Archipelago III - Actual Play?

Silmenume's picture
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Hello,

I was wondering if anyone here has played and posted and Actual Play account of a session of Archipelago III or knows where one has been posted including a YouTube video. If written I'm specifically looking for a type that would similar to the old Forge Actual Play postings. Not just a recounting of the plot but one that focused more on the interactions of the players. Any help in this would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Best,

Jay

Silmenume's picture

Hi Billy,

Thank you so much for the link! I don't know anything about Archipelago II. Are the game mechanics nearly the same or do they differ quite a bit?

If you have a minute could you let me know? Its not the game itself that I am interested in as an object but rather the process by which it is played. System that differs profoundly would be of limited use.

Again, thank you!

Best,

Jay

Billy's picture

I haven't played either one, but skimming the rules and comparing to version 3, it looks very similar. Most of the rules text is the same. It looks like Archipelago 3 mainly added more examples and clarifications, as well as a couple more key phrases and a larger variety of fate and resolution cards.

DeReel's picture

Hi, I seize this opportunity to refer to a french community that plays different games set in the same universe, ThousandVales. One player who is also a stroyteller and an artist records the sessions with his own take on the games. The rules are mostly lore, and a player facing GM configuration.
The recorded APs are in french, but I think there's something specific from sim play to grasp, like the near lack of pause for dice or crunch.
https://subjoncticiel.blogspot.com/

DeReel's picture

So, a lot of french games claim to be sim sustaining. JdR Prosopopée and JdR Sens Renaissance would be the most easy to find.

Silmenume's picture

Hi DeReel,

I appreciate you letting me know about these games. Unfortunately I do not understand a lick of French. Are any these games available or spoken about in English? My theorizing efforts are severely hampered by my data set of...one. Anything I could add to that data set would be invaluable.

As a side note I did listen to the recording that Billy so generously provided of the Archipelago game session. The game session, at least as in terms of how it was played, was definitely Nar. Now this may have been due to the fact that this was what sounded like a first play for the players and given the lack of guidance given by mechanics they drifted to a comfortable and known CA, i.e., Nar. The one thing that originally caused me to stumble in my assessment of the intended was the whole Destiny mechanic. I originally read it as "Nar" but all the other writings about exploring and living in the fictional world screamed Sim at me so when I wrote my post one why I thought Archipelago was Sim supporting I did so in ignorance of how the game actually played out.

Turns out that the Destiny mechanic is the central driver of the game. Many of the player decisions in the game were not driven diegetically by the Character but by story and framing concerns so that the "Destiny" could be reached. While the "world" may have played a larger role in play that is typical in Nar games much of the decision making was set around trying to meet the night's Destiny. Also Destiny was handled not as a character drive but a meta goal. Finally, at least in this particular recorded game session, Destiny was handled like Story, not Character drive. IOW play was not in service to diegetic character motivations but in manipulating events and choices such that the Destiny could be met - as a priority. This prioritization of constant scene management and framing is most definitely not a game process that prioritizes what the Sim CA prioritizes.

Best,

Jay