What use is there having a Dark Secret if it can never be discovered? As a character or a campaign? One advantage of everyone having an open Dark Secret is that it is often mutual annihilation if you invoke it. Another trick is to use the Paranoia method where everyone knows that everyone is a Traitor, it's just that they need proof. A lot of Paranoia games with inexperienced gamemasters fall apart far too early as the players assassinate each other without proof (and then get terminated for wasting valuable Computer resources - the other Troubleshooters).
Again it's a matter of where the gamemasters put the focus of the game. Straight power conflict is a lot easier to write.
And yes, Vampire games have always had a big ooc relationship problem, mainly because vampires are big on seduction. It's just a game, but few people are secure enough in their relationships to be able to view such a thing without becoming green-faced monsters. [It's one reason I'm very fussy over my dance partners. I'll willingly dance with people who are definitely not interested in me (and whose partners also realise this) or with those whom I am an item (<sounds of chirping crickets>), but am very chary about any of the middle group.]
But it's a cultural thing. Because people have never tried opening up their characters they haven't realised the benefits of doing so. Then again, mostly they are after being the top of the power struggle, which is actually very very very (and I say this as a contributor to the original Vampire Players Guide), un-Vampire. It's called the Masquerade for a reason guys! [Think formal measured dances and masks and hiding from the outside world, not flurries of activity. That's the caitiff problem signifying the End of Times.]
Again differences in what people want.
[BTW, you'll really like Ver Sind Die Nacht ("We Are The Night"). A decent German vampire flick. German's understand vampires.]
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branchandroot
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Date: 2011-07-05 09:21 am (UTC)What use is there having a Dark Secret if it can never be discovered? As a character or a campaign? One advantage of everyone having an open Dark Secret is that it is often mutual annihilation if you invoke it. Another trick is to use the Paranoia method where everyone knows that everyone is a Traitor, it's just that they need proof. A lot of Paranoia games with inexperienced gamemasters fall apart far too early as the players assassinate each other without proof (and then get terminated for wasting valuable Computer resources - the other Troubleshooters).
Again it's a matter of where the gamemasters put the focus of the game. Straight power conflict is a lot easier to write.
And yes, Vampire games have always had a big ooc relationship problem, mainly because vampires are big on seduction. It's just a game, but few people are secure enough in their relationships to be able to view such a thing without becoming green-faced monsters. [It's one reason I'm very fussy over my dance partners. I'll willingly dance with people who are definitely not interested in me (and whose partners also realise this) or with those whom I am an item (<sounds of chirping crickets>), but am very chary about any of the middle group.]
But it's a cultural thing. Because people have never tried opening up their characters they haven't realised the benefits of doing so. Then again, mostly they are after being the top of the power struggle, which is actually very very very (and I say this as a contributor to the original Vampire Players Guide), un-Vampire. It's called the Masquerade for a reason guys! [Think formal measured dances and masks and hiding from the outside world, not flurries of activity. That's the caitiff problem signifying the End of Times.]
Again differences in what people want.
[BTW, you'll really like Ver Sind Die Nacht ("We Are The Night"). A decent German vampire flick. German's understand vampires.]