What would you want from Narrative AoS Events

[HobbyHammer]

As the title suggests, NEO's from around the scene are interested in finding out what the larger community would want if they went to a Narrative AoS Event, what are your top 3 expectations and wishes for playing this style as a weekend gaming event?

 

[RuneBrush]

I've not done much narrative play, but what would appeal to me would be a well thought out overall narrative to the event - what factions are trying to achieve what goals, this could mean that it's possible for all factions to "win".  The games ideally need appropriate battleplans that fit into the overall story arc too, rather than ones that are a generic.

NEO's who can tweak things as they go on and pop in random encounters to keep games enjoyable.

Rewards for players who bring an appropriately fluffy army would probably be on my list too  

[Paul Buckler]

The chance to influence an overall story arc, from game 1-5 (or 6 or more!). 

Rewards for taking armies that fit the idealology of the weekend.

Hidden surprises and twitst. Plan for something and then out of the blue you have to think on your feet!

[Darth Alec]

Realms At War: Legends: 2: Sigmar Boogaloo.

 

 

[hobgoblinclub]

A tricky question because I'm not sure. I really liked hearing about Holy Havoc though, so maybe something similar to that. The tables looked cool and it was great how they impacted on the game. The idea of your general 'levelling up' over the course of the tournament was cool too. 

I'm just not sure what good narrative play should look like. I get how you'd make it fun with friends, but how do you do that with strangers? It'd have to be balanced or half the people there would have made wasted journeys. How do you balance it without a points structure? Or do you use one? 

Ultimately, the narrative play tournament I picture in my head doesn't engage me sufficiently. I think I'd be frustrated that we weren't playing matched.

[MrCharisma]

8 hours ago, HobbyHammer said:

As the title suggests, NEO's from around the scene are interested in finding out what the larger community would want if they went to a Narrative AoS Event, what are your top 3 expectations and wishes for playing this style as a weekend gaming event?

 

 

Points. ;-)

[Ollie Grimwood]

For me it would be all about development.  I'd like to see the results and events in the games effecting;

1. The overall narrative, so the story develops around the games rather just having a fixed line of games.

2. Development of the Character models through out event.  Not just linked to win/lose but also individual events and achievements. Bonuses, detriments and suitable titles been awarded and nice things. 

3. Army and/or unit development.  Re-rolls, one off bonuses and the like, maybe extra units added to armies. Again not just linked to win/loss but events and achievements as well.  Of course titles and unit nicknames be awarded for suitably impressive (or notorious) actions 

I realise might be fairly hard work to produce over a weekend or one day event as opposed to a longer term campaign so I am wishlisting somewhat  

 

 

 

[Mohojoe]

The ability to help create a narrative, not just a continuation of a preexisting novel. 

Fluffy/flavoured armies being represented

Competitive elements ( not necessarily tournament standard, but a driving force needs to be there)

Great coverage, because there is no point creating stories unless someone tells them

[MacDuff]

You've got 4 alliances, so it would be interesting if they cared for/were vested in the successes of their fellow generals. Perhaps a war council before a battle, where they decide what part of the battlefield each will fight on, with missions, etc. determined for each but unknown beforehand. Perhaps the ability to loan/swap artifacts, heroes, units within their alliance. All kind of other narrative conventions would apply, but the story of your alliance army coming together, finding who leads strategy, and how they regroup would add another layer.

[Carnelian]

For me it would be like minded people to play against who used beautiful units and also interesting army lists full of rarely seen units.

[hobgoblinclub]

4 hours ago, MacDuff said:

You've got 4 alliances, so it would be interesting if they cared for/were vested in the successes of their fellow generals. Perhaps a war council before a battle, where they decide what part of the battlefield each will fight on, with missions, etc. determined for each but unknown beforehand. Perhaps the ability to loan/swap artifacts, heroes, units within their alliance. All kind of other narrative conventions would apply, but the story of your alliance army coming together, finding who leads strategy, and how they regroup would add another layer.

