Shadowrun
Shadowrun Play => Gamemasters' Lounge => Topic started by: chadawc on <03-16-13/1408:52>
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I can describe and paint wonderful and exciting scenes in my games, but when it comes to vehicles I am a bit out of my element. I have a hard time getting the imagery and when I try to describe it to my runners they seem to get a little bored. Any idea as to how to fix this problem. Maybe there are some movies I could watch or maybe a system you guys have set up that I have not though of in the last several years.
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Do you feel the problem is more that you lack automotive lingo maybe, or perhaps that it's just a part of the story the players aren't interested in?
I would suggest trying miniatures. Not even like Hotwheels or anything but just something (dice, bottle caps, whatever) to use as a visual element. Not even necessarily for strategy, just something more to bring them into the moment. Car chases are very kinetic, even more so then your average gun-fight, so it might just require actual kinetic representation.
When we started our campaign, none of us were skilled in pilot groundcraft, so our GM would make us make a few checks to just drive across town without dumping our motorcycles. I'm not saying you are, but don't do this. Use checks for important and difficult maneuvers (weaving through on-coming traffic, drifting a corner), cinematic things, not just "okay, you're out-driving him". It might give them a sense of purpose and accomplishment to an aspect that might otherwise not interest them.
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Don't forget scenery and traffic. That seems to be a problem.
Getting 4 more hits doesn't mean 'you drive faster and manage to get some more distance".
It means you're driving like crazy, dodging traffic (even in the wrong direction for a second just to get past that car a bit quicker), barely missing that SoyDog vendor and then manage to just get that orange light before it turns red.
The rules only describe what happens to your (the PC's) vehicle and their enemies, but in the game, they don't exist in a void.
There's an entire world out there and it's up to you to fill it with traffic jams, old ladies who haven't driven a car in 30 years, glitchy autosofts steering a car, trucks that can't go at the maximum allowed speed, road construction, etc etc etc.
Any, all and very likely many more than these few examples make up what your players will run into in any drive important enough for you to play it out.
(Sorry if this doesn't make sense. Very drunk).
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Thank you both very much =O) That helped out a lot.
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The Borne Identity, Italian Job, and all 3 Transporter movies all do justice to the hectic, kinetic car chase sequence.
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not used this, but I'm sure someone linked it on these forums a while back
Car chase Generator (http://www.rpg-tools.org/generators/chase/chase.htm)
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Car chase Generator (http://www.rpg-tools.org/generators/chase/chase.htm)
That's a freakin' awesome link, Mach, thanks! I have started working on a Random Car Chase Generator Table based off of d. 6 rolls, based off of this, as I don't tend to game with my laptop infront of me.
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Agreed with above.
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Throwing random obstacles into the chase works for movies, it'll work for you too. Give them a map of the streets between where they are and where they want to be, and give them as much space as possible. Then, fill that with interesting things like construction sites and dockyards for them to drive through. If you've ever played the Grand Theft Auto games, they're great at this. GTAIV has mid-city construction, elevated rails, airports, and all sorts of fun stuff for you to drive through, so there's a ton of ideas for places to set a car chase.
If you want more inspiration, go back through the James Bond films, they've got some choice car scenes, and Gone in Sixty Seconds (both of them) have some cool stuff too.
I also make sure that my characters drive in, over, through, and along buildings quite a bit, and powerslides give the party an intimidation bonus.
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You all are awesome. I tried out what you said in the last run and it worked wonderfully! If I could afford it I would buy you all a pony! Thank you so much =O)
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What we often do in our group is letting the players describe the scene a bit depending on the number of hits. For instance, the gamemaster says that the driver who got 4 net hits in an opposed driving test managed to get away, but he leaves it up to the player to describe exactly how. That way the players are more involved and you get some crazy scenes. Of course, make sure they don't go too far (doing a handbrake turn with a schoolbus can work in Scion, but in Shadowrun I don't see it happening, unless it's a really modded bus).
As for movies, there's quite a lot of car chase scenes in all 5 (or is it 6 already) Fast and Furious movies as well.