Shared Authorship: A crash course?

[Ghola]

Hi folks,
I recently order the BWRPS, and I am seeking advice on shared authorship for my first foray into the game. My gaming group, coming from a background of D20, GURPS, and WW, is growing increasingly frustrated with the style of play that these rule sets reinforce, and I think introducing some more shared authorship would be a perfect way to have my players: A) Invested in a game with the new, and daunting system, B) More able to bite into the character-driven play that Burning Wheel promotes, and C) See the light of a new gaming paradigm.

With that said, I was wondering if anyone could share a few words about how to successfully introduce shared authorship into a group that has little experience with it, and how to mesh shared authorship with Burning Wheel itself. I originally thought about doing a "World-Burner" type segment of the character-burner session (I don't have BE yet, so it would have to be an approximation), but I don't know how well my group would respond to having such control over the campaign. In any event, any advice is appreciated.

[Glendower]

First off, to get comfy with the system, I recommend playing the Sword (http://www.burningwheel.org/wiki/index.php?title=Image:TheSword.zip). It works great to introduce each system, piece by piece. Start with a skill test, then a verses test, follow it up with an attempt at a Duel of Wits or maybe try out Fight!

Character driven play centers around the Beliefs, Instincts and Traits of a character. The Sword really helps show this, as it's a powder keg of a situation, and all the characters are set up to clash with each other. It should be informative in helping people with making their own beliefs.

As for the "new gaming Paradigm", you'll have to be a little more specific in what you mean by this!

To take your idea of sharing the duties of putting together a setting, what I recommend is a few things taken from other games, namely Primetime Adventures (http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/games.html) and Universalis (http://www.ramshead.indie-rpgs.com/).

The first bit is the players literally sitting down and throwing out ideas for the setting and situation. Primetime calls this "the Pitch". These ideas can be really general, like "Island nations" or "We're rebels in a conquered land" or something like that. All the players get a chance, and I recommend passing a piece of paper around clockwise for each person to write a concept or idea down.

This is also a good time to add in other things, like certain things the players should keep in mind. Stuff like "show up on time" or "If you have a good idea for the direction of a scene, suggest it out loud!" These social contract items go a long way towards the goal of sharing authorship. Players need to know the extent of how much they can make suggestions and control the flow of the game.

I recommend also going through things that people don't want to see (no Elves, no Great Spiders, no scenes of extreme torture/rape, for example) in a separate list. This list helps people declare their comfort zones, and allows for a lot of avoided awkwardness should you hit a nerve. I've had this happen a few times in my gaming, and it's really nice to have.

I played a Burning Empires Demo with Artellan and some others (http://burningwheel.org/forum/showthread.php?t=3453) during a games day. A gamer walked by and watched, then made a comment about how we were running the game in an utterly absurd way. "Never give the GM ideas!" he said, "The GM will twist it and screw over you and your fellow players!" This mentality is common, and is probably going to be your biggest obstacle.

[Dwight]

Ghola, I'm not sure I'll be able to help, but a more detailed explaination/description of the fustrations is likely to net you more applicable suggestions here.

Is it like Glendower's last paragraph suggests, that you don't feel people are stepping forward with ideas?

If so from my personal experience; When I first ran The Sword with a longtime group I purposely vacated the hallowed "head of the table" seat and move into the ranks at the side of the table, to try break that Moses coming down with the tablets mode. Now that's a lot more 'hippie' than we end up playing, but I'll tell you it was more for me than them. Sure I wanted to very visibly signal that something was different to them. But mostly it was to shake me up, to force me to change my posture, to remind me to not out-of-hand squech and suggestions, and to ask them explicitly for input on things like Obstacles (and run with their suggestions!). Because my best way to influence other's actions is to change my actions and reactions, and that little John Tesh-equse seating change is what worked for me. YMMV

Also keep in mind that at first it can be a slow process, and you can be seriously messing with some people's comfort zones. Someone at the table will have to trust they aren't going to get screwed and step forward and then --in no uncertain terms-- not get screwed. "Actions talk, bullshit walks." Then it has to happen again, and eventually people will learn and more people will step forward and it'll snowball. Of course this could be very difficult, depending on how deeply the attitude that Glendower describes runs in your players. Because expectations colour interpretations. :( And there will be backsliding and dead ends and toe stubbing and all the things that come with learning.

P.S. A hint, is there a player at the table that you expect to take that step first? To trailblaze to show the others that it's safe?

[luke]

Ghola,

Just wanted to say a quick, "Welcome!" and to encourage you to take it slow. You're on the right path, but your trying to change years of ingrained habits. Hit one thing at a time and try to focus on the elements of RPGs that your group really seems to enjoy.

I'm on the road now, but we'll talk more about this when I get back.

-L

EDIT: Also, good advice from dwight and jon!