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Plot Opportunities
Last night, I had the opportunity to watch the movie Battlestar Galactica: Razor*. As a fan of both the re-imagining and the original series, I went in with high expectations that were fueled by the slew of previews shown during Flash Gordon. And indeed, the movie did have an excellent concept and over-all plot, but it ran into serious problems due to some tricky aspects of story-telling.
*Note: This is not a review. This does not contain spoilers. You may read-on without without fear of either, and need no familiarity with the show.
The way I look at plot development, there are two ways to lay it out: Plot Devices, and Plot Opportunity.
Plot devices are characters, objects, or events which are introduced into a story to send the plot in a particular direction. Most often, plot devices are encountered at the beginning a story in order to “get the ball rolling.”
Plot opportunities are characters, objects, or events which are introduced into a story to provide potential directions for the story to expand in.
I universally prefer plot opportunities to plot devices, which are overly linear and I am convinced must run on railroad tracks. The worst example of a plot device is a MacGuffin, a plot device which is completely irrelevant to the story - these feel particularly linear and contrived.
How do you create plot opportunities? By placing the characters near a lot of action, however that is defined in the story. By placing them close enough to the action to interact with it, there is a great deal of potential for the characters to explore, and like ripples in a bond, whatever direction the characters proceed in, they will encounter more action.
Placing plot opportunities in a story is a good way to let it grow organically, by creating potential and letting it develop in a process that is more natural and less contrived than one directed and processed by plot devices.
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8 Responses to “Plot Opportunities”
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I play a D&D game set in Ptolus as you may know. I’ve noticed that linking the city’s NPCs, Noble Houses and organization with various plots, items and adventuring site (without explaining it or writing about it yet) I created a ton of plot opportunities.
By watching my players focus on some opportunities, I shape the following adventures to work this and expand their World.
It’s really cool and I agree that it beats the Plot Devices!
Good post!
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Good post. Let me try expanding it a bit…
If I am parsing that right, plot devices are fairly reliable in that they will have an effect, and point to a given direction, so the effect will be directed.
Plot opportunities also point to a fixed direction, but they are voluntary in that their entire point is in letting the players decide whether they follow or not.
The Story Games and some other indie folk use the term “bang” to mean an event which is can’t be ignored (is certain to have some effect) but nondirected; the point is in letting the player decide where the story will go.
(Actually, bangs are a tad more specialised, but that is not really relevant here.)
There is a technique I used to use a lot, still use occasionally, and would be surprised if others did not: Add some bizarre or mysterious element to the game and see where players take it. Basically, a more active version of the old “listen to them and steal the good ideas” advice. A nondirected and voluntary event similar to the other, I think.
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[…] something and integrating that knowledge. A few days ago, I read Omnius, most excellent post on Plot opportunities and Plot devices. I even commented on that post. But somehow I failed to apply that knowledge to that very […]
[…] Create the coolest plot hooks. […]
[…] probably had hooks, plot opportunities, bangs, and so forth planned for that character. They all need reworking or become totally […]
[…] Aleph Gaming has a short discussion of the difference between plot devices and plot opportunities. Both provide a direction in which the plot can develop; the former pushes, intentionally, in the selected direction while the latter simply offers an opportunity for the plot to develop in that direction. The key difference, I think, is the intention. A plot device is intended to force the plot in a certain direction and is introduced to do just that even if there is no good (story) reason for it. A plot opportunity is only intended to offer a potential direction in which the story can go. Plot devices are intended to be linear (i.e., railroad) while plot opportunities are intended to be more emergent and collaborative. […]
[…] something and integrating that knowledge. A few days ago, I read Omnius, most excellent post on Plot opportunities and Plot devices. I even commented on that post. But somehow I failed to apply that knowledge to that very scene. I […]
[…] Create the coolest plot hooks. […]