Metaplot; Big Story; social, political, and technological change in game settings

[Apparition]

In my opinion, it is the job of the GM and the GM alone to further the plot in his/her own universe. Any changes in the story from the publishers that severely contradict the world created by said GM will be at best confusing to the players and at worst, completely useless to the GM.

 

[Blue Ghost]

In my opinion, it is the job of the GM and the GM alone to further the plot in his/her own universe. Any changes in the story from the publishers that severely contradict the world created by said GM will be at best confusing to the players and at worst, completely useless to the GM.

In my opinion big meta plots tend to fall under the "players change the OTU" category. A thing I've always frowned upon and stay away from. You're upping the stakes with that kind of story telling, and when you do that you have to keep upping them so that the audience stays involved, as each subsequent installment becomes more and more important.

 

[shadowcat20]

In my opinion, for what it is worth...

I think the job of the game designer is to make the setting and explain the mechanics of the game system. It is up to the GM/DM to build plot and set the stage for the adventure. I always looked at Traveller as a backdrop to a story of my choosing.

The problem with Metastorylines is it is like Hollywood. After spending a whole movie building up a lost city or civilization thay can not help but tear it down and destroy everything. They just can not help themselves. Battletech did it, Traveller did it, Warmachine is in the process of doing it. After the big fight things get put back together in a different way and a lot of your early source stuff is no longer relevent.

With Traveller at least every main story arc was a new version so you could stick with what you liked. The down side was a lot of people never bought the new versions because it did not concern them. Hence sales may have fared badly because of this.

In the end some people like to be spoon fed and some like to go it alone, it is personal choice.

 

[BardicHeart]

I voted no for two reasons.

One, I prefer the rules be independent of the setting. Leave setting to different Milieu type products.

Second, meta plots have a bad habit in many RPGs of becoming overladen with conspiracies and events that overwhelm the PCs and can flat wreck a campaign. The "elven conspiracy" in FASA's Shadowrun was one example. In Fading Suns the "War in the Heavens" threatened to become another one (and a remake of Babylon 5's plot line as well).

I'm fine with advancing the time line and Milieu type books are a good way to do so. Then pick the Milieu you want and off you go. But I would suggest that events from one Milieu to the next progress in a "natural" way. That is... let the "universe" sort of evolve in a way that makes sense... not guided by some divine conspiracy, but rather just the natural results of physics and social dynamics.

 

[bromdenlong]

I find it curious that so many voted for option 4. What is the misconception or false dichotomy inherent in the question?

 

[FreeTrav]

That metaplotting is a yes/no kind of question. Look at my previous message in this thread, titled "MU".