RPG, or role-playing games, are enormous fun. They are for everyone; anyone can join in and enjoy the game, and they are a wonderful way to get involved in a group. This can either be a group of people you already know or with entirely new people who will quickly become friends due to the love of RPG. There is a lot of preparation that needs to go into organizing a fantastic RPG night with your group, and here are some ideas to make it the very best evening you can.
Get Everyone On the Same Page
To have the best game possible, you will need to ensure that everyone playing is on the same page – that is, that they all understand the kind of game that they will be playing. Everyone will have their preferences and their playing style, and some will love to have many battles that can be won and know how to create amazing fighters, but other prefer character building and narrative to be the main focus of their game.
If you are the one organising the evening and you are the one in charge, it is your game that they will be playing. Therefore, everyone needs to understand that you are the one making the decisions about the kind of game you will be playing. Don’t let players being at odds with one another or with you ruin the game before it even begins.
No Phones
When you are playing a great RPG, the last thing you want is to be constantly distracted by your phone, or other people’s. Make it a rule that all phones need to be switched off, or put on silent or into airplane mode when the game starts.
When you are playing a game like this, you need to be completely focused on what you are doing and what every other player is doing too. There is no time for checking emails or scrolling through social media, and all the different notifications that go off regularly may not be noticed in a general group setting, but when you are all trying to concentrate, it can cause a problem with the game.
Use Sound Effects and Music
It’s all very well sitting in silence, with just the games master’s voice explaining what is happening and asking questions of the players, but it would be even better if there were sound effects and music to really set the scene. It’s good to use your imagination, but when you can add to it, it can bring the game alive.
Hearing is one of the most important sense when it comes to a game like an RPG. If you can spend some time setting up the right sound effects and creating a great playlist, you won’t be distracting anyone by playing it, but you will be enhancing the game. As a bonus, this soundtrack will also drown out any other sounds that might actually be a problem for the game such as barking dogs, footsteps, or other household noises.
Use The Other Senses
Although we’ve already mentioned how important your sense of hearing is when playing a Role Playing Game, your other senses can also be used to enhance gameplay.
To start with, use mood lighting. This will mean you can turn your playing space into any kind of arena you want it to be. Candlelight can make it feel like you’re in a cave. For example, or a swaying lantern can make it seem as though you are on board a ship, on in a cart traveling to a strange new land.
For the sense of touch, have some props to hand, ready to bring into use when the game calls for it. Be wary that you don’t choose too many and they become a distraction rather than a way to make the game even more fun. Examples of props could include:
- Keys
- Swords
- Jewels
- Maps
- Candles
- Coins
For your sense of smell, burning incense or scented candles is a great idea. You can change the scents as the story progresses, depending on where the players are traveling through and what they can see there. You can have pine scents and fresh ocean ones, as well as more floral scents, so there should be something that will work with all aspects of your story.
Use Apps
Although one of the joys of playing RPGs is that they take place away from screens, there are some apps that can be useful in creating the ultimate game. Even if you’ve been playing for a while, but perhaps especially if you are new to this idea, you will find that it is easier and more streamlined to use these apps to create characters and situations.
You will be able to keep track of your timeline, create unique characters, and ensure that everything makes sense because it is all in one place before you begin. That way, the gameplay itself will be uninterrupted and will be much more immersive.
Record Game Audio
Sometimes the best way to make a game the best is to look back at previous games. And work out what was good and what was less well received. You can do this if you record your game audio (with everyone’s permission, ideally) so that you can listen back and see where everything went smoothly and where it was a little less put together.
It can be hard to get what you see in your head out in a way that is understood by everyone playing. Because you want everyone to be enjoying the game in the same way, and in the way you intended, you can see how your story ideas came across by listening back to them. It’s also a good idea to ask for feedback; what did people enjoy? Is it successful? What would people like to see more or less of? Take all of this into account the next time you create a game, and it should be a fantastic one.
