Advice/Help Cooking the plot.

[Hyeji]

My questions regarding roleplay plots (Explanations below):

1. How do you cook a interactive plot?
2. How do you keep that plot engaging?

(#1) I often find out, though I have the main idea, that cooking a plot is quite difficult. I feel my mindset is tied to a more story-based plot. Generally, you use your main character as a base (maybe with some side characters in mind) and build it around the main character's choices, decisions, and the direction of the story. Personally, I find it hard to shape a story idea to incorporate free will. Maybe I need to get out of this main character mindset, since all of the potential roleplayers are technically their own main character. But to explain it a bit more clearly (Since I know I'm yapping), traditional storytelling feels a lot more linear (catering mostly to the general storyline and main character), whilst a roleplaying plot feels a lot more flexible (having to respond to each character's decisions and actions).

(#2) Secondly. I feel like even when I craft a plot and gain interest, the interactions dry up. You end up fighting the same old monster but just at a higher level. Do I need to throw more twists? Add some new things?

 

[davy]

Cooking! Are you asking about group or 1:1 RP?

My group has always borrowed tabletop settings for our RP, which tend to encourage an episodic structure. Not early sitcom "no change allowed" episodic, but more like Star Trek (or the first season of Supernatural, or a series of detective books), where there's a "problem of the day" and the way it's dealt with can have lasting effects. Even without the numbers and dice, episodic structure has worked really well for us over the years.

There's variety in the goal/plot of each job (heist, investigation, rescue, and competition are some examples). The locations are a mix of ones that are normal for the genre, and ones that are a bit more out-there - once we sent our sci-fi mercenary squad to a casino resort, for example. At our pace of writing, each job can take a few months of real life time to play out, so in between jobs we do one or two IRL weeks of unstructured time for the characters so that people can either take a break from posting, or write silly shenanigans.

New jobs often start with a character receiving the plot hook / finding out that a job exists, and fairly soon after that all the characters who plan to help will meet and make a plan. The meeting is partly there for exposition - if an admin-controlled character is the job giver or a leader in the group, you can have them talk about what needs to be accomplished and why, show any maps or visual aids you might have (stick them in the post, and the character is showing it on the projector screen or it's a photo your scout took of the target location or something like that), and maybe suggest a strategy. The pre-job meeting might not make sense for all genres, though, and I'm sure there are less structured ways of putting the information out there.

A challenge I'm facing right now is running a plot while the character I'm playing isn't a leader, and other players' characters are the ones who have the connections to get the job info and bring it back to the group. (If anyone has advice on that, please let me know. What happened was the writers of the well connected characters asked a bunch of good questions which prompted me to tell them all the stuff I forgot I needed to tell them.)

 

[Hyeji]

Cooking! Are you asking about group or 1:1 RP?

My group has always borrowed tabletop settings for our RP, which tend to encourage an episodic structure. Not early sitcom "no change allowed" episodic, but more like Star Trek (or the first season of Supernatural, or a series of detective books), where there's a "problem of the day" and the way it's dealt with can have lasting effects. Even without the numbers and dice, episodic structure has worked really well for us over the years.

There's variety in the goal/plot of each job (heist, investigation, rescue, and competition are some examples). The locations are a mix of ones that are normal for the genre, and ones that are a bit more out-there - once we sent our sci-fi mercenary squad to a casino resort, for example. At our pace of writing, each job can take a few months of real life time to play out, so in between jobs we do one or two IRL weeks of unstructured time for the characters so that people can either take a break from posting, or write silly shenanigans.

New jobs often start with a character receiving the plot hook / finding out that a job exists, and fairly soon after that all the characters who plan to help will meet and make a plan. The meeting is partly there for exposition - if an admin-controlled character is the job giver or a leader in the group, you can have them talk about what needs to be accomplished and why, show any maps or visual aids you might have (stick them in the post, and the character is showing it on the projector screen or it's a photo your scout took of the target location or something like that), and maybe suggest a strategy. The pre-job meeting might not make sense for all genres, though, and I'm sure there are less structured ways of putting the information out there.

A challenge I'm facing right now is running a plot while the character I'm playing isn't a leader, and other players' characters are the ones who have the connections to get the job info and bring it back to the group. (If anyone has advice on that, please let me know. What happened was the writers of the well connected characters asked a bunch of good questions which prompted me to tell them all the stuff I forgot I needed to tell them.)

Group rp

 

[Solivagante]

Oooh, okay. Grain of salt, I have yet to run a group RP on this site, but partly that's because I've been mulling over these kinds of questions as well, so I have some thoughts which may also be helpful to you.

One thing to keep in mind is that how you handle/structure a plot will be different if you want the RP to run indefinitely (in which case a 'conflict of the week' structure as Davy outlined will work) vs if you want it to be a 'limited event series'. In particular, a longer-running RP needs characters to be motivated to continue interacting with one another, whereas a short RP can be built around more temporary relationships.

