Adventuring: Continuing On

We all have to face it one day. Our game will come to an end. The goal complete and the characters wrapping up the story nicely. Then, someone asks “Want to continue the story or just end it here?”

Well, you could continue, but with the goal complete, everything that happens later would seem more like side quests to protect the completed goal, even if it’s a big quest. Ending the game cleanly sounds better than trying to prolong the inevitable.

You could create a new game with the same premise as the old. However, it would still just be a remake. Replaying an old game under a new name gets old after a while. Many times, a remake is never as good as the original, but there are some exceptions to every rule.

Making a new game that continues the story on could work. A sequel. While many sequels are flops themselves, with the right players, it can be just as good, if not better. A follow-up game makes new goals in the same universe as the old game. Often, old players will bring characters from the previous game in, tying the two games together.

SEE ALSO: How to properly end a game

Another way to tie the games together is by leaving a post that shows a new adventure is coming, and ending it there. Using the summary section, simply put that the game is now closed to new players and provide a link to the new game. This not only brings old players in, but shows new players the expanding universe you and your players have created. Using the end post for the original game as the beginning of the new game also lets people know what’s going on and refreshes their memory of what they need to reply to after making their character(s).

Making a spinoff game also lets new goals come to light. They aren’t side quests. They are major. Protect the country from breaking out into war, the descendants must clean up after their parents from the previous game, etc. The possibilities are only limited by you and your players.

Old characters coming back can reveal more about themselves. After all, some of the most interesting characters are the ones that hold a bit of mystery at the end. Sure, they may have revealed most of their character, but the past never stays dead for long. A sequel can reveal a dark nature to the character not seen before. The same for new character, though that would make their current state the mystery instead. As time goes on, the characters will develop more and new things will be added. That is the fun of role playing, after all.

So don’t be afraid to end a game. This gives you the opportunity to build onto existing stories, make new ones, and expand the world you have created.