S-1 or S-2?

There's a new poll up on the KTDARPG website, asking members to vote for their favorite season--Season-1 "The Beginning" or Season-2 "Winter."

I voted for Season One. I joined the game mid-way that season, a total rpg-neophyte. Had no clue what i was doing--just waded in and took off.

It was a blast. We were focused on small scenes, not epic events. We were still figuring out who our characters were, how they related to each other, and what our world was really like. Some of my favorite "Chyna" scenes are all tied up with S-1...figuring out Chyna's history & motivation, the whole Chyna/Xeno love story, the cage-fight, Merchant Street... I know, I know--or at least I found out by experience--you always get most attached to the first character you create. (Was probably why I finally agreed to kill "Chyna" off in S-2.)

Creativity seemed fresher in S-1. Don't get me wrong. There are scenarios in S-2 that defy description, directions & ideas from my game-mates that I never would've thought they'd come up with. But in those first months of the game, we were spreading our wings, stretching, trying new things. The smaller scale suited us. The smaller landscape contained all we needed. When S-2 started, confidence was high. It was like we were ready to take on the World! And that world had to be bigger to contain all the grand ideas. I still kinda miss the smaller landscape & closer interaction with all the players.

Rumor has it, the upcoming S-3 (doesn't have a title yet) may just kick us backward. Word coming down from the game master indicates we'll be getting rid of all that pesky tech as well as the epic bad guys, narrowing our vision. I'm looking forward to that, to the storyline getting more "tribal" & back to the kinds of stories that inspired this game. The problem-solving, relationship-building, working together--or fighting among ourselves--to overcome the handicaps of this new world. That would take us back to the spirit of S-1, which sucked me into this enterprise in the first place. The challenges that have been the most fun, figuring out ways to overcome them.

I hope that's where we're headed. -Chyna
Photo source: copyright Cloud 9 "The Tribe"