This game was odd for me in a lot of ways. I spent three years putting it together, and though I had help from different people at different stages, it always felt like it was mine and only mine. I suppose that's unfair to those who worked on it with me, but that's the way it is, unfortunately. So, for this three-year project of mine to end up running only an hour, and a rather fractured hour, game-wise, is a bit of a letdown for me, to be honest. It was great to see people inhabiting these characters that I'd thrown together, and since the plot was mainly a vehicle for character interactions and internal roleplaying, I didn't mind so much that it went a bit off the rails. The original premise for this game, back in my junior year of high school, was just, "A game in a mental institution!" Out of that, Gloria was born, and then "The Sane One" who became TSO who became Theo was created as a way to stand up to her. The very idea of plot was nebulous at best.
What was disappointing for me, then, was not that plot didn't run as planned. It was that this project, to which I'd devoted three years on the large scale, and many many hours this past month on the smaller scale, only had one hour manifested in reality. I wrote each character sheet based on the surveys I got, with no pre-created characters but Gloria and Theo, and it seems that everyone was cast well because of it. I just wish that these characters had had more time to get to know each other, to fight and support one another; to have some sort of character arc. Maybe I should blame the sun for making everyone want to cut game short. I don't know.
I will say that I'm still incredibly happy with a lot of how things turned out. People seem to have enjoyed game regardless of length, and they've expressed their enjoyment of their characters sincerely enough for me to believe them. I'm glad that something I created was appreciated in this way.
So! Now it is your turn. Please give me your honest feedback on game or anything else; I'm doing this on the blog so that you can make your feedback as anonymous as you'd like. Don't hold back. I'd rather be able to make any future project better than have my feelings protected right now. Thanks!
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Personally, I really enjoyed the game. I thought all of the characters were really well written and very believable despite being a menagerie of mental illnesses. I loved the way Gloria was portrayed and the plot twist at the end. I know the game should've lasted longer - "protip: do not bring mental patients on a stealth mission." - but given the heat, a shorter game was probably for the best.
ReplyDeleteOn that note, I thought it might've been better if the game was held either later in the day or at a different time of year. This would make it so some parts of the game weren't as rushed, and so the Fears could spend more time out in the sun with the patients. If the Fears had more time to interact with the patients, or if there were more people playing the Fears, I think it could've made the game a lot more immersive and lengthen it a little bit.
I know I said this earlier, but I'll say it again: I thought the game was really well done. I loved playing Melissa and being able to explore and elaborate on all of her quirks and build her relationships with other people. Westfinder should run horror games more often.
Also, playing music personalized for everyone during derolling was a great idea. It should be used again in the future.
-Aviv