How to Improvise a Story/Game?

Where are we?

• Give your public basic Atmosphere:
  • Colors & Light
  • Temperature & Climate
  • other Quirks
• As well as the place’s Structure:
  • Materials
  • Props & Furniture
  • The Object you came for
• You can do so before or after the 1st action scene/Conflit.
• It’s all about your Rhythm.

• Pick a location you Love or Hate, for a stronger emotional reaction.
• Think about your public.
• How will the Location make them React?

Start with 4 Locations:

• We are in a Temple
• Atmosphere
  • The orange, coppery walls reminds us the time we passed in the southern towns of Alatea
  • The soft chatters of the guide pulls us deeper into the temple
  • The statues of Galatea enhance the warmth of this
• Structure
  • The walls are damaged, but not spoiled
  • The retain their original refinement
  • The care the builders put into its creation is still visible

• We move into the Guide’s Office
• Atmosphere
  • The anthracite surfaces contrasts with the vivid, animated paintings
  • She invites us to sit on this simple, yet comfortable armchair
  • The air is cool, the pace is slow
• Structure
  • Her office is clean & cleared out of any distractions
  • Nothing here is unrelated to Art

• We visit the Museum dedicated to Galatea
• Atmosphere
  • The soil & ceilings are light grey
  • The walls are made of soft blue
  • Where ever it is the paintings, the frescoes, or the statues all shapes complement each other
• Structure
  • The building seems to be made of a sturdy mater
  • But we can’t identify it

• We finally get to the Victim’s House
• Atmosphere
  • The Victim’s lover is waiting
  • She is sitting in a large armchair, fitting for 2 people
  • “This was our recliner”
  • Is she aware of us?
• Structure
  • The rest of the house is dark & empty
  • The door was open…

The Threat/Menace

• Who’s the Enemy?
• Is there an Enemy?
• What danger does this Environment shelter?

• What will we do?
• Chase & Flee?
  • Are we chasing the menace?
  • Are chased by the menace?
  • Should we Flee?
  • Where?
• Fight?
  • How can we Strike back?
  • What weapons do we possess?

4 Threats:

• We are in a Temple
• Enemy/Danger/Environment
  • Night is coming
  • A group of raider has been spotted by the temple this week
  • 2 guards are missing
  • They only come at night
• Chase & Flee
  • Staying here would not be reasonable
• Fight back
  • We are not only Art enthusiast
  • We are trained, equipped & capable of riposting

• We move into the Guide’s Office
• Enemy/Danger/Environment
  • We spent the last week with her
  • She leans on her desk to hide her face
  • She decides to tell us more about the incident
• Chase & Flee
  • We could leave her there with this situation
• Fight back
  • Or ask her for more information

• We visit the Museum dedicated to Galatea
• Enemy/Danger/Environment
  • There’s a Corpse held by the statues
  • The killer stands by, watching
  • She’s estimating carefully if the body is well disposed
• Chase & Flee
  • She sees us, Screams & flees
  • Run after the killer
• Fight back
  • This is may lead us to an embuscade
  • Will we be able to fight back?

• We finally get to the Victim’s House
• Enemy/Danger/Environment
  • Victim’s lover’s mania
  • Laughter coming from the living room
• Chase & Flee
  • Someone points a gun at our back
  • Disarm then & Run away
  • Abandon the Victim’s lover
  • Take her with us
• Fight back
  • Protect the Victim’s lover
  • Attack the assailant
  • Interrogate them

Why are we here?

• What Resources does the location shelter?
• Are we here to Discover, to Visit?
• What type of Fight/Dissension/Conflict are we about to meet?

• Temple
  • We love Art
  • A passion we discovered recently by visiting Alatea
• Office
  • We spend some time with this guide
  • Now she offered us some additional Insights
• Museum
  • The Museum has been restricted to the public recently
  • This is a unique opportunity to admire Galatean’s Pantheon quietly & to our heart’s content
• Victim’s House
  • We lend a hand to our new friend
  • We visit the house of 1 of the main contributor of the museum

Adapt & Engage

Everything is happening in Synergy.
You are creating a living world.
It may try to escape you.
Don’t let it go its own way.
Enjoy the rush, enjoy the ride.

• Exaggeration is the key to provoke reactions.
• Contrast will create Engament.
• Interest can be met in the form of opposition.
• This opposition is an opportunity to experiment more unusual ideas.

• Tap into the Collective Imaginary Library.
• Shapes, colors, Forms & all other tools.
• Use Iconography & Symbolism to provoke reactions.
• Use common situation to evoke familiarity.
• Prepare your Archetypes of Characters, Environments & Stories.
  • Consult then regularly to create diversity & contrast

• Balance your story after your first draft.
• Balance it as you go.
• Give every Character care & attention.
  • talk with them
• Give every Environments a purpose.
• Scenes & Chapters should chain fluidly.
  • There may be plot holes

Test your Story/Game with your Team

• Don’t leave them time to look for inconsistency now.
• If they are distracted, pause.
• If they are comfortable, give then more information.
• The public needs to be absorbed by the story.

Give your team a set of 10 Rules to Start:

• Everything has a Purpose
• Your Team is United
• Living beings strive to Grow
• Sun brings Hope
• Hunger Gathers us
• Play with Fire
• Run through Seas & Skies
• Temperance soothes the Mind
• Ponder through Time
• Follow the Footprints of the Survivors

Ask Your Team about:

• Locations
  • How do they imagined it?
  • Can they draw it?
  • Can they compose a piece of music to define it?
• Threats
  • Do they feel pressured?
  • Are they excited?
  • Do they feel depressed?
• Characters
  • How do they picture her?
  • Can they represent her?
  • Can they compose a theme for her?
• Scenes
  • How is the Consistency?
  • How were the Transitions between each location?
• Environments
  • Would they rest here?
  • Would they fight here?
  • Would it bore them?

• Listen to them.
• They’ll have a lot of improvement ideas.
• They’ll have terrible ideas as well.
  • Improve them together
• This is a shared story.
• Ask them for 10+ global rules for your story/Game.
• Change yours, adapt yours.
• Engage them.
• 4 People will always come to better Story/Game Mechanics than 1.