On Sun, Feb 1, 2015 at 6:42 AM, Tim <tim@little-possums.net> wrote:

On Sat, Jan 31, 2015 at 06:35:26PM -0500, Richard Aiken wrote:
> It would be a challenge to keep this background and plot structure
> intact without either making the players feel like they were either
> being railroaded or that most of them were playing back-up band to
> the lead character.

More generally, this applies to adapting most stories to roleplaying
games. RPG plots need to be balanced enough that the players don't
get bored or feel useless for any significant number of sessions,
which is a constraint not faced in general fiction writing. Another
difference is that GMs have to live with the events as they happen in
play.

I can think of one type of general fiction writing that often comes fairly close to RPGs; cooperative novels, such as most of the works that comprise the Wild Cards series. This sort of book often tells the same story from multiple POVs, each provided by characters who have approximately equal influence on the plot. These books also generally have a feel that's similar to that of a refereed RPG, since the various authors are all writing in cooperation with one another and with the series editor.

Richard Aiken

"Never insult anyone by accident." Robert A. Heinlein

"A word to the wise ain't necessary -- it's the stupid ones that need the advice." - Bill Cosby

"We know a little about a lot of things; just enough to make us dangerous." Dean Winchester