A long winded introduction into Narrative play

[KrrNiGit]

So you are interested in narrative play but you’re not sure how to get started? Aren’t sure you’re nerdy enough? Worried that your glasses aren’t thicc enough to hang with the cool kids? Well here’s a quick intro into narrative play for you.

 

First things first: what is narrative play?

 

Narrative play is not casual. Narrative players might not be the most competitive but they are very invested in the game. Maybe even more invested than matched play players. Narrative players make an emotional connection with each of their models. Each unit matters, they are not simple game pieces on a board but characters with their own place in the story. Narrative players care when your mangler squig eats Stephen the silly foot hero as you cackle maniacally in the background. While a more match play oriented player might be upset I ate his buff piece, the narratively inclined is ruing the fact that Stephen was only one day from retirement. This extra emotional investment heightens the game experience for them. It adds real stakes to a silly little game. 

 

The downside is that it can also create bad feels. Narrative players write the story of their forces. And while you can control the story leading up to the game you need to let go of that control on the table and let the dice decide. Ultimately narrative play is about sharing in a story with your opponent. Talk to your opponent, engage with them and share the experience of playing. Narrative play is that mix of D&D and wargame that Warhammer was built from. It is this investment in the world of your miniatures that creates this experience which is at the heart of narrative play.

 

 

 

That’s all well and good but what is narrative play, really?

 

Looking more closely there are two broad categories of narrative play. Either you are playing out a narrative that someone else is writing, or you are writing your own narrative as you play. While not necessarily mutually exclusive these concepts help show the breadth of narrative play available.

 

Playing through linked scenarios where the narrative is predetermined is probably the most common type of narrative play you can find. Mostly because it’s easy to just grab a pack of narrative missions and play through them. It can be a great way to help set your games within the realms of Age of Sigmar and help it feel more like an experience than just playing a fun board game with cool game pieces. As a Narrative TO these are generally the easiest to set up. You write up some linked scenarios and just let people play through them. Players are participants in a narrative larger than themselves, directed by forces they cannot comprehend. 

 

Letting the players drive the own story is the other main way of playing narratively. Think campaign games like Path to Glory where the player links their games together rather than following a predetermined story arc. The narrative emerges as the games are played instead of being controlled by an outside force (like a TO or mission writer). The quality of this experience depends more on the players and their ability to tell a story with the events that happen than someone authoring a story that the players work their way through.  

 

These two extremes show the variety available to the narrative player. They are also not mutually exclusive. You can tell the story of your guys while running through someone else’s campaign. What is key in both though is telling and participating in a story. Narrative play goes beyond simply playing a game.

 

 

 

So you’re still narrative curious and want to go match your nerd cred at a narrative event but not sure what to do? Here’s where I’d start...

 

Name your general. Your general is your proxy on the table. They should have a name, at least something more meaningful than Megaboss on Foot with Destroyer (MeFoDe could work though...). Once your general has a name, ask yourself why are they fighting and what are they fighting for? You don’t need to write 15 pages of backstory but having more of a grip on them as a character with their own aims outside just winning the game goes a long way to help you enter into the narrative as you play. If you know your general and what they are about, it is easier to figure out what they want from the battle in front of them. 

 

Once you have an idea of your general if you want to keep scratching that narrative itch you can start looking at the army they lead. Having a theme to your list isn’t a necessity but it can be a fun addition. What ties your army together? What makes them more than just pieces on the table but a cohesive whole? Once you have the core idea to base your army around it, hold to it. Make decisions in your list writing that support it even if they are the optimal (or even good) choices. 

 

More important than finding a theme you like write a list that you enjoy playing. I know people think narrative players use softer lists but really just take what is fun to you. Do you like silly combos? Write a combo list! Do you like 1000 zombies? Bring a 1000 zombies! If you don’t have fun playing the list, it will get in the way of you having fun during your game. Narrative is permission to try out the sillier ideas you’ve had. It’s permission to go nuts with your list, so go nuts! If you don’t enjoy playing your list, you are not going to get into the narrative and worst of all you won’t be fun to play against. Anything can be a theme if you are creative enough.

 

 

 

So I still haven’t scared you off, here’s what to expect in your first narrative experience...

 

Talk to your co-writer. Your opponent is telling the story with you, so talk to them. What is their army doing there? What do they want out of it? Narrative play is better as collaborative story telling. Though if they are too cowardly to participate you can always tell the people in your head all about your narrative. Understanding expectations is always a good way to start.

 

Narrative play is NOT always balanced. You may not be able to win. The point of playing a narrative game is to share an experience with your opponent. The story of the 300 hundred Spartans has survived thousands of years because it’s a great story not because it was a fair fight. If you end up in an unwinnable scenario, find a different thing to fight for. Find the reason why you should engage and play it out. Are your forces there to die heroically to save the villagers, or are they fighting to the last to kill the enemy general out of spite, etc. There are many different ways you can tell a great story. This narrative purpose can turn what would be a waste of time as a matched play experience into an epic unforgettable experience.

 

Stories help us find a reason behind a random uncaring universe. Search for a reason or just make one up. Once you have that narrative purpose, play for it. Get invested, enjoy that shared experience just remember that at the end of the day, it’s just a story.

 

 

 

Final thoughts

 

You’re now ready to play so HAVE FUN! It’s easy to get caught up in the game, to be over invested. Remember it’s a game to share with your opponent. Tell a story together as the dice direct. Let go of your preconceived notions and enjoy the moment. You may have had the idea of an undefeatable warrior marching onwards to victory, but the dice can tell the story of your undefeated warrior getting shown up. Engage your opponent, share those moments, and build something together that you will not soon forget.

 

[NinthMusketeer]

Bit bold to speak for all of us, IMO.

[KrrNiGit]

On 5/8/2023 at 11:58 AM, NinthMusketeer said:

Bit bold to speak for all of us, IMO.

It’s a forum buddy, happy for you to reply and speak for yourself 😁

[NinthMusketeer]

I'm just one person in the entire narrative community, I can speak for myself but that does little to take away from the opening of the post above that makes broad statements about all narrative players. I know I personally do not fit into all the statements made, which makes them factually inaccurate on top of overgeneralizing.

It's not that I disagree with the sentiment of the post or find it particularly toxic, I just do not like when one individual takes it upon themselves to speak on behalf of others without their knowledge or permission.