This sounds like fun. It'd be difficult to get a good balance of alliances.

At a normal tournament, each game happens in its own bubble, with no bearing on those around it. If players from an alliance were competing for each other, I could see the whole room in constant communication, encouraging each other. 

[Cerlin]

I think the appeal of narrative events is to have a meta narrative and situation. 

What I mean is having like a front, or campaign map. So each battle represents parts of it. This can also be used to explain in a narrative sense unbalanced battles. So maybe i have a point or wound range 50% less than the guy I an fighting because it is a flank battle and we had bad recon. While on two other tables my team had a 25% advantage. 

You could make it from the top down or even get teams of generals to decide where to commit forces to a meta objective for the day. 

Mix this with some leveling up and you would have the bones for a cool narrative even without any fluff. 

[Gaz Taylor]

For me, it should be like having a weekend with your mates and playing out a cool big game with a bit of DMing. I would like to have some cool story with a bit of sillyness chucked in, and then a series of games building up to a cool mega battle. Also, everybody goes out for a meal and drinks one of the nights.

Did something similar with the IMPs guys for a 40K Cities of Death event years ago and it was fun

[Dotification]

I mean if we're wish-listing here, maybe some way for Narrative Event Organizers to communicate the overall strategic results back to GW for future inclusion in the ongoing narrative, a la the summer campaign with the 3 Order strongholds founded in the various realms. If it's a big enough event, then GW could even sponsor or host it, maybe even send a rep.!! 

Also, the summer event ended up being a popularity & buying contest more than anything, with predictably skewed results with Sylvaneth being the new hotness.

It would be nice if & when Death & Destruction alliances do well relative to their minority statuses, &  their victories have some kind of narrative effect.  Hell, or even a shout-out in the campaign books for whatever alliances win the smaller events/battles. 

[Chikout]

Here a few ideas of the top of my head.  First have a clear overall objective that everyone is fighting towards. Have group of objectives for each grand alliance which are not necessarily dependent on winning the game.  Have some that are well known, others that are secret. Have each faction have sub objectives. For example fryeslayers could an objective to get as much ur gold as possible. Death and destruction armies could try to earn enough gold (somehow) to bribe fyreslayers to switch sides, so results towards the overall objective count for them. 

Have random events and surprises over the course of the event. Have a GM or two to keep things exciting. End the event with one or more big games with multiple players on each side. Have an RPG style levelling system for heroes between games.  Have in game  bonuses for fluffy armies or well painted armies. Create deliberately imbalanced secenarios. Last stands, ambushes etc. 

It is a lot more work than running a tournament but the potential for exciting games is huge. Even a player who loses every game can have a big effect on the end result.

[MacDuff]

On December 3, 2016 at 5:48 AM, hobgoblinclub said:

This sounds like fun. It'd be difficult to get a good balance of alliances.

At a normal tournament, each game happens in its own bubble, with no bearing on those around it. If players from an alliance were competing for each other, I could see the whole room in constant communication, encouraging each other. 

Well, you could track alliance sign ups on Facebook, then if unbalanced, invite 'outside an alliance' armies to join - IF they provided a narrative justification. I agree that putting 4 big alliance bubbles in the room would create some new dynamics. ;o)

[Immersturm]

1. Asymmetric missions. It is extremely fun.

2. Unit straits and/or injuries. Something to show accomplishments or failures should it last somewhat longer.

3. Something to encourage fluffy list. If not according to official fluff, then according to your own fluff.

If those things were at an event, I'd squee like a little girl on Christmas

[MacDuff]

Have sponsors create a lost fragment of narrative (scroll, tablet, page of a book) for each objective, the same for each table but new sets for each round. Fragments build to tell a forgotten myth. This would encourage players in the same alliance to share their fragments to tell a part of a story behind the realm that would grow more robust each round. The alliance with the complete story would be pointed to a terrain feature/hidden objective in the final round that would grant them a special boon (or prize).