I’ve been thinking about this issue a lot recently. I’ve been writing a lot of oracle and spark tables for the system I’m developing. In the end I have scrapped a lot of it because it was too descriptive and ended up feeling like a straight jacket for creativity. New versions of the results are much more sparse. I just didn’t have the right terminology of “negative space”, but that is the perfect vocabulary for it
Totally agree! And ideally we design in dynamic interactable things rather than inert and unchangeable things. Stored potential energy. Precarious but promising situations.
I actually cap off atmosphere building by asking the players to reveal something left in negative space. Last night, "What makes this reed hut in the swamp seem especially witchy?" It always creates a good moment and draws intense player interest.
That really depends on the kind of experience I’m try to engineer for a GM using the adventure! But in general, I’m also thinking about what I personally want to know ahead of time vs. what I’d prefer to figure out in the moment.
I’ve been thinking about this issue a lot recently. I’ve been writing a lot of oracle and spark tables for the system I’m developing. In the end I have scrapped a lot of it because it was too descriptive and ended up feeling like a straight jacket for creativity. New versions of the results are much more sparse. I just didn’t have the right terminology of “negative space”, but that is the perfect vocabulary for it
Totally agree! And ideally we design in dynamic interactable things rather than inert and unchangeable things. Stored potential energy. Precarious but promising situations.
I actually cap off atmosphere building by asking the players to reveal something left in negative space. Last night, "What makes this reed hut in the swamp seem especially witchy?" It always creates a good moment and draws intense player interest.
That's very interesting, I'm new in this "design ttrpg word" and this type of content are very useful!
How you decide when is enough or when you need more negative space?
That really depends on the kind of experience I’m try to engineer for a GM using the adventure! But in general, I’m also thinking about what I personally want to know ahead of time vs. what I’d prefer to figure out in the moment.
That's interesting, thank you!
enjoyed this one - like many others - very much
Thank you!