Metaplots

[Colin]

I seem to recall asking about this sort of thing once, but I don't remember where.
Metaplots, an overarching storyline that forms a backdrop to the game. The orignal 2300AD had one, primarily the Kafer War. Heavy Gear has a very involved metaplot, and part of richness of the Babylon 5 story was the metaplot evolving in the background, and how the foreground plot advanced to meet it.
So what about 2320AD? How do people feel about a metaplot? Personally, I like metaplot as a way of advancing the game, but I prefer to keep it distant. Distant in the sense that player actions are not likely to influence it.
One of the advantages of a metaplot is that is gives everything a reference point. Any supplement can be related to another through the metaplot. Of even metaplots. There can be more than one big thing going on in the background.

Any thoughts?

Colin, 2320 writer
Deus Ex cheater

 

[Morte]

I hate metaplots. They interfere with playing the game.

I like settings to expand sideways rather than roll forwards in time.

 

[mike wightman]

I hate metaplots that are not explained to the game referee adequately enough for them to be included in a game .
The trouble then becomes how do you explain the metaplot to the referee without the players finding out the details?

 

[rfmcdpei]

What sort of metaplot, though, could apply to the whole of human space, from Eta Bootis to Procyon, and beyond 2300AD's explored space in multiple directions? If you could find one that would work and wouldn't be intrusive, that would be cool. What it would be, though, would run the risk of being so massive that it would be intrusive.

 

[Drakon]

You're not applying the plot to the whole of human space. Just the characters, the players of the game. The rest of humanit can be playing something completely different.

 

[Rodina]

I don't mind Metaplots, as long as they don't end up driving all of the supplements that follow. I mean, it's one thing to have the Kafer Threat (Voyage to Arcturus, Aurora, Kafer Sourcebook), it's quit another when the Kafer War drives the whole publishing / supplement universe, and most of the post-Invasion 2300 material did just that. Frankly, I think that was one of the things that made 2300 stale at the end.

And on a slightly related note, I don't much care for supplements that manage to cover every little detail. I don't really like the GURPS sector books, because they mean to put SOME stamp on every single corner of the universe.

 

[Secrect Cow Level]

Kill the metaplots. Let each referee decide for him/herself how the universe will be set up and what will be going on.

 

[vegascat]

Metaplots do have their place, as long as they remain in the background. When a metaplot takes over the campaign, it can severly limit the options for the GM as well as the players. To provide background and an occasional memorable adventure is great.

 

[aramis]

I don't mind metaplots being presented as optionns for inclusion, provided there is enough.

I do object to them being the sole drive for a publishing sequence...

So kind of the Battle Tech approach, but more properly followed.

So supplements 1.1 to 1.12 are before "Timeline Update 1", but do not advance the timeline themselves.

Then susplements 2.1 to 2.x are after "Timeline update 2", but again, do not advance the timeline themselves.

 

[Pookie]

I want the plots kept in.

The problem for 2300 AD was that there was only really one -- that of the war against the Kafer. Instead, I should like to see several metaplots, throughout human space, especially along those not detailed in any depth before...

 

[Colin]

What I would like to do, and it remains to be seen if I can, is have a few followup books (PDFs). One would deal with ground combat, feature new vehicles, weapons, and orders of battle for several different nations (human and otherwise).
Another would deal with space combat, including new ships and new design options, along with an expanded starship combat system and a starship campaign system.
A third could deal with scouts and exploration, including an expanded and enhanced world generation system.
Yet another could deal with troubleshooters and the corporate world.
There could even be a "cyberpunk" sort of book, dealing with a darker version of Earth than core 2320.
Each of these books would have vehicles, spacecraft, new classes, skill and feats (as appropriate) along with a couple of metaplots the ref can use for background. Each metaplot would include a few adventure nuggets, and perhaps even a full adventure, but space may limit that sort of thing.
The potential also exists for books just on spacecraft, or vehicles, or whatever. But I personally like the sourcebook idea.

Colin, 2302AD writer
Yess, my preciousss, jussst have to wait for wonderful wifey to finish proofing, yesss...