Time in Space
And how to make mundane equipment exciting
This Week’s post talks about Tempo.
Been tinkering with some advice for pacing a game of Intergalactic. I suspect I’ll go a bit further than this, but it’s a start.
The speed at which the group moves through events in the game world can shift between slow and fast tempos. The Referee should use the fastest tempo that feels appropriate for the situation, and might find it useful to tell the players when the tempo is shifting.
The names dictate the units of time that are being individually tracked, each of which usually presents a decision point for the players.
1. Rounds - Individual combat rounds, typically in the heat of battle. Slower than real time, where life and death decisions require precision.
2. Moments - The closest to real time, advancing through time until the next decision point, for exploring, socialising, and planning.
3. Watches: The three watches that make up a day: Topwatch, Midwatch, and Bottomwatch. This tempo is used for activities that span many hours.
4. Days: Used for moving through the individual days of a long journey or layover.
5. Phases: The three phases of the wheel: Transit, Dock, Layover.
If things feel like they’re lacking momentum, try shifting to a higher tempo. They all have their uses, so try out the tempo most unfamiliar to you.
Elsewhere
Dungeon Merlin discusses the power of meeting a game where it’s at.
Rise Up Comus has a very cool approach to making mundane equipment more flavourful.
Mindstorm Press looks at balancing kinetic and potential energy in your adventure design.
Coming Soon
Over on Patreon I talk about the plan for April.
I’m going to be away for a good chunk of April, so I’ve queued up some previews of yet-unseen additions to Intergalactic Bastionland while I’m gone. Normal service will resume towards the end of the month.
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