Natter: Cthulhupunk

[mneme]

So, the last full group Cthulhupunk session has come and gone.

And I find myself a bit disappointed. Sure, it was a fine enough session, given the trouble Lisa's had juggling the players and giving all of us enough screen time, rather than just one or two. But while Lisa's primary goal was realized, that goal was "wrap up the loose plot threads", rather than "run a capstone conclusion to 12 years of gaming, 4+ of it after the most recent break"

Basicaly it wrapped up the big stuff, but it didn't wrap up the little, interpersonal stuff, didn't separate the characters of players who are likely to stick around from those whose lack of interest is killing the main campaign, and didn't provide a narrative and emotional conclusion.

Unfortunately, this was billed as "the last session", so my desire for a "last last" session is unlikely to happen (and won't unless the other players agree).

Can I have a do-over?

Comments

[pocketnaomi.livejournal.com]

I had a similar reaction to the "last session" of the previous incarnation of the same game. I think the problem is that the "little interpersonal stuff" takes up a godawful amount of time. When you don't have to get a set quantity of it done on any given day, it can be fit into the normal game sessions (though even then, those of us who favor it have always done a lot of out-of-session gaming, usually in that category), but when you have to find, let alone play, all the little bits in one session... well, there isn't room for that before someone gets really sick of this or just plain has to get home or to sleep.

[mneme]

Not necesarily. What I meant wasn't full-on roleplaying down to the minutae, but the kind of interpersonal impressions where you paint thin strokes on broad patches of white, creating the illusion of shapes to come, rather than trying to fill in as many details as you can. As long as all of the players are cooperative, you can fit a lot of that into a session, especially if you don't have, or better yet, background, the "main" plot.

[drcpunk.livejournal.com]

'Sa fair cop.

[mylescorcoran]

Wow, CthulhuPunk +20 is over? Why did you bring it to a close?

Last sessions are problematical for me too. It's hard to satisfy the various needs, wrapping things up can feel rushed, and there's always somethings that get overlooked. I've found it sometimes works better to propose an ending after a big arc closes, and see if everyone is okay with going out on a high note.

Still, 12 years. Wow.

[mneme]

The main campaign of Cthulhupunk +20 was brought to a close because avramgrumer had lost interest, and kent_allard_jr didn't want to continue without him. It's likely that drcpunk, Beth, nrivkis, and I will be playing in that world for years to gome, though -- just without formal sessions.

In this case, the high note was actually the previous session (when Hanoi Xan, the last main villain from the arc, was finally defeated, once and (maybe) for all). If anything, my complaint for this session was actually "too much action, not enough plot development."

Actually, it's closer to 14 years -- Cthulhupunk started in '91.

[drcpunk.livejournal.com]

You typoed an lj -- it's agrumer. In fairness, I should note that there were 3 breaks in the full Cthpk run. I think the first was during my orals. The second was when I was working on the dissertation. The third was after I wrapped the original campaign. The first was more of a long hiatus. The second was a break after wrapping a particular set of plots, as I recall. The actual wrap of the original Cthulhupunk may be the only time I've been in a campaign with an appropriate climactic ending.

The penultimate session of +20 was lacking in punch, IMO, probably due to lack of preparation on threads involving Xan himself or his base. As for a do-over, by which I think you mean an extra session, not an actual do-over, if agumer and kent_allard_jr were up for it, I could probably be persuaded. But I think that would really have to be it, you know.

[mneme]

oops. Too bad comments aren't editable.