One of the things that RPGs do not often do is to identify effective strategies for the players. This may be because different GMs can have differing styles requiring strategies to change. Without clear strategies, the players are left to try and divine what their best course of action is and this is yet another mental load on the player that can dissuade them from playing.
Identifying an effective strategy to the players makes things simpler. They don’t have to worry about being ineffective because they went about things the wrong way. This allows event the casual player to come in sit down, do something cool and go home happy.
There are plenty of players that love to explore strategies, for them having several unstated effective strategies in a game is really going to enhance their enjoyment of the game. For this article though I’m focusing on trying to ease in players that don’t immediately find discovering them enjoyable or may never find them enjoyable.
Simple Strategies For Your Game
So here are some easily understood strategies for players that you might consider having in your games.
Brawn
This is the classic big tough guy. It’s the most easily understood strategy and one of the first ones that beginning players reach for. The question is, is it effective in your game? Should it be? In a game world with medieval knights powered by muscles it should have a large effect. In Sci-Fi settings that’s not the case but a big tough guy might be able to carry more equipment and soak more damage.
Is there an advantage built into your game that takes this into account? In The Artifact, this advantage is there but I have to admit it’s pretty weak. Although that’s not out of place in the setting. Because of that, the fact that brawn is not the most effective strategy needs to be clearly identified.
Speed
Does the ability to move quickly give the character an advantage? Can they avoid danger with speed? This may mean running speed or the reaction time of the character. In higher tech settings, maybe vehicles play a big part in getting characters though dangers.
Is there some built in advantage for speed in the game? This is probably the first effective strategy most players discover when playing The Artifact. Reflex is an important attribute and a fast vehicle comes in very handy in our games. In some situations the players vehicles have been so fast, they were nearly immune to attack. Again, how this works for the player needs to be clearly identified.
Reach
The ability to strike before anyone else can be a large advantage. Is there a built in advantage for this? Can a character build a strategy around being the first to act in most situations? Can they strike while out of reach of danger?
This is one of the core effective strategies for The Artifact. I need to state it more clearly. Every piece of equipment is geared for range vs effectiveness.
Others
There are other strategies that could be made obvious to players. For example, being highly perceptive may allow characters to avoid danger rather than stumble into it. Stealth is another common strategy.
Where are the mechanical advantages when playing the game? Identify them to your players, especially new players so that they don’t have to master the rules to be effective.
Thoughts or suggestions? Comment and let us know.
The Free RPG Blog