There’s part of almost any Tabletop rulebook that seems to get overlooked by the vocal majority of gamers. It’s the bit that optimistically tells us that the rules are a starting point. Don’t look at me like that. They’re just a basis for us to let our imaginations run wild and create whatever inspired/cool/bat-shit-crazy games we can dream up. Yet in all my time in the hobby, I can count the number of times I’ve heard players take this to heart on one hand.
Gamers seem locked in. Nobody wants to be the first to step out of line. We’re handed these insanely rich and detailed universes where literally anything could happen, and what do we do?
“How many points? I’ll bring the same. We’ll play a scenario from the book. Yes, the same book we’ve been using for the last year. Yes, I know there are only a handful of scenarios. But it’s the rules!”
But war is hell. Sometimes your enemy is mean. They don’t always tell you in advance what forces they’re bringing, or even who they are. They even have the nerve to ambush you from time to time (those bastards). So why not play these things out? There is nothing more satisfying in gaming that coming out on top of a scenario that is stacked against you.
Consider history. Consider cinema! Not every battle is an equal-sided battle for fair objectives. Thermopylae (that’s 300 to you non-history buffs), The Spanish Armada, even the film Fury… Inspiration for an awesome story-driven game isn’t hard to find.
There’s an easy way to tell if it’s time to try narrative games. Feel like games lack meaning? Wondering what the point is of playing the same opponent with the same army? Looking for a way to make games feel fresh again? Trust me: narrative games will be worth the effort.
The hardest single task in making a good narrative game is finding the right opponent. If you end up playing some win-at-all-costs asshat, your game will be about as much fun as a visit to the dentist. Find the right one and you’ll have a gaming partner-in-crime for life.
Exactly how you make a narrative game or set of games is up to you, but if you’re looking for inspiration, why not consider giving these a try?
Creating names and backstories for your army and its characters for when you play a long-term opponent.
Linking two different games together; maybe have a kill-team game to decides which side gets a vital piece of information or ability in the next game. Maybe you fight an aerial battle, and only the winner gets to use aerial units or abilities in the ground combat game you play next.
Create a no-win scenario, and switch sides after the first game to see who lasts longer/does more damage.
Add rules that recreate the feel of the story you want to create – maybe for dismounted crew to fight independently for your own Fury-esque mission. Maybe rules on how to drag wounded teammates for your Blackhawk Down-style game.
Turning an event from a previous game into the focus of the next one. Maybe that character that was taken out of action in the last game has in fact been captured, and now you have to get him back or hold the enemy off whilst you interrogate him.
Use terrain or abilities to even the odds. A much smaller force holding a strongpoint against a much larger force. Or your troops retreating in the face of an unstoppable army, with only air support keeping your troops from total annihilation.
The creating names and backstories seems a bit basic, right? I'll agree it certainly isn't for everyone. But if you are that gamer, you'll find that you'll start making gaming decisions based on their backstories, and grudges, and previous results, and motivations, and sooner or later the games become about creating a story.
I get that narrative games can feel a bit fluffy and uninteresting, but for me that's just a challenge to create a better scenario. So I challenge you, if you feel like your games are lacking, to come up with an interesting scenario that doesn't centre on points, or uses home-made rules, or unique victory conditions.
And whatever you do - let me know how you get on!
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