For context, we are making a guided improv game where people have roles, goals, and events that happen throughout the game.
1. How do we get people to actually improv (step out of their comfort zone, make believe)?
This is an important question because this is really the entire essence of the game! I think the prototype to make will really be just a basic word doc list of various roles/events/goals to see how they interact. My guess is that it will require a niche premise/more guided scenarios, rules, and an element of chance and rapidness that will let this happen — for example, with the Monstrocard game.
2. What is the ideal number of roles/goals/events?
This is important because we need to keep the game novel, but not too expansive that we can’t complete it in two weeks! Again, this will require a basic word doc of some sort — just a list — but maybe varying the # of things on the list. I think the ideal number of roles is twice the number of maximum players, while goals must be at least three times the number of roles.
3. What is the premise of the game?
It’s the premise of the game! We need to know what sort of premise will allow people to engage in FUN improv — having a specific setting? Scenario? We wanted maybe some timeline mixing — but would that be too complicated? With this, it’s another list, but maybe different kinds of lists — one with “set” themes, one with mixing, pop culture, etc. I think we might find that a specific scenario will allow people to be the most creative — too much freedom, counterintuitively, makes people drab sometimes!
