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Shorter modules?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
zombiegleemax
Aug 16, 2005 14:18:12 I'm all for sprawling epic adventures, but I think Sov Press might do well to take note of a storytelling tactic Vince McMahon (of all people) adopted with *great* success.

I'm not a fan of the WWF, but I remember it being publicized that its popularity really exploded a few years back largely because they trimmed down the length of time that it took their "storylines" to be resolved. Fans didn't feel like they tuned in during the middle of an epic saga that they had no hope of fully grasping or sticking with for the entire duration. They started getting quicker pay-offs and as a result actually watched the shows more than before since they knew that another week or two would give them a new beginning, middle, and end.

A lot of the TV crime shows also do this. A lot of people get intimidated by the commitment year long (or longer) stories take and prefer episodic entertainment. String enough episodes together and you have an epic.

It'd be cool if Dragonlance did more of this. Someone posted on the ENWorld thread that Key of Destiny and Spectre of Sorrows comprise enough material for 10 modules. That'd be pretty cool. The only module we're getting this year is Spectre of Sorrows and for those who don't have KoD (which may even be out of print) its much more likely that they'll pass on SoS as well as a result of it. Its kind of an all or nothing deal.

Now if there were 10-12 other modules out there, people could be picking and choosing which ones to play, stringing them together, playing them separately, playing one character in one and a different PC in another, and so on.

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with the AoM trilogy, particularly Key of Destiny (the greatest module of all time as far as I'm concerned ;)), but some more manageable episodes would be a great alternative.
#2
cam_banks
Aug 16, 2005 14:25:22 Spectre was deliberately designed to be played as a campaign adventure or for the individual chapters to be taken out and used as individual adventures. Some of them are better than others for this purpose, but that's more or less what I had in mind.

Price of Courage will be very modular, and I expect it to be useful not just as the first high-level Dragonlance campaign adventure, but a source for good high-level encounters and stories.

Cheers,
Cam
#3
zombiegleemax
Aug 16, 2005 14:49:41
Spectre was deliberately designed to be played as a campaign adventure or for the individual chapters to be taken out and used as individual adventures.

Good move. Is it obvious to someone who casually picks it up and reads the back?

Price of Courage will be very modular, and I expect it to be useful not just as the first high-level Dragonlance campaign adventure, but a source for good high-level encounters and stories.

Also good. But if we were getting those "modules" individually we could get them at several intervals throughout the year. If there's a delay in one no big, we've got these others to play, or just wait another month or two and a completely different adventure from a different writer is available to play, and so on. If Price of Courage is delayed, well....we all know where that takes us.

As a freelance writer all you can do is what you're already doing, I just think that Sovereign Press would do well to not put all of their eggs into one basket.
#4
Dragonhelm
Aug 16, 2005 15:20:39 I would think that splitting up the Age of Mortals series would be daunting in a different way. Imagine collecting 10-12 modules to play to get an entire story. Yikes!

Instead, what I would like to see would be not only these larger adventures, but also smaller ones (about the size of Knight's Sword and Flint's Axe). I also wouldn't mind a collection of short adventures, perhaps something like the old DL Book of Lairs.
#5
ares
Aug 16, 2005 15:28:00 No matter what the size, all mods are good to me. I dunna know, the truth of the matter is I don't really jump into the whole module thing all that often. too much like playing to someone else's flute.
#6
zombiegleemax
Aug 16, 2005 15:37:16
Instead, what I would like to see would be not only these larger adventures, but also smaller ones (about the size of Knight's Sword and Flint's Axe).

