IC: V20 for Newcomers

So as i continue reading (and sometimes replying to) the new-to-the-site folk introductions, i often time see the @Psybermagi intro game (which i believe recently restarted). I always liked seeing it as it seems an easy, accessible way to dip your toes into GP and get comfortable. That being said, i also get the folks who come in for something specific. You register, introduce yourself, check around to see if there any open games with a system that you're interested in and if not, slowly fade into obscurity, maybe awaiting a fateful email or post on /r/pbp about the hopefully inevitable appearance of Princess: The Hopeful game. I myself initially came to look for V20 game to play in and if i didn't ended up running one, i'd still be waiting, sniffle. (for V20 at least, there is a V5 game in sort of a progress).

Another thing is, i assume, that the TD6 intro is something following DnD convention - an short adventure with start and finish, with graduates maybe joining the continuation games. A bit final. And perhaps not everybody's cup of tea, as far as format goes. So i had a thought to both lessen the load of our master introducer and maybe create a slightly different entry-level offering.

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The idea is "Saturday night at Elysium". A Malkavian, of the creative bent, is a Keeper of the local Elysium. Every Saturday night there is a performance or show of some kind. The players are the attendees (and perhaps performers as well). This would be a very open, plotless, more light, slice of life Vampire game, perhaps even a little humorous (or a lot). The bored licks of the city gather up on Saturday night to try and alleviate their boredom, while their Malkavian patron is always trying to present something new and different and interesting, awarding the performers he particularly likes with minor Boons.

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What it suppose to do:

● Teach the GP basics - make/submit the sheet, PMs, rolls, the works.

● Acquaint yourself with posting, BB, and fellow players

● Be an open, continuous game, without any hard posting restrictions, something that you can always come back to or keep coming every week for a new performance thread

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Game Structure:

● OOC thread for the usual yapping

● Night of.. thread - each week's a new one, with a new performance

● Pitch a performance thread - where you in-character pitch your own show to the Malkavian proprietor (this will hopefully become the main sources of new shows)

● Maybe, potentially on-demand threads for different groups of players who want to roleplay something other than the Elysium hangouts

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Recurring Characters. Well, only two set ones, really: the Malkavian proprietor and Kiasyd mixologist, making wild new cocktails with owod referencing, pun-worthy names ("a bucket full of Caitiff", served in actual buckets. or tiny buckets). In fact not only would i not be against, but totally for, if one or a group of people would volunteer to take over these roles on either permanent or recurring basis (coupled with a co-ST role, to cover for me just in case the Harano takes over, before i chomp on a couple of Weaver-infected bureaucrats to get out of this Quiet). But that's mostly because i'm lazy bastard love to delegate and offer people great opportunities for personal growth and improvement.

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Anyhow. Thought, comments, suggestions? If i were to run this, i'd need some time to prepare, but otherwise i'd try to set it up to have minimal ST footprint, letting the players take over the night - chat among themselves, discuss the show, etc.

We has a D&D 5e (2014) game going for a while that use the West Marches style game where there was a fixed starting point but multiple ongoing adventures as well as some in town threads for character interaction. But it died due to a lack of DM support as there were always more players than DM and the original DM went inactive for unknown reasons

There have been several "beginner" games and there is even a thread somewhere that used to track them all.

As my game is designed as an intro I try to keep it moving players/character through so I have room to take on more. Overall though I have used the same setting and there are several background stories that many of the characters have contributed to.

I'm not really sure what IC: V20 is and don't have the bandwidth to take up another game at this time but have always enjoyed learning new systems and seeing how other GM run their games and the stories they create.

If you dig through the forums I am sure you will be able to find some of the earlier beginner/intro games and some of the GM discussions on how this is best handled. Some suggestions I have seen and very short intros of a single scene that go over the mechanics of a system and basics of role play. I tend to prefer to use short story arcs with an opening scene and then let players move their characters through several challenges, touching on the mechanics of the TinyD6 system, and hopefully allowing some character or story development along the way. I know many players are more into the story and wish to continue once they get into it so I allow some to stay on for a 2nd story arc. But again I do try to keep room for newcomers so eventually have to graduate older players to make room.

