QuadrupleThreat
Last Wednesday's Tanglestone session was probably not a fantastic one in terms of Major Conflicts. It seemed fairly low key in some respects. But it hit four of the major reasons for gaming, and right on the nose.
Exploration: It opened up with the PCs interrogating... something between an NPC and a computer archive, maybe? This entity knew a lot of secrets about their mysterious setting, and it also didn't know (or technically, it did not have archived information for) a frustrating number of other secrets. For about an hour, I think, the players didn't do much other than speak to this construction and expand their knowledge of what's been going on with The City, and what their antagonist has been up to.
Tactical Gaming: The fight on the assembly floor was surprisingly tough. (who knew mephits could be so dangerous? Probably I should have, since I was making their stat blocks...) It wasn't heavily dramatic, as there wasn't much of a history between the players and their enemies, but apparently it was quite satisfying: the players were talking amongst themselves about their tactical choices, and how they managed to pull of a resounding victory from a very rough start. (This is one of the reasons I like 4e so much, by the way; its very gamist combat system is very satisfying for the players, and adds extra meaning to any combat encounter important enough to actually play through.)
Putting One's Stamp On The World: One of the "rewards" for stamping out the infestation on the assembly floor was that the PCs found a not-yet-activated clockwork, without any of the identity-defining trappings yet attached: a blank slate, ready for them to choose an identity for and activate. They did so with enthusiasm, and added a new face to the world: well, technically he has no face, but that was part of the choices they made. Considering that they had previously seen all of two of these particular clockwork people over the course of the campaign (one being a PC), not only were they adding a new NPC built to their own tastes, they were adding a rare and individual one to boot. They loved this as well. The dynamic of a guild-clan will now be altered a bit, as this new entity joins the cast.
Continuity & Closure: I was going to make this a piece about three hits, but I realize there was a fourth: the group did go looking for one more fight just to top them off at the end. Naturally, they found the revenant band composed of a couple of NPCs the players had shown an interest in several sessions back, only to find out said NPCs had vanished in the course of the exploration of the Clock Tower. Foreshadowing meets closure; something that rewards a group who's paying attention. (Though actual closure may have to wait until next week, what with Fell's escape and all.)
It's funny how you can walk away from a session saying "Well, a couple of things went over really well" and then, in retrospect, find out that even more things went well. It's gratifying, to be sure.
Exploration: It opened up with the PCs interrogating... something between an NPC and a computer archive, maybe? This entity knew a lot of secrets about their mysterious setting, and it also didn't know (or technically, it did not have archived information for) a frustrating number of other secrets. For about an hour, I think, the players didn't do much other than speak to this construction and expand their knowledge of what's been going on with The City, and what their antagonist has been up to.
Tactical Gaming: The fight on the assembly floor was surprisingly tough. (who knew mephits could be so dangerous? Probably I should have, since I was making their stat blocks...) It wasn't heavily dramatic, as there wasn't much of a history between the players and their enemies, but apparently it was quite satisfying: the players were talking amongst themselves about their tactical choices, and how they managed to pull of a resounding victory from a very rough start. (This is one of the reasons I like 4e so much, by the way; its very gamist combat system is very satisfying for the players, and adds extra meaning to any combat encounter important enough to actually play through.)
Putting One's Stamp On The World: One of the "rewards" for stamping out the infestation on the assembly floor was that the PCs found a not-yet-activated clockwork, without any of the identity-defining trappings yet attached: a blank slate, ready for them to choose an identity for and activate. They did so with enthusiasm, and added a new face to the world: well, technically he has no face, but that was part of the choices they made. Considering that they had previously seen all of two of these particular clockwork people over the course of the campaign (one being a PC), not only were they adding a new NPC built to their own tastes, they were adding a rare and individual one to boot. They loved this as well. The dynamic of a guild-clan will now be altered a bit, as this new entity joins the cast.
Continuity & Closure: I was going to make this a piece about three hits, but I realize there was a fourth: the group did go looking for one more fight just to top them off at the end. Naturally, they found the revenant band composed of a couple of NPCs the players had shown an interest in several sessions back, only to find out said NPCs had vanished in the course of the exploration of the Clock Tower. Foreshadowing meets closure; something that rewards a group who's paying attention. (Though actual closure may have to wait until next week, what with Fell's escape and all.)
It's funny how you can walk away from a session saying "Well, a couple of things went over really well" and then, in retrospect, find out that even more things went well. It's gratifying, to be sure.