[Dogs in the Vineyard] Point Hollow
David Berg:
Enos had decided early on that Gerber was the problem. I was pretty committed to having Enos engineer his demise, and was looking forward to finding out whether or not that was actually the right move. When Gerber burned Cyrus's hand with his demonic touch, I got my answer. This was a mixed bag: mild letdown because the moral suspense was over before the final conflict(s), but a particularly cool way to answer my question. If Gerber had merely died in battle and left everything ambiguous, the game would have left a very different aftertaste.
We were running short on time, and with the scale of the turmoil being what it was, some high drama worked perfectly for a frenzied climax. My only complaint with the rush to wrap up is that the chain of consequence and drama was a little weak between (a) Cyrus's directive to Richard to douse Gerber in consecrated earth, and my decision to have Enos muster the Mountain People against Gerber's flock, and (b) the ultimate defeat of the badguys. Paul and I didn't really have to make any decisions during that phase, we just got to see which NPCs would beat which other NPCs.
I assume if we'd had more time, we each would have worked in a mechanical conflict somewhere. We wound up finding a pretty satisfying substitute, though -- Paul and I went high on the color contributions. I even briefly grabbed some GM tasks, describing NPCs and timing of events and atmospheric stuff (though mostly I stuck to "and here's what Enos is doing at that moment!").
It was very satisfying to see how all the disparate threads resolved. The summary/epilogue really recorded a huge upheaval in so many lives. And, thanks to all those relationships John worked in, they all mattered to me. I left the game with my mind still wrapped around the fiction, wanting to let it simmer for a bit before dealing with the real world again. Good times!
jenskot:
Thanks for posting Dave!
The fiction also stuck with me after the game. Paul suggested we revisit the town years later… especially with Gerber waiting deep within the mine.
I also wanted to extend the moral suspense over Gerber’s guilt but if I didn’t escalate the conflict, he would have lost and been forced to confess his sins which would have ended the moral suspense either way. It’s a tough spot. The pacing tends to be very player and mechanics driven. If a GM wants an NPC to get away to re-appear later for added drama, it won’t happen unless the players or the mechanics let it happen. Which I like! Every choice matters. But it can be wonky pacing wise. But the results are varied and unpredictable. Which is another bonus! Sometimes the GM thinks someone getting away is more dramatic and it very well may not be.
With 10 minutes left, the end was very much say yes instead of rolling. One minor difficulty with Dogs is that any conflict, large or small, is going to take a significant amount of time (unless someone gives). I could have called a conflict with Paul when he wanted to have Cyrus banish Gerber but it was just too awesome and there was no time so I opted to say yes and wrap up. I would have loved to have had 30 more minutes!
Paul T:
This was a great game, very intense and very dramatic.
And, although, due to time constraints we had to turn to something more collaborative storytelling for the final scene, it felt very appropriate. John did some skillful "say yes or roll the dice", but without letting us off too easy. And we both chipped in some nice details. It was a satisfying conclusion!
I definitely hope to revisit the town someday, as the legend that's bound to grow up over the haunted mines after the Dogs shut them down and collapsed the entrance will be interesting. All that cursed silver, inhabited by Gerber's demonic rage!
I wonder if the sequel is going to be a D&D game? Ha!
I also hope I get to play Dogs again sometime soon, although it will probably be with my card rules, unless I can somehow get my hands on that many dice. I might work in some of your rule changes, though, John--those sheets you posted are amazing.
Thanks for the great game, John and Dave.
lumpley:
Thank you!
I don't think anybody needs anything from me in particular - this has been a very good thread - but if you do, just ask.
Thanks for playing my game.
-Vincent
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[*] Previous page