On Running the Game

One of the guiding principles of The Matrix was style over substance. Not that there weren't some interesting science-fiction ideas, but every time you started to think about things too much (how does the Oracle see the future? Why is defying gravity easier than stopping bullets?) a gunfight broke out. Indeed, the critical moment of the film — when Neo starts walking the path — happens right in the middle of a gunfight and a helicopter explosion. There’s no reason you can’t have style and substance.

In running a game of THERE IS NO SPOON, you can use this to your advantage. There is so much style to draw on that it is easy to turn any ideas into an earth-shatteringly cool game. The strength of the visual and narrative styles are so ingrained in most of us, the game will easily become vivid and immediate in your players’ imaginations, and the actions they describe. All you have to do is maintain this style.

Firstly, keep the game in the Matrix as much as possible. Indeed, a short game could start with jacking in and end with jacking out. This gives a nice concrete structure: the PCs equip up, jack in, complete their mission, and then find an exit. The visuals of the city are also more interesting and vivid than the real world. All around is a bustling metropolis, everyone is wearing trench-coats, everyone can do kung-fu. All their information comes from their Operator over their mobile phones, much like the GM-player relationship. None of the players’ abilities are off-limits, either — they can start having fun from word go.

Use the visuals of the movie wherever you can. Phones and phone booths, busy streets, towering skyscrapers and empty subway stations are all good starting points. Costumes are also important — the heroes will all be in black leather and trenches, but don’t forget to think about what the NPCs are wearing. Don’t be afraid to take this beyond imagination either — encourage players to wear sunglasses and bring their mobile phones if they have them. A phone or headset for the GM lets the players know when he is speaking as their Operator; likewise players can take their shades off when they go back to the real world.

Besides the actual physical elements, use cinematic language as well. You aren't just the narrator, you're the camera. Describe your angles and shots with cinematography jargon: pans left and right, jump-cuts, close-ups and the long pan out. Shoot from low down when people get out of cars, don't forget to do a helicopter shot of a building before they walk in the door. Frame tight on the body when the hero walks straight ahead, and, wherever possible, use mirrors, glass and chrome in your shots.

The final element of this package is, of course, music. Luckily, there are some soundtrack albums that are just perfect for running this game. Invest in one, and have it handy. Crank it up whenever the action starts, cut to some techno when they enter nightclubs and always finish with Rage Against the Machine over the credits.

Be prepared to help players out when it comes to description. We all suffer a brainfreeze at times, and the players are doing the lion's share of the work. When designing NPCs, you might want to jot down some moves they might perform when they succeed in combat. These crib notes will help keep the pacing up, which is vital in a Matrix game.

Explosions and kung-fu can't happen constantly though, so they must be well-spaced out throughout the game. Still, keep the scenes between them short and punchy, too. Players should be rolling dice regularly, and never simply talking for more than ten minutes at a time. There should be kung-fu and explosions at least once every half hour, and even more frequently.

Of course, nobody can keep that kind of pace up forever, so the final rule is to keep it short. A Matrix game shouldn't go for more than two hours or so. If it does, either your players are dragging their feet, or your plot is too complex. Keep it short, fast and punctuated regularly with high action and high octane stunts, and nobody will ever notice that your plot makes no sense.