My last two session reports are up: both the face-to-face and online games. I’m running both games simultaneously in the same setting, with each group affecting the play of the other, even though the characters may never meet.
Watching two groups (nearly) simultaneously interact very differently with the same scenario has been really eye-opening as a GM. Both groups know about the other group, which makes it even more interesting. I’m wondering how long before they start leaving clues or things for each other actively … or if that happens at all.
Also, the “recovering memories” mechanic is working out really well. Characters are coming alive through play and the recovered memories are making back stories interesting and related to the play (rather than the play being developed around the back stories). The game gets a bit gonzo from time to time, but the back stories, almost without fail, are really dark. I mean REALLY dark. The 7-9 result of having another player answer for your character has also proved to be much more interesting than my previous exploration of this idea (Damn True Facts, which you can find notes on earlier in the blog if inclined).
Read up if you like. Comments and feedback are welcome. At some point in the near future I may open up the Tuesday night online game to another player or two from the community, or possibly start another “pickup” session all together.
That’s a really cool idea, it remembers me a lot of Halo 2 and Final Fantasy IX (both stories worked in a very similar manner to yours).
Right now me and my brother are planning something that’s kinda similar: we are going to play a series of mini campaigns, all set in different regions of the same world, where each campaign will be heavily influenced by events of the prior campaigns, and each of them is going to expand the lore of the setting, “piece by piece”.