So I’m going with everyone’s recommendations and not giving the players the Jump Point ahead of time. But the one I want to use is longer (a few paragraphs longer) than the example in the book. I figure it’s my chance to set the initial stage and then really open i up to the players. I wanted to get folks thoughts on it:
Over the course of your travels you’ve seen what feels like countless dirtside receiving warehouses. Massive, impersonal buildings covered in drab, gray paint flaking from equally drab, gray durasteel, leaving Rorschach-like patterns on the walls.
Automated, autonomous hovering flatbeds shuttle trade good from across the galaxy, sliding silently over the ferroconcrete, moving along A.I.-generate paths toward their storage destinations. Giant multi-jointed metal arms reach down from their floating control units, lifting the massive crates and placing them in their pre-determined bays. All of the activity bathed in bright white light streaming from bulbs hanging hundreds of feet in the air.
Seen one, seen them all.
That said, there’s something different about this place. Something stands out, your brain informing you, “Hey, we haven’t been here before.”
Most likely, it’s the blaster bolts and bursts zipping over your heads, rebounding off walls, stripping away more layers of flaked paint. It’s like they say, there’s nothing quite as memorable as being on the receiving end of gunfire.
Where are you?
Who’s shooting at you?
Where and what are the exits?
What do you do?
I don’t think it’s too long at all.
I would make the questions a hair more evocative though.
What rat bastard sold you out this time?
What just took out the transport you were in?
You see Zhon the Swift among those shooting at you – did he bring his whole crew, or is it just a few?
What’s your best way out of this mess while protecting this girl?
Thanks Aaron Griffin Those are great! Do the third and fourth push them too directly down a path that I’m establishing (vice, them making the decisions themselves?)
There’s nothing wrong with pushing in one direction, but consider this:
What’s your best way out of this mess while protecting this girl?
“Protecting HER? She’s protecting us! She’s got this big ass hand cannon and is taking on the whole lot of them”
“They don’t seem to fire when she’s around, so we should probably use her as a shield.”
“I ain’t protecting her! She’s a traitor. I kick her in the dirt in front of us and shout ‘You clowns can have her!'”
Etc. A leading question can still go a lot of different ways.
This is great. Thanks!!
Where are you? Who’s shooting at you?
Where and what are the exits? What do you do?
On a cold dustworld of a Y-T-M triple-star system, somewhere between Schedar and the ISM-Wall, with only a numerical designation… pronounced Xepa’inopaxabivai by the nav-comp on arrival. There is incoming fire on three sides. The wrist-comp-AI hasn’t determined factions… only multiple hostiles with changing designations. Standing at the bottom of this ship’s cargo ramp… noticing two other ships have finished processing, and are heading out-well with swiftness. Bang the batten-down sequence on our ship… grab a few supplies from the emergency under-storage locker… and, head horizon-ward, with a /Don’t waffle, make a decision and go!/ glance to any companions — including droids — that are still outside the ship.
Saying vocally: “co’o onai morsi! mi’ai muv dadu!”
Very, very cool!
should I move this to a play-by-post channel, as my opening introduction? :/