Depending on how popular your game system and setting are you may have many that stick around or trouble getting enough players to fill the space you made available. Posting in the tavern is a good first step but often it is a matter of timing as there may be interested players out there that do not have the time for another game or are away due to IRL issues. Some GM have longer recruitment periods and wait for a full compliment of players while others start as soon as they have the bare minimum. Since you are doing a slice of life you can start with even a single player and add more as they come. Just 'bump' your Games Tavern recruitment thread every so often to keep it near the top of the list as long as you have player slots available.

I personally love the idea!

Less so as an introduction service (I'm not, after all, new to the site), although I recognize that is an important role for others, but really to just introduce more ppl to the World of Darkness, and the Masquerade/the Camarilla/"polite"-vampire-society and what that world is kind of all about.

My IRL workload is light right now and so I find myself having more than normal amount of time for pbp. And I'd be interested in something like you describe here:
Stepping in to play primogen of the various Clans, or the Sheriff/Harpy/etc as needed.

V20 is usually a reference to Vampire The Masquerade: 20th Anniversary Edition.

I actually really like this idea. The Co-ST thing is a good call too. Keep things moving at a decent pace, and keep any one person from being overloaded.

I actually would be more than willing to lend a hand, if the help was wanted/needed.

Popping in to say it's a great thing you're offering. I realise there's always some newcomer interest in World of Darkness games, and specifically Vampire too, which is often the gateway point of the various WoD style games.

Unfortunately, right now at least it seems like the only interest is from experienced players 😅

That's actually what i was looking for.

I haven't abandoned the idea, still mulling it over. I think a more relaxed and case based approach would be more akin to the Tiny Intro game - when a person interested in WoD (or having it among their interests) joins, this game can be offered as an Intro to the site. Make a character, try posting and using BBcode, that sort of thing.

To make the "night of" thread actually entertaining, i think i might need not just stock up on performance snippets, but also come up with some other happening during the night. Maybe like a random table. Roll 10 - anarchs throw down on the dance floor. Roll 3 - famous Elder shows up. I have some ideas, but haven't down any actually prep-work as of yet.

tl:dr - this might be coming later; new events specifically for newbies joining vs. every week.

So I originally thought of this as a game specifically for newbies familiar with VTM, but that does feel a bit exclusionary. On the other hand, trying to explain the system from the ground up can be a bit of an undertaking. Telling people to "go read the free jump start from drivethru and then come back" feels pretty rude, but the only other option I can think of the top of my head is to make a bunch of screens from the pdf. Thoughts?

Yeah, that's a problem for introductory games. The ones that worked out have used simple rulesets that are easy to explain in a paragraph or two for a reason.

Keeping something that is a bit exclusionary, but fits for the not-insignificant-number of people who already know VTM (though which version...): is not a bad thing, but it may be empty from time to time. Being 'empty but there when new players need it' is a part of the 'for new players' gig, I guess.

I would be very interested in something like this!

I have been on a WoD Lore binge for the past bit and would love to actually try and play some.

The format sounds like fun, and a good way of being able to get something started.
This would pobably have been a note as well. We might need some more things to happen and have things to react to and spark play.

Hopefully this game ends up happening, it sounds great!

I am completely new to pbp, and have never played VTM before, but have absorbed enough about it that i am fairly confident that i would be able to pick it up pretty fast.

I would be interested in this. I’ve read the V5 stuff but not V20. I’ve got a lot of DnD experience but that’s kind of the only rpg I’ve played

Whoa, what happened there?
That's a lot of duplicates.

No idea why that happened. Sorry

I deleted the extras.

Love to see the interest in WoD games! And this is a great idea, keep it flowing.