TOC

bryce0lynch

i fucking hate writing ...
Staff member
Preface
Introduction
who i am
dont care what you/preferences
many ways to get to the goal
Joyce gets to break the rules
designer familiarwith with own work
without regard to mechanics
internet/drivethru problem
adventure as reading material
adventures as a dm aid


Ease of Use
Common Padding
3 Sentence Read Aloud
Trap and door porn
concrete description
terseness
first things first
skip the empty and mundane
mind maps for social/villages
order of battle
tables, etc on the map
helps the dm run it
write an overview of whats going on
dm asides overuse of italics
describe based on action intent
use the fucking appendix
avoid exposition
wanderers doing something
empty rooms can b blank or empty
dont embed style
focus on relevency
bullets whitespace, tables
sec 1 usability overview

Evocative
Information Transfer
magic items
show dont tell
mythiic underworld
create impact
npcs
passive voice abstracted text
monsters striking fear
monster making new ones
monsters use humans
monster action verbs
common adjectives
archaic words
monsters describe how they look


Interactive
Hints in the room readaloud
the game is about interactivity between dm and players
make meaningful decesions
rumors
factions
independant not adversarial
special flower npcs
dont write cool moments
lots of shit going on sandbox
put in t good with bad
everyone knows what will happen
evil npc
dont gimp players


Design
Events in the Sandbox
Museum Tour Adventures
Hook players, appeal to the players
railroad choices/consequences
map the third dimension
dont embed style/morality
bad skill checks
roll to continue
avoid expo/diary/fiction
foreshadow villain
know the game you are writing for/xp


Appendix 1 - Publishing Tips
Good Prevoew
Level range
Make it PWYW
Why do you have a back ccover?
Fancy fonts/legability
Guys tips
front cover/back cover/middle of the book

Appendix 2 - Genre Specific
Complexity in map design
Reward off the beaten Path
Min Map social
gonzo vs ren
human enemies

Appendix 3 - Tropes
Drawef ruins
temples
sewers
test/challenge
waterfalls & bookcases!!!
carvinal/circus
invited to somethig/wedding
the mists
betrayed monster/npc


Cross-References by Subject/index
 
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bryce0lynch

i fucking hate writing ...
Staff member
I'm just getting things down. I'll start rearranging the order in the next few days
 

squeen

8, 8, I forget what is for
Gonna be great. The hobby needs this reference point --- if nothing else, just so it can argue about it.
 

bryce0lynch

i fucking hate writing ...
Staff member

Current Work Phase: Get everything in to one google doc file

Next Steps:
Move things around int he file
Format it a bit
Add to/expand the content
Integrate feedback from the forum & doc comments
Include examples
Issue formal draft #2
 
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squeen

8, 8, I forget what is for
Awesome Bryce. It's coming together.
Do you want a marked up text with feedback in-line?
 

bryce0lynch

i fucking hate writing ...
Staff member
If you'd like. My next step is to move things around, then integrate comments. Then expand the text. Then include examples.
 

squeen

8, 8, I forget what is for
Reading it over, I think where the rubber-meets-the-road, or what will make the book most memorable, is the examples you provide and dissect. That should be the meat of it. These introductory paragraphs are the appetizer. They just introduce the concepts.

Finding good examples (to use your own words---that stick), that's going to be hard, but totally do-able.

Man, you have got a hell of story to tell...I think it's worth the effort. In the far-flung future, few will read all your blog posts, but many will reach for a tight synopsis of what you've distilled for them.

Just do it! Grab some rando excerpt, disguise it if you like, and then do-what-you-do and tear it up.

Sort through the garbage in the the "Bryce Said" thread if you want links to older posts that triggered what I thought was a profound exposition by you. Use those as place-holder examples.
 
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