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I found a demo version of How to Host a Dungeon, and somehow the idea really grew on me. Not just creating dungeons, but actually having methods of making gm prep work into a game.

I haven't seen this kind of work before, but I wondered if similar work has been done, just for different genres and/or scenarios. For example, it would be cool if a day-to-day zombie apocalypse event generator existed, since it could be useful for a semi-realistic survival horror campaign.

What similar work has been done that makes different kinds of prep work into a game?

Cat
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Undreren
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    There are lots of collaborative games that fill this nice, Microscope being the most general and fun-as-its-own game. Is single-player a strict requirement? Why not let the players share in the (high-level overview, non-spoilery) world-building fun? ;) – SevenSidedDie Nov 06 '12 at 20:29
  • Your comment is valid. I don't want to exclude players, I simply just wanted to have fun with it :-) Besides, players shouldn't know everything ;-) – Undreren Nov 06 '12 at 21:56
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    Keep in mind that if the players know everything they could have their PCs make the right decisions to unfold the story. Bad if they're playing to win, good if theey're playing to tell a story. – Zachiel Nov 10 '12 at 14:28

3 Answers3

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The Dresden Files, Your Story contains rules for City Creation which can be done by only one person. It's a pretty sophisticated system which can be used to create a city for any period and any setting without much work involved. Unlike How to Host a Dungeon it does not have a form of an actual game though, but it is a very broad tool.

Maurycy
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  • I've heard about that one. This makes me want to look into it even more, even though it wasn't exactly what I was looking for :) – Undreren Nov 06 '12 at 10:08
  • @Undreren: At first sight it might seem to heavily rely on the Aspects mechanic from FATE, but you can adapt the aspects as guidelines for stats, personality, situations et cetera. – Maurycy Nov 06 '12 at 10:14
  • I have actually thought about reading up on the Dresden Files RPG, to use the system for a WoD game. Making PC's integral characters in the setting boosts player (and DM) enjoyment in any game :) Besides, I dislike the Storyteller system, so FATE my suit my playing needs better. – Undreren Nov 06 '12 at 10:43
  • These are the Dresden Files Genericised City Creation rules – Simon Gill Nov 08 '12 at 15:54
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One system that I think is great for this is the Mythic Game Master Emulator. I find that I can use it to generate not only a plot for a solo off the cuff adventure, but also generate the details of a world and its NPCs as I do so. By the time I am done playing my solo session (even if all I have is a couple of scenes), I feel like I have a living world that has revealed its details to me in a fun, engaging way.

The drawbacks to using the Mythic GME for this, as compared to the games that have been mentioned, is that it is structured for adventures, and not so much for creating a world in a structured way.

SevenSidedDie
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Keoma
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    This seems fun :) The drawbacks doesn't matter, I am mostly looking for ideas for running games, so everything is useful :) – Undreren Nov 08 '12 at 08:16
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You might want to take a look at Microscope. It may be too generic / not solo enough for your tastes, but otherwise fits the description to a tee. Some gamers have already used it for this very purpose, too.

Community
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Nigralbus
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  • Actually, I think it's great. I've read it, and I loved it. I'm trying to pull a group together for a one-shot :) – Undreren Nov 09 '12 at 08:05