Tag: Simulation

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Echoes of Xenos: Did it Work?

Now that the dust has settled on the Echoes of Xenos event that I ran last month, I want to take some time to think about whether it worked or not. Was it a success and what lessons did I learn. Importantly did the format support or encourage emergent play. To understand the event setup and planning visit my previous post on the subject here.

So, what’s the verdict?

Did the Players have Fun?

The primary objective of any event should be the enjoyment of the players. Did they have a good time? Discussions with everyone afterwards indicated that they did. The 1 vs 1 battles and leaderboard added a sense of competition and the secret objectives added a level of uncertainty that kept players on their toes. Additionally we made sure that everyone played different opponents each round giving variety throughout. The group was very tolerant and there wasn’t much in the way of overly competitive behavior.

The only time in the event that fun may have reduced was during the last multiplayer battle, where the set up favored some players over others. The ensuing chaos saw some players have less to do than others which was an unforeseen planning error. I will talk about the last part of the event later.

Having a small break between sessions where players could discuss outcomes was a good way to create space and a bit of banter in the group. This is definitely something to keep in mind when planning for the next one.

A power cut towards the end had us all playing by candlelight which really added to the atmosphere. But of course this was a happy coincidence!

A couple of location boards with clues, objectives and secret objectives ready for play

Was Emergent Play A Factor?

Unfortunately there was minimal emergent play occurring during the event. Interaction between the players was kept at the table and the storyline did not really feature very strongly. One player was attempting to make alliances and forge the narrative, however the others did not really engage in that aspect of the event.

The most emergent play occurred in the final scenario when one player (my son) went on the rampage. The other players figured he had been corrupted by chaos and teamed up to take him out. This was never a part of the original storyline, but worked really well as part of the finale.

Looking back, the faction set up and motivations of each group did not encourage as much of an emerging story as I hoped. There are a few things I would do differently next time, which I will discuss below.

A 1v1 battle in full swing

The Grande Finale – Not as Planned

I had meant to set up the finale to be a multiplayer scramble for survival. All were competing for one macguffin (held by the leading faction) whilst being hunted by Xenos (alien) abominations. This was meant to facilitate a tense rush to escape, not knowing who to trust. Unfortunately, the xenos threat was never as threatening as I’d hoped. Resulting in players hanging back. NOt the energetic frenzy I’d hoped for. In an effort to add some action my sons faction went on the rampage effectively knocking two players out early in the game resulting in a less engaging experience for them both.

With the xenos threat neutralized and most players down to one agent we called the last battle. Not the epic finale I had hope for.

So, what could be changed to make this finale more grande? Firstly, have more of an external threat that impacts the players from the get go. This would have forced factions to work together. It would have created tension as factions helped each other, not quite knowing if they were going to be betrayed. It would also have prevented the chaotic infighting that started right from the get go. This could have taken the form of a swarm of low level aliens encroaching on the players in numbers that could not be defeated alone. In turn this would drive the agents towards the greater threats of the abominations.

Secondly, all the factions deployed in the same area creating the immediate potential for infighting. Deploying factions further apart would have removed this consequence letting players position tactically before the action commenced. Additionally, this would give players a greater sense of agency that I feel the original setup perhaps removed.

Player briefings and warbands ready to go

Increasing Emergent Play

Now that the game is over I think there are some clear ways that I could improve emergent play next time round.

Firstly, grouping players into factions will encourage interaction and cooperation immediately. By its very nature the increased interaction will allow emergent play to appear. Additionally, grouping players in teams or alliances creates a safer space to be creative. It’s always more fun doing this together, rather than trying to figure it out on your own.

Secondly, the scenario needs clearer factions. This is particularly true when you have players whop are not versed in the lore of your world. In this instance I love the murky world of the 40K Inquisitorial agents. But the lack of clarity makes it difficult for players to engage form a position of strength. Instead, having factions with clear goals and archetypes make them easier to engage with.

