Episode 2 Retrospective

Well two episodes are in the books.  Ok really part 2 of Episode 1 to be honest.  You see how I decided to set this thing up from the get go is as follows:  Record 3 hours a session, however split each session into 2 podcasts.  That way the sessions aren’t overly long, and I can pump them out at a regular clip.  Record every other week, but post a podcast every week.   That was the initial idea.  However it does have drawbacks.

For one.  The mistakes I made while recording Episode 1 also carry over to Episode 2.  Like for instance not calling out dice Rolls.  I noticed this early on while editing Episode 1.  I’ve got it fixed for Episode 3, but you still had to suffer without it for another Episode sorry about that.

Two. Problems that occur, occur over 2 episode.  Tory’s Mic broke just before recording.  His laptop mic worked pretty well in tests but as the day wore on I had soo much trouble understanding him.  Fret not though he gets a new one for Episode 3.

The Third drawback is editing.  There is a lot to be done when you split it up.  You’ve got to record the intro, outro, clean up the audio, and mix in the music.  I’ll always have to clean up the audio but it does mean more intros to record and intro music to make sure is mixed.  The software I am using to mix isn’t the greatest, but the price was right (Audacity –free, if you were wondering)

I’m not sure what everyone things of the music.  More of it? Less of it? Only in the intro?  The artist is now recording mood/set pieces for me to use that should start to work better with each episode.  I would like to have more of it in there myself but it does extend editing time, and I have no clue if it enhances a listen or not.  Since I know everything that is being said it is easy for me to hear it but I am not sure if it makes it hard to understand on first listen.  I guess some feedback would be appreciated.

Well enough of the podcast mechanics side of thing let’s talk about the episode.

Well to be honest I didn’t have much more prepared that night After Episode 1.  For some reason I expected Episode 1 to last the full 3 hours of recording.  I expected more banter from my players and them to be talking more.  Instead it was up to me to do all the talking and we sped through.  It’s my fault really.  I had been playing with the same RPG groups for some time now and we all know each other really well so there is a lot of jokes and stuff in my normal sessions.  So I assumed that would happen here.  However like I said in my last retrospective these guys are all new to each other.  Not new to gaming mind you, but new to the game and to playing together.   Which actually is good for all of you in a way.  You won’t have to listen to inside jokes, or old stories that really are better if you were there and not just listening to them after the fact.  With this group you the listener are in at the ground floor.  Any inside jokes that develop you will know where they came from.  Any memories retold you will be reminiscing as well.  At least that is the hope.    

So the group meets a couple people in the caravan.  All off the top of my head.  Can’t you tell?  Not exactly exciting stuff, but some of it plays out later.  The large man’s (who does have a name you will find out soon) argument with the caravan leader makes no sense.  I know.  I knew at the time that I was making it, but I tried my best to salvage it.   Let’s ignore it happened and move on.   

The Fire extinguisher. Well for all intents and purposes that is what it is.  But think about it.  If you found a red cylinder with a nozzle on it that sprayed white liquidy powder and had no notion of a fire extinguisher, would you know what it does.  Would spraying it on a fire even be something you would think about trying? Especially since other canisters with nozzles when sprayed on fires catches on fire.  Keeping bugs away seemed reasonable.

The screaming lady.  Note how I describe how she was injured in the attack.  Note the conclusions my players jumped to.  Hmmm. 

Obviously the scene was influenced by some horror movie of the other.  Not sure which but the visuals of someone vomiting out insects is well in my head from somewhere.   I don’t think of these things.  Seriously my head is all unicorns and rainbows until you sickos infect it with your gruesome images and then I can’t get them out.  They taunt me at night force me to use them.  Yeah that’s it, it’s not my fault at all officer….

Ohh where was I.  I really really should have used a GM intrusion here, and said that the bugs got on Theron. I was hitting myself after words for not thinking of it.  Add some tension to the scene.  Force Asura to work under some pressure.  But alas it didn’t happen.  Still it was an interesting scene.  Will have to learn my player’s powers a bit more and their limitation so that I am better describe things.  Especially scan.  I does a lot less that I have been giving it credit for. 

I did not expect my players to try to save the guy whose arm was consumed.  Here is an instance where YES is the right answer from a GM.   Now I have a player who is invested in an NPC.  Now I have an NPC who can pay dividends later on.  Having NPC’s die as a plot mechanic or to add stakes can be used really well.  In this instance his death served nothing.  If they failed their efforts to save him then ohh well.  It wasn’t their fault he died.  However if he lives he becomes something I can use later.  Forcing NPC’s to die can be a big mistake for GMs.  Just like the old ‘the villain gets away’ trope that RPGS rely on.  If the Players think of a way to save the guy (or thought of something really cool that defeated your plans and should kill the villain) you kind of have to let it happen.  Or else it feels Deus ex Machina and pulls your players out of the game like nothing else.  It’s a common mistake I’ve seen a lot.  Not that I don’t still make mistake or anything. I’m still learning after all these years.

So what to expect from Episode 3?  Well there are couple characters on the Caravan still to meet, as well as some interesting foliage to explore, and some real combat to get involved with.  Also GM Intrusions finally make their appearance, and not just the ones that occur on the roll of a 1.  Granted there is some of that as well.   It’s going to be a good episode I think.  It should be out Thursday.