Player Contributions

[Tolknor]

I'd be interested in hearing what player contribution other GMs allowed.  

I never had any poetic players but i had several keep very interesting logs.   One really good character Diary.   Some made trumps.  I even had a player who always brought onion dip and Porter who got a point or two along the way out of comic value.

[Bird_of_Ill_Omen]

In games I've been in, I've seen the typical:

1. Character diary (most common contribution, nearly everyone did this).
2. Drawing trumps.

Plus some variations of those:

3. Amber stories.  One player wrote a bunch of two-page stories (a new story each session).  They were always funny, always about his character doing something really clever or awesome, and every story ended with someone saying, "Man Bastian, you really are the coolest Amberite alive!"

4. Campaign gallery.  Instead of just drawing trumps, a player drew a picture illustrating a scene or moment from the game.  Sometimes it was a new place trump, or a portrait of an NPC, sometimes it was a fight with a monster or other moment or danger.

5. Amber cartoon.  One player would draw a one-panel comic illustration (you know, like the Far Side or something), sometimes inspired by the campaign, sometimes something about Amber in general.


I would totally support awarding a contribution to someone who brought food each session, but I think they would have to make it themselves (like fresh baked cookies, or lasagna).

[jibbajibba]

Players can and should do all that stuff anyway.

Player contributions aren't necessary I think. trying to stop players writing stories, drawings and all that stuff that is the trick.

[finarvyn]

I think that the character diary is by far the most important contribution that a player can make, as when I run ADRP I don't really have time to take notes and there tend to be more plot details to keep track of than in most other RPGs. So either I forget the details or I have someone write things down.

I've also had players create Trumps for the group, both people and places visited. Not much really innovative there, but useful.

Overall, my main gaming group is a "show up and ask what we're doing" bunch of players rather than thinking about the game in between sessions, so getting contributions is hard and the results often disappointing.

[Panjumanju]

I play with an unusual number of professional animators, so they always choose to draw Trumps...and I cannot stop them drawing.

Interesting contributions I've had in the past:
* Always bring pop to game.
* Draw an Amber comic book.
* Bake cookies (or other baked goods) for each game.
* Play and sing an Amber intro-song on your guitar.

Contributions are a great way of building community around the game.

//Panjumanju

[Artifacts of Amber]

I have had mostly the classics, Campaign diaries and trumps. I would consider anything that improves the game or expands the Amber universe to be a contribution.

I don't give points for contributions up front but as people give them that way there is no pressure or obligation to do something, if they do they get rewarded if not then they just get the status qou.

I grant experience/development as I go and not in large lots atthe end of a story arc though I may throw in a larger chunk at the end of a story.

Contributions, in general, were a diminishing return the longer the game ran the less that initial point is worth. If you got ten points and played 10 sessions doing 10 diaries then they are a point a piece if you play 50 sessions then the value diminishes over time. So I prefer to give out points as they are done.

Points equal effort. I measure the effort by the individual against what the give me.

Some contributions are just helpful to the player/GM in any case such as diaries and stories about characters, those even without granting points/experience have an inherent value exploring the character.

[Bird_of_Ill_Omen]

1. Character diary
2. Drawing trumps.
3. Amber stories.
4. Campaign gallery.
5. Amber cartoon.

Oh, I forgot one!

6. Draw maps.  In a game that my brother and I ran, one player liked map-making.  We would give him some parameters, a list of some things to "must include," and then let him run with it.  He ended up doing a version of the continent of Amber (bordered by Kolvir to the north); the lands of Ghenesh (bordered by Kolvir to the south); floorplan of Castle Amber; and grounds of Castle Amber.

I realize that the idea of concrete maps for Amber is anathema to some, but we had no problems saying to the players, "Yeah, this hallway is different than the map you saw.  Weird..."  What was important to us was that the player was expressing his creativity and got him contributing to the vision of Amber in a way that suited his strengths and interests.

[Panjumanju]

What was important to us was that the player was expressing his creativity and got him contributing to the vision of Amber in a way that suited his strengths and interests.

This is what's important to me. I think it's amazing that there is a way for players to continue to invest in the game world when not at the table, not out of a sense of homework, but because they care about it.

I think this is one of the more underrated aspects of Erick Wujcik's design - such an easy way to keep players interested out of game by having them write bad poetry.

//Panjumanju

[Tolknor]

This is what's important to me. I think it's amazing that there is a way for players to continue to invest in the game world when not at the table, not out of a sense of homework, but because they care about it.

I think this is one of the more underrated aspects of Erick Wujcik's design - such an easy way to keep players interested out of game by having them write bad poetry.

//Panjumanju

Well, i don't call my stuff poetry but it is certainly doggerel prose.   I agree about the design comment.  Between it and Zelazny i keep coming back to it, even just to play with it.  Its been 10 years since my game ended really.  but in the last month i have been reading through it and have enjoyed it enough to explore playing again in some way.  I've rewritten stuff including my Diners of Amber article over on wiki.RPG.net.  Just for my own entertainment and whoever might wander across it.  And i started rereading the books, one a day so far..

mmmm i wax poetic after all....

[Artifacts of Amber]

I'v managed to move the concept of Contributions into other games, namely Vampire masquerade were it works pretty well. It is important to get players prospective on things through diaries and logs, what they consider important.

[Tolknor]

I'v managed to move the concept of Contributions into other games, namely Vampire masquerade were it works pretty well. It is important to get players prospective on things through diaries and logs, what they consider important.

After my first campaign i did the same thing.  I found that the players enjoyed it too.    I also transferred over the good stuff/bad stuff concept in a general manner. Besides, i wanted to keep the onion dip and Porter coming......

[Artifacts of Amber]

Yeah Tolknor you have to have your priorities

[RPGPundit]

Over the long years, I've had all kinds of player contributions; everything from art to campaign logs to maps to having detailed "sourcebooks" of personal shadows, to contributions to the group (providing snacks or something).

However, over the years I've eventually decided to forbid any contribution that is based on an ongoing commitment for the players, because I've found that these tend to be shirked sooner or later (namely, when they start to feel like the 5 or 10 points they got ages ago at character creation just aren't that significant anymore).  So these days, whatever contributions there are need to be front-loaded; you do the work first, and THEN you get the points.

RPGPundit

[Artifacts of Amber]

I agree with what RPGPundit said about front loading and in a long campaign even a person who keeps up is getting a diminishing return so I just let them do what they want and give a point or two apiece depending on the players effort. I decide point value on how hard I think it is for the player not on how much or the quality is done (compared to others).

Since I don't grant experience in chunks but advance all the while it works out pretty well for me.

[Tolknor]

I like the term front loading.. nice.  

I did much the same.  Only awarded contribution points after the work was done.   Also i gave points multiple times if they continued their efforts, mainly with logs and diaries.   i have to admit that when my game changed from a in person game to one run on yahoo chat the keeping of logs became so easy that it was not worth the points unless the player took the log and edited it into a story format, which several did.