In this event all the players were gunning for the same objective making alliances difficult to form. Next time I would give every faction a different objective, but make sure they cross over. That way negotiations and alliances would become more important and emergent play more likely to appear.

Lastly, the players need a clearer reason to interact and ally with each other. A powerful external threat would neatly enhance this. In this event having a powerful alien species threatening everyone equally would force players to work together despite being enemies. Giving players the choice of allying with their enemy or facing annihilation can create some interesting negotiations and outcomes.

Final Thoughts on Echoes of Xenos

Despite not quite working as planned Echoes of Xenos was a fun event. While emergent play didn’t form as much as I’d hoped there were some very clear takeaways for the next event. I cant wait!

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Using Emergent Play for Better Leadership Training

I find one of the joys of playing Dungeons and Dragons is the emergent play. No-one around the table quite knows what is coming next. Even when you’re the one running the adventure. The games direction shifts and changes as the players make decisions. When looking at leadership development, traditional training methods rarely give students loived experiences to put their new found knowledge to the test. Emergent play, a concept drawn from the world of gaming, offers a fresh and effective approach to leadership training. By creating scenarios where players must adapt, innovate, and collaborate in real-time, emergent play provides a rich ground for developing critical leadership skills. This article explores how emergent play experiences can be leveraged to enhance leadership training.

Understanding Emergent Play

How do we define what emergent play actually is? As a concept it occurs when players engage with a game in ways that go beyond the designers’ intentions. It arises from the interactions within a complex system, where simple rules can lead to unpredictable and sophisticated behaviors. This type of play emphasizes creativity, problem-solving, and adaptability, as players navigate a world where their decisions have significant and often unforeseen consequences.

Roleplaying games are often considered the ultimate expression of emergent play. Players have an inordinate amount of flexibility to do almost anything. Each scenario can be approached from a hundred different angles. Obviously, as a designer, or dungeon master it is often a fruitless exercise trying to second guess what the players are going to do. I’ve learned this the hard way.

Another great example is the megagame. These complex games involve tens of players on multiple teams, with competing objectives. Information is often imperfect and players must interact, cooperate or compete (often all at the same time) to achieve their goals. This is ripe for emergent play, as narratives and directions of play spin directly from these player interactions.

A megagame in action

Interestingly, games companies are beginning to pick up on this. I recently started playing Warhammer 40000, a sci-fi grimdark wargame, with my son. Flipping through the rulebook I was pleased to see a heavy emphasis on narrative play. A story emerges from the actions of the players. Perhaps not as complex as the other two examples, but a step in the right direction.

Why Emergent Play is Effective for Leadership Training

Now we understand a bit about what emergent play is, I hope you can see the why they might be good tools for enhancing leadership training.

  1. Realistic Complexity: Emergent play mirrors the complexities of real-world scenarios, where leaders must often deal with ambiguous and rapidly changing situations. This realistic complexity prepares leaders to think on their feet and adapt to unexpected challenges.
  2. Enhanced Engagement: Games designed for emergent play are inherently engaging. Consequently the unpredictable nature of these games keeps participants invested and motivated, leading to deeper learning experiences.
  3. Active Learning: Emergent play requires active participation, where learners must make decisions, interact with others, and see the outcomes of their actions. Using an active learning approach helps reinforce key leadership concepts and skills.
  4. Safe Environment for Experimentation: In an emergent play setting, participants can experiment with different strategies and approaches without the fear of real-world repercussions. Of course, this safe environment encourages risk-taking and innovation, essential traits for effective leadership.

Key Elements in Leadership Training

To create effective emergent play experiences for leadership training, I believe the follwing elements should be incorporated.

1. Open-Ended Scenarios

Design scenarios that are not constrained by a single solution or path. Open-ended scenarios allow participants to explore multiple strategies and outcomes, fostering creativity and critical thinking. For example, a leadership training game might simulate a company facing a market disruption, where participants can choose various ways to respond, such as innovating new products, pivoting their business model, or forming strategic partnerships. Or, if they are particularly ambitious, all three!

