Thursday, June 13, 2013

Confession about Actual Play

Rolling Intentions recently posted an Actual Play recording of a session of Heroine. They did a great job, both with the recording and with using the game to tell an entertaining story.
But I have a confession to make. I had a lot of anxiety listening to the recording. I had to pause it and listen to something else three or four times. I absolutely could not get through the recording in one sitting, even though it was only 75 minutes long.
This has nothing to with their recording. I was having strange feelings listening to someone play my game in a way that was completely outside of my control. I've read AP reports of Heroine before, but there's something different about listening to the session moment by moment. I felt like I was a parent watching my child's first day of kindergarten from the other side of a one way mirror. I wanted to be able to help, but I knew it was time to let her stand on her own. I know that sounds pretty dramatic, but I'm being honest. I was much more emotional listening to it than I expected to be.
Ultimately, I'm relieved that the guys had a good time with the game. If you like AP recordings, I encourage you to check out their podcast. But if you are a game designer, be warned that it can feel pretty intense the first time you listen to someone else play your game.

No comments:

Post a Comment