Tips From The Moose

[Cptn Moose 0]

Everyone's played the children's game where the group goes on a trip, and one by one, players pull something out of their pocket that they brought with them using a different letter of the alphabet:

 

I went on a trip, and in my pocket I had an apple.

I went on a trip, and in my pocket I had an apple, and a banana.

I went on a trip, and in my pocket I had an apple, a banana, and a cat.

 

As our family and friends are only too happy to point out, simming is just a game.  It appears more complex on the surface, but underneath it's as simple as it was back in kindergarten.  Consider the following scene:

 

CMO:  A patient is being brought in.

AMO1:  Doctor, the patient is a Vulcan.

AMO2:  The Vulcan has lost a lot of blood.  I'll replicate some green plasma.

CMO:  She's still bleeding.  We have to find the wound.

AMO1:  The wound is here, on her back.  Who would have stabbed her like that?

AMO2:  The stab mark has jagged edges, like ones left by Klingon weapons.

 

Take what was said before you, add something to it, then pass it along.  And so it goes, just like the children's game.  Each player takes his or her turn adding one more thing to the list, and the story unfolds.  When the GMs nag about teamwork, this is what's lacking.

 

Older kids who know their alphabet eventually get bored with pockets that can hold anything.  They'll add a theme to the game to make it more challenging (see if you can go from A - Z naming only Trek characters).  In a sim, your theme is the mission brief, and everything you pull from your pocket should relate to it.  Vulcans and Klingons might have worked fine at a star base, but would be poor choices if the mission was to establish diplomatic relations with the Andorians.  In that case, the scene may have played differently:

 

CMO:  A patient is being brought in.

AMO1:  Doctor, the patient is a Vulcan.

AMO2: Vulcans haven't been allowed on Andor for over 150 years.  What is she doing here?

CMO:  Loosing blood, from the looks of it.

AMO1:  I'll replicate some green plasma.

AMO2:  Someone should notify the Captain.  It could ruin the mission if the Andorians think we're allied with spies.

CMO:  A woman is dying here.  We can't choose sides in their border skirmish.

AMO1:  If they are skirmishing, then this isn't over.  What if her assailant has followed her here?

 

Take what was said, add something to it, and pass it along.

 

This makes for a very exciting game to play.  The scene evolves with every new idea, and no one player knows how it will end.  This includes the player who started the thread.  The scene takes on a life of its own, and the players end up living the moment as it's created.  And as a benefit, the same mission brief will always result in a different story, no matter how many times it's used.

 

It is important to only take one turn, adding only one piece of information to the story at the time.  Otherwise you'll railroad the other players into just following your lead, and the burden of the storytelling will be on your shoulders alone.  It isn't much fun when you know in advance how it will end.

 

It is equally important not to pass on your turn.  If you spend the hour handing hyposprays to the CMO, and not saying much else, then you force them to do all the work.  They loose out on the benefit of your imagination and you loose the chance to create.  The point of a live sim is to collaborate and interact with others.  Without the give and take, we might as well all stay home and write short stories.

 

Take what was said, add something to it, and pass it along.

 

Tip From The Moose #2:  Play With The Things In Your Pocket.

 

Cptn Moose

Commanding Officer, USS Arcadia

Academy Training Instructor, Sundays @ 11 Est

[MajorZStarDust 0]

Youre just so awesome Moose.. I love the tips!!

 

But you gotta have pockets.. and last I checked, my uniform didn't....     :)

[STSF Jorlis 0]

This makes for a very exciting game to play.  The scene evolves with every new idea, and no one player knows how it will end.  This includes the player who started the thread.  The scene takes on a life of its own, and the players end up living the moment as it's created.  And as a benefit, the same mission brief will always result in a different story, no matter how many times it's used.

Ah, thank you for your golden insight, Moose.  :cool:

 

Moose knows simming...

[Images 0]

there are so many things i want to say about this post's title, but iwon't   :)

[Dumbass 0]

Now I know why Moose is wearing sunglasses.  Playing with the things in his pocket made him go blind.

[Tovan 0]

hm...my uniform has pant pockets excellent i'll start filling them up with spent transfer coils and plasma conduits ha ha ha ha and piece of vulcan flan.

[Ensign_Rompen 0]

You want me to play with my what in the where now?? ;)

seriously though, excellent tips, thnx for the advice :P

[Dumbass 0]

::sniffs::

 

Ewww, Tovan, that flan has been rotting in your pocket since shortly after Christmas! Wash your uniform once in a while, OK?