2. Dynamic Environments

Create environments that change based on participants’ actions and decisions. Dynamic environments mimic real-life situations where leaders must continuously adapt to new information and shifting conditions. Some ways to achieve this include, real-time updates, random events, and evolving challenges keeping participants on their toes. It can also help if the game rivals are controlled by players rather than game control.

3. Collaboration and Competition

Incorporate both collaborative and competitive elements to simulate the complexities of organizational dynamics. Encouraging teamwork helps develop collaboration and communication skills, while competitive aspects can drive strategic thinking and resilience. For instance, a game could involve teams working together to solve a crisis, but also competing for limited resources or recognition. This would create interesting friction and force thoughtful leadership decisions to be made.

4. Meaningful Consequences

Ensure that participants’ actions have meaningful and visible consequences. This helps reinforce the importance of decision-making and accountability. For example, if a team chooses to cut corners on a project, they might achieve short-term gains but face long-term setbacks such as reputational damage or reduced morale. This can be made tougher by including moral dilemmas into the fabric of the game. From games I’ve played these touch decisions with big consequences are often the most memorable. Ultimately, making them incredible learning opportunities.

Applications for leadership training are significant

Implementing Emergent Play in Leadership Training Programs

If you wanted to include emergent play into your leadership training there are a few things to consider.

1. Develop Customized Games

Design custom games tailored to your organization’s specific leadership challenges and goals. Simply re-skinning existing games to align with a new setting is a relatively straight forward exercise. Working with game designers from outside your organization can help you to create and modify game scenarios to fit your training objectives while removing some of your organizational assumptions.

2. Facilitate Reflective Debriefings

After gameplay, conduct debriefing sessions where participants can reflect on their experiences, discuss what they learned, and draw parallels to real-world leadership situations. Of course, this reflection helps solidify learning and translate game insights into practical skills. A good tip here would be to include a facilitator who observes the game and can take notes on what’s happening enabling even deeper reflection by the participants.

3. Encourage Continuous Learning

Use emergent play as part of an ongoing leadership development program rather than a one-time event. Regularly incorporating such experiences helps reinforce learning and allows leaders to practice and refine their skills over time.

4. Leverage Technology

Consider utilizing digital platforms and virtual environments to create scalable and accessible emergent play experiences. Technology can facilitate complex simulations and enable remote participation, making it easier to integrate emergent play into diverse training programs. This could allow games to be played across time zones adding further complexity to team interactions.

Some Ideas for Emergent Play in Leadership Training

Here are a couple of quick examples of the types of game you could include in your next training cohort.

“The Infinite Loop”

This collaborative game involves teams working together to escape a virtual time loop by solving puzzles and making strategic decisions. The game’s open-ended nature and evolving challenges make it an excellent tool for developing problem-solving, collaboration, and adaptability. Actions would have significant consequences every time the time loop resets. To pile on the pressure there are only a limited number of time loop iterations before the game finishes.

“Evolve”

A simulation game where participants lead a virtual organization through various crises and opportunities. Players are split into different departments, all with competing objectives. The team must make strategic decisions, manage resources, and navigate complex interpersonal dynamics. Of course, the game’s dynamic environment and meaningful consequences would provide a realistic and engaging leadership training experience. To add to the pressure and complexity, a second group of players could be set up as a rival organization. Will the disparate teams come together under a common cause?

Final Thoughts

Emergent play offers a powerful and innovative approach to leadership training, by providing engaging, and impactful learning experiences. By incorporating open-ended scenarios, dynamic environments, collaboration, competition, and meaningful consequences, emergent play prepares leaders to navigate the complexities of the modern world. As organizations continue to seek effective ways to develop their leaders, emergent play stands out as a promising method for fostering the skills and mindsets needed for success.