@goldfish said in Paragraphs, large scenes and visibility:
So that's why I'm slow. I'm a tryhard. The person that pulled me aside wasn't an asshole, they were kinda giving me a heads up sort of thing to keep the big combat scene moving. Because when I show up, a large scene can and has slowed because of me. I'm adapting but it is a newish thing to me.
I actually really feel you on this. (Though I also have some chatty motherfuckers sometimes on top of this, and omg that shit gets really out of hand, fast.)
The meta stuff you're describing is what I tend to call 'editorial commentary' -- 'cause I've played with you on and off, and it's not the kind of snarky meta people bitch about, which is worth mentioning before anybody gets confuzzled. Some people still love or hate it, and they can get over that, honestly.
In combat stuff specifically or something crowded that's being GM'd or otherwise needs to move fast, I try to cut everything down to the bone. It's not as expressive or character-displaying at times as I'd like, but that's the kind of time where speed is going to be prioritized over quality to some extent. Not gonna lie, if you mostly do social/personal/more freeform scening -- and let's face it, that is the bulk of what many of us do on any given game -- it's a hard switch to flip, sometimes, when those situations do crop up. (And that's the only time it's really needed.)
It is the time to lean a little more on the editorial commentary, though: it's the time to say more than show, to some extent. It's the time for '<name>'s body language is dejected and s/he doesn't seem to want to talk' or '<Name>'s stance is standoffish. Not the time to talk.' vs. the couple of sentences to convey it through more subtle inference. On the upside, if you're already used to tucking some things like this into poses, it's a little easier than it is for people who never do, and that's a plus -- it gives you a good jumping off point for adaptation for those scenes.
I'll try to get a better example of what I'm talking about here, though I warn this is all pre-coffee-kicking-in so all of it will likely suck:
As John lays out the specifics of the plan, Sue listens with a furrow slowly deepening over her brow. Her eyes are on him, intently focused, as she processes the details and turns them over in her head to weigh the pros and cons of the approach her superior officer proposes. Uncertainty is written all over her face, and her arms cross over her chest uneasily as he reveals the end game he has in mind. Her tone is quiet when she finally speaks, breaking the eye contact to avoid looking at his face as she says, "That sounds risky. Is there an alternate entrance we could use to surprise the enemy instead?"
vs.
Sue listens as John lays out the specifics of the plan. He's the boss, and it's his call, but she's visibly uneasy with this approach. Tentatively, she says, "That sounds risky. Is there an alternate entrance we could use to surprise the enemy instead?"
While the fine detail isn't there, it gets the core characterization across where it's most needed, and it's a lot faster and easier to keep up with in the flow of a quickly-moving scene or a combat scene with a crowd that needs to progress more quickly due to time constraints.