I've been developing a few ideas for group RPs I'd like to run, and for now I'm aiming for shorter, contained stories, just because I think it will be easier to work out the kinks of GMing on a smaller scale. Here are some things I am considering as ways to balance plot needs vs player needs:

• Limiting the space of the setting in which the story takes place - I have one concept that's on a small island, another in a magical forest. Constrained settings force characters into closer proximity to one another, meaning more interaction. For some characters, this can also create personal conflict if they're trapped in this location and don't want to be. Basically, you stick them in a bubble so you have a little more control over what they can and cannot do. You can also then introduce things like weather as other sources of conflict/problems/obstacles.
• Building possible plot conflicts and motivations into character profiles. This is collaborative with players, of course, but for instance - in the aforementioned magical forest concept I have under development, every character must have a specific history with the forest which gives them a reason to participate in the plot. This may also require screening your players and making sure THEY have thought about how their characters are tied to the story!
• Outlining or considering possible plot events. You don't have to account for every possible outcome, but like a tabletop DM - if you give your players a fork in the road, you should have an idea of what's down each path, and what they'll find if they're contrary and just bull straight down the middle. And these things can be malleable, too - if you need them to discover a piece of information, maybe down the right path they have to fight someone for it and down the left path solve a puzzle, and down the middle they find the information in some overgrown ruins. Multiple paths, opportunities for different characterization, but you progress the story through any method.
• Give yourself NPC or informative roles (in addition to a regular character, if you want). I have lately been mulling over a traditional 'trekking through the wilderness' fantasy quest plotline in which I would play a scout - thus allowing me, as GM, to always stay 'ahead' of the group and introduce problems such as hostile terrain/wildlife, enemy soldiers, etc on a regular basis.

You mentioned that every character in an RP is their own protagonist, and that's true! That also means that players should approach their characters as protagonists, too, meaning they should have an idea of what their character's flaws and areas for growth are, and you (and they) can make those part of the story.

As far as the interactions drying up... I think one solution to this is to plan a smaller-scale story, but another is to introduce different kinds of conflicts. Not everything has to be combat; make your players go to a gala, or plan a heist, etc. If you're worried about power creep, try the Leverage approach: put people who are great at certain skills in contexts where they need to do something completely different. The sneaky thief has to charm someone; the warrior has to pick a lock; the charming con artist has to fight or escape physical danger. They're still just as good at what they normally do, but now they're facing a new challenge. (Leverage in general is a master class in having extremely skilled and competent characters and still creating conflict. Also it's just a fun show.)

I'd also suggest that if you're running a very long-term group RP, you can get your players directly involved in plotting! I've done this in old RPs in the past as a player; ask folks OOC what they'd like to explore next! RPing is fundamentally a collaborative exercise; you don't have to do it alone as the GM.

 

[davy]

I love the idea of playing a scout - it's an information disseminating role without being leadership. Clever.

 

[Solivagante]

Exactly my thought! And it keeps the GM character plausibly out of the way, as they can be scouting ahead and leave the player characters to interact. I've been playing a lot of Dragon Age: The Veilguard and I've got Lace Harding on the brain - that sort of role, introducing problems to the protagonists, is how she was used in the previous game.

I remembered one more plotting tool/tip last night, by the way - the 'yes but/no and' method. I picked this up from Mary Robinette Kowal on Writing Excuses (I think this episode is the first place she went into it in depth, but I might be wrong). Basically, when you're in the 'rising action' phase of a plot, you can frame it as a series of questions - your protagonists try to get closer to the resolution of the story, and every time the answer to 'do they succeed' starts with either 'yes, but...' or 'no, and...' - meaning that every try/fail cycle builds tension in SOME way.

A great way to explore this tool is to apply it to stories you know. One of my favorites is Fullmetal Alchemist, which has a really well-crafted plot in a lot of ways. Some of the early story beats follow this structure really well. (Mild spoilers for the first few volumes of manga/episodes of the anime to follow).

• The protagonists are looking for a Philosopher's Stone and have heard it might be found in a small town. Do they find it? Yes, but it turns out to be a fake/not have the properties they need.
• Does another alchemist have useful research on the Stone? No, and they catch the attention of someone hunting alchemists after meeting him.
• Do they escape the alchemist hunter? Yes, but with serious injuries that put a temporary stop to their quest.

And so on. Each attempt to solve the problem is unsuccessful at this early stage - it'd be a very short story otherwise! - but raises the stakes physically, morally, or emotionally for the characters involved. This is also a good way to build up to a much larger conflict, as FMA does, by slowly revealing more and more complexity.

In an RP format, this tool can help with making sure that whatever your players decide to do has an interesting outcome which drives towards the main plot. They get to decide what their characters try, but as the GM you decide what the results are.

 

[BuggaBoo]

How do you cook a interactive plot

But to explain it a bit more clearly (Since I know I'm yapping), traditional storytelling feels a lot more linear (catering mostly to the general storyline and main character), whilst a roleplaying plot feels a lot more flexible (having to respond to each character's decisions and actions).

Hi!!

K sooooo like what do your players want? Did you ask them how interactive they'd like to be? Cuz like fr I get it storytelling vs plot setting. But do your players prefer to play follow the leader or are they grab it by the kitty cat make it great again!! Both? K well there is a common ground between them: The Hopes, Fears and Goal.

K.soooo this ain't my advice cuz like I learned this from an old head RPer when inwas a weeeeeeee lil sht noob rper: Ask them to answer one of the 3 and how they'd like to see it happen. That's plotting. Now intertwine their ideas into the RP . That's story telling.

As long as rpers feel like they progressing.ie. moving towards change or resolution you gold!

How do you keep that plot engaging?

(#2) Secondly. I feel like even when I craft a plot and gain interest, the interactions dry up. You end up fighting the same old monster but just at a higher level. Do I need to throw more twists? Add some new things?

Plot or interactions engaging? Confused me.

Either way: it's Not a video game. Life goes on around them. Make it tangible. K sooooooo like you just defeated Miniboss 2A.SE in the not-dungeon layout of old Man Jenkins basement?!

Is erybody in town happy? Or maybe is there someone who had plans for keeping the Miniboss 2A.SE alive... Someone who backstabbed them already!? Or like does the town adopt them as heroes but then like starts demanding things of them: "there is still Megaboss 1X.SS!! Get him!"

Usually RPers like to engage with a world fleshed out around them by their own actions. Again from foul mouth old head RPer: You want them engaged? Keep them invested!