any excuse to begin play is a good excuse.

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So, please enjoy a [Random Encounter] crafted by myself or anybody else who cares to do so. A [Random Encounter] is an open invitation to try something different in a world that is more reactive.

- Maybe it's a situation that makes you think, or appreciate.

- Maybe it's a puzzle, mechanical or otherwise with a defined solution.

- Maybe it's a catalyst which sets events in motion.

- Hopefully it will always be a challenge for your creative impulse that helps define your character.



For best impact, you should probably choose to have the encounter before reading the details.
Then read the details and put your character into the scene.
The idea is to challenge yourself by encountering something new. If you reject an encounter because it's combat/social/puzzle or whatever it is, it defeats the purpose.



The rules I set for myself are as follows:

- An encounter will have a listed location so your character can stumble into it believably.

- An encounter will always have a listed time. This will allow encounters to grow in chronological order.
- The cast of a random encounter is unlikely to contain my own ongoing characters since it would bias me to the outcome.

- I will respond at least once to the first person to contact any Encounter. I will continue to respond until I feel the encounter has resolved, at that point I'll let people know in the thread.

- Once an encounter has been contacted, it is no longer a random encounter.

- An encounter is a short thing, made at a specific time. Old encounters will be closed off if not taken up.

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Does anybody have any thoughts, suggestions, complaints related to this idea?

[Saskia]

I definitely like this system and I am an avid fan of it. 

Ironically enough, I have something similiar in this thread --> log-horizon.proboards.com/threads/recent/4851

I also know Zyrune has nice variations of mission threads. 

This is pretty awesome concept and I'm sure others are looking for that element just like this. 

[Rook]

Received some feedback in the Cbox, I have updated the original post to clarify the answers to the questions.
Thanks to Amu for the questions.

For further transparency, I'll post said questions here:

How does one join/participate in this?
A [Random Encounter] is an open invitation to try something different in a world that is more reactive.
There is no need to ask, just jump in.
If you choose one and are writing a post, feel free to claim the encounter by posting an empty place holder for your post.


What does "For best impact you should probably choose to have the encounter before reading the details." mean?
The power of the random encounter is to push a character out of their comfort zone.
If you choose which ones to take up because they suit the story you want to tell then they're no longer random and defeat the purpose.


Oh, and I have a suggestion/question that I just thought of and a plain old suggestion. The threads will have [Random Encounter] in the title, yes?
My goal in this thread is to get approval for [Random Encounter]'s to be a thing. I didn't want to step on any toes by just making them and then discovering it's only a GM privilege.

Also, perhaps you should say something in regards to the length of the encounters. Don't know what, because I figure no one would really just do a single post and call the encounter done, but someone might wonder if there is a length requirement of some kind.

Hmmm, not a bad idea. I hadn't considered it largely because I felt the length of the thread would be dictated by the person who chose the encounter. For example, a high level character may use force and finish things in an instant. A clever use of abilities may resolve a puzzle without actually solving it.
I would personally aim for encounters to be short, but a more accurate description may be for them to be as long as necessary.

[Gwylligi]

Random Encounter is really stupid, IMO.

What is the point of threads? To develop characters. Can you have a random encounter within said thread, or as a catalyst to meet members? Sure! In fact, great idea! It helps flesh out the world and gives grounding, but when a random encounter is the point of a session rather than a five minute world building bit? Your players quit and that hippie looking guy starts throwing dice at your face.

[Rook]

Hmm, there's nothing to say you can't walk into the encounter with multiple people.

Really it's just an invitation to have an encounter with an externally controlled world for a short period.

[Luna]

Feb 26, 2015 2:40:50 GMT Gwylligi said:

Random Encounter is really stupid, IMO.

What is the point of threads? To develop characters. Can you have a random encounter within said thread, or as a catalyst to meet members? Sure! In fact, great idea! It helps flesh out the world and gives grounding, but when a random encounter is the point of a session rather than a five minute world building bit? Your players quit and that hippie looking guy starts throwing dice at your face.

Hey, Luna is totally not a hippie (or hippie looking) nor does Luna throw dice in your face! On a more serious note, Luna doesn't see why they would quit... you can still effectively RP the situation out. Then again, Luna is not fully understanding how the mechanics explained here.


So how would you determine what a random encounter would be exactly? Like Luna could see Luna making a program that randomly generates something, but that is just Luna. Luna didn't see an exact method for generating the encounter or is it just something the players will decide for themselves how they would generate it?

Also, how would it be different from starting an open for an encounter you already randomly generated? Would a new random encounter be applied by someone after the current encounter is completed, assuming the thread continues. Would there be a thread where the players simply resolve one encounter after another?

Luna does like the idea of something that can be used to randomly generate thread topics and ideas. Would be great when a group of people isn't sure how they want the thread to start or continue. However, Luna would like to know a bit more on the mechanics of how it would be handled and how it is different from the current tags.

[Rook]

Good questions and an excellent suggestion.



Let me start by explaining the difference through comparison.



An open thread is an open invitation to join in play with an existing character or characters in a place. The world is filtered through the eyes of the characters and things tend to exist because players want them to pan out a certain way or they’re useful for motivating the characters story along.



A Random encounter thread is also an open invitation to join play, but there is no existing player-character there already. It’s a little like a moderated thread, but without the usual material rewards, with a player making the environment reactive.



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In regards to the generation of an encounter, I suppose that would be up to individual preference. I’ve just been creating encounters I would like to have with an eye to trying to balance social/mechanical/combat threads. I will be honest, I find social is the easiest to create while mechanical puzzle is the hardest so my balance is off a bit.



Once a Random encounter has been resolved, the players may continue playing in the thread if they wish or move onto other threads. The idea is to get things started and donate time to provide a bit of interest.

It’s important that the encounter is responsive until the matter is resolved.

I believe it is also important for the creator of an encounter to be able to determine when the encounter is resolved and gracefully exit the thread leaving players to their own devices.

It would help to remember that somebody has donated their time to craft the encounter



I have only considered doing this to start threads rather than prolong them. Joining a thread in progress as anything but a player-character could be an unwelcome intrusion.

I wanted to create 10 encounters before posting up examples, but if you wish I can send you the ones I've already done for examination.