The only ones I can recall from recent memory were a plague or two in fantasy games, used as plot devices; and in the Legion campaign a couple of cosmic disasters.

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Plague, asteroid, and a bad storm in recent memory. Plague brought about the apocalypse in the end, the storm was just the back drop for one of climatic final battles, and the asteroid was the place for one of the final climatic battles.

Quote from: flyingmice;581561Natural disasters are not for PCs to *stop* - unless they are Supers - it's for PCs to *survive*.

-clash

Which isn't that far removed from any other story-driven plotline, right?  A natural disaster could be survived, but so could a sinking ship, for example.

I'm not in any way implying that only player-stoppable events have a place in RPGs.  But I am saying that watching a slideshow/puppet show put on by the GM isn't very popular.

Quote from: Black Vulmea;581679:enworld:

Ouch

Quote from: mcbobbo;582120I'm not in any way implying that only player-stoppable events have a place in RPGs.  But I am saying that watching a slideshow/puppet show put on by the GM isn't very popular.

I think how its handled and the tone of the campaign in general would provide the delineator between a breathtaking bit of mobile plot and a dick move from the GM.

It would fit perfectly in a sandbox game, or any game where random events not connected to the PCs happen from time to time. A plague would work well anywhere, a tsunami wiping out the city where the PCs had invested all their money, not so much. Of course it could develop its own plots based on the drastic changes in power structure caused, breathe new life into a stale setting even.

Quote from: mcbobbo;582120Which isn't that far removed from any other story-driven plotline, right?  A natural disaster could be survived, but so could a sinking ship, for example.

I'm not in any way implying that only player-stoppable events have a place in RPGs.  But I am saying that watching a slideshow/puppet show put on by the GM isn't very popular.



Ouch

If I ever put on a fucking puppet show, please fucking shoot me.

Got that straight?

Player characters are not fucking passive wankers in my games. They can *and do* respond to shit like this - by rescuing people, by helping others survive, by pulling the community together afterward, by using the distraction to commit crimes, and by doing all the kinds of things PCs do, and which I have no clue about before hand, because I don't fucking write scripts for them. This just gives them another opportunity to be cool in a completely different way.

The only thing I hate worse than running a fucking railroad is some smug dickhead on the fucking internet IMPLYING I run a fucking railroad. I have no time for that shit. Understand?

Thank you. Let's move on from being a dick, shall we?

Excellent.

-clash

I don't go for players trying to stop natural disasters (unnatural disasters brought about by cultists or super-scientists or whatever is something else). And fleeing by itself isn't that interesting. I'd go for a normal adventure and throw the disaster in as something they have to deal with. Say, they're trying to steal something and suddenly everything's on fire.

Quote from: flyingmice;582151The only thing I hate worse than running a fucking railroad is some smug dickhead on the fucking internet IMPLYING I run a fucking railroad. I have no time for that shit. Understand?

Another time saver might be found in assuming that not every statement someone makes is about you, personally.

You're not even the OP, skillz.  Take a breather.

Quote from: beejazz;582154I don't go for players trying to stop natural disasters (unnatural disasters brought about by cultists or super-scientists or whatever is something else). And fleeing by itself isn't that interesting. I'd go for a normal adventure and throw the disaster in as something they have to deal with. Say, they're trying to steal something and suddenly everything's on fire.

Yeah, this.

I have used plagues (kinda cliched I guess).

I used an epic Storm once; the idea was that an Elder Chaos God of Storms was breaking free from his chains, and causing Storms of unimaginable fury.

The main result was people in the setting drowning from floods, famine, and disease. Oh...and Elven sailing ships of great size being stranded miles inland.

Quote from: mcbobbo;582167Another time saver might be found in assuming that not every statement someone makes is about you, personally.

You're not even the OP, skillz.  Take a breather.

But I am the person you quoted.

-clash

Quote from: flyingmice;582199But I am the person you quoted.

-clash

Right, and to you I presented the counter example of the sinking ship.  The latter statement was the expression of two extremes, and nothing more.

Quote from: mcbobbo;582217Right, and to you I presented the counter example of the sinking ship.  The latter statement was the expression of two extremes, and nothing more.

Then I sincerely apologize for my anger and language. I just wish you had been clearer about the change in who you were talking to, because I  obviously did not see it.

-clash