That's exactly what I was talking about. The chapters of KoD are definitely best all contained in one book. I mean more self contained stories (like the two you mentioned) that could be connected or just as easily cherry picked for isolated use that require less commitment up front and present a more spread out release of product.
#7
zombiegleemax
Aug 16, 2005 16:53:13 Is there any reason why smaller modules are not published? I dont think that even WOTC has them out anymore.
#8
zombiegleemax
Aug 16, 2005 17:03:39 They do for Eberron.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax Aug 16, 2005 14:18:12	I'm all for sprawling epic adventures, but I think Sov Press might do well to take note of a storytelling tactic Vince McMahon (of all people) adopted with great success. I'm not a fan of the WWF, but I remember it being publicized that its popularity really exploded a few years back largely because they trimmed down the length of time that it took their "storylines" to be resolved. Fans didn't feel like they tuned in during the middle of an epic saga that they had no hope of fully grasping or sticking with for the entire duration. They started getting quicker pay-offs and as a result actually watched the shows more than before since they knew that another week or two would give them a new beginning, middle, and end. A lot of the TV crime shows also do this. A lot of people get intimidated by the commitment year long (or longer) stories take and prefer episodic entertainment. String enough episodes together and you have an epic. It'd be cool if Dragonlance did more of this. Someone posted on the ENWorld thread that Key of Destiny and Spectre of Sorrows comprise enough material for 10 modules. That'd be pretty cool. The only module we're getting this year is Spectre of Sorrows and for those who don't have KoD (which may even be out of print) its much more likely that they'll pass on SoS as well as a result of it. Its kind of an all or nothing deal. Now if there were 10-12 other modules out there, people could be picking and choosing which ones to play, stringing them together, playing them separately, playing one character in one and a different PC in another, and so on. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with the AoM trilogy, particularly Key of Destiny (the greatest module of all time as far as I'm concerned ;)), but some more manageable episodes would be a great alternative.
#2 cam_banks Aug 16, 2005 14:25:22	Spectre was deliberately designed to be played as a campaign adventure or for the individual chapters to be taken out and used as individual adventures. Some of them are better than others for this purpose, but that's more or less what I had in mind. Price of Courage will be very modular, and I expect it to be useful not just as the first high-level Dragonlance campaign adventure, but a source for good high-level encounters and stories. Cheers, Cam
#3 zombiegleemax Aug 16, 2005 14:49:41	Spectre was deliberately designed to be played as a campaign adventure or for the individual chapters to be taken out and used as individual adventures. Good move. Is it obvious to someone who casually picks it up and reads the back? Price of Courage will be very modular, and I expect it to be useful not just as the first high-level Dragonlance campaign adventure, but a source for good high-level encounters and stories. Also good. But if we were getting those "modules" individually we could get them at several intervals throughout the year. If there's a delay in one no big, we've got these others to play, or just wait another month or two and a completely different adventure from a different writer is available to play, and so on. If Price of Courage is delayed, well....we all know where that takes us. As a freelance writer all you can do is what you're already doing, I just think that Sovereign Press would do well to not put all of their eggs into one basket.
#4 Dragonhelm Aug 16, 2005 15:20:39	I would think that splitting up the Age of Mortals series would be daunting in a different way. Imagine collecting 10-12 modules to play to get an entire story. Yikes! Instead, what I would like to see would be not only these larger adventures, but also smaller ones (about the size of Knight's Sword and Flint's Axe). I also wouldn't mind a collection of short adventures, perhaps something like the old DL Book of Lairs.
#5 ares Aug 16, 2005 15:28:00	No matter what the size, all mods are good to me. I dunna know, the truth of the matter is I don't really jump into the whole module thing all that often. too much like playing to someone else's flute.
#6 zombiegleemax Aug 16, 2005 15:37:16	Instead, what I would like to see would be not only these larger adventures, but also smaller ones (about the size of Knight's Sword and Flint's Axe). That's exactly what I was talking about. The chapters of KoD are definitely best all contained in one book. I mean more self contained stories (like the two you mentioned) that could be connected or just as easily cherry picked for isolated use that require less commitment up front and present a more spread out release of product.
#7 zombiegleemax Aug 16, 2005 16:53:13	Is there any reason why smaller modules are not published? I dont think that even WOTC has them out anymore.
#8 zombiegleemax Aug 16, 2005 17:03:39	They do for Eberron.