How do I play my Clarence Character...

In some cases you have a lengthy background but not much plot. In some cases you have only an idea of what the previous player did...what do we want you to do.

Well fundamentally, have fun. If the character we gave you seems to be "traditionally" playable, then you probably will have some fun playing it.

If the character we gave you is straight, then try to play it straight. If your character is a "ringer" - a no show, badly described, etc., then you have more flexibility.

In any case you should ultimately do what is entertaining.

Why do I have all the background:
Well, for starters, we're simulating a weekend game here. So we don't have time for you to wait ten hours to figure out that maybe Svengali knows something about the Beetle. So if you can look up Svengali, see that he's the Beetle's contact, and be suspicious and start shadowing him, that cuts down on the lag time a little. He should notice and start making a few slips for you to catch.

Now in a normal game, this wouldn't be any fun, because you'd be trying to beat Svengali. But in this game, you already KNOW he's the guy you want so there's precious little glory in collaring him.

You want to work together with that player to build the story of how you interact during the game, building to a climax. You'll be doing things to screw each other, evade, outsmart, etc. But you're working together, playing off one another...

Essentially everything is open rivalry.

What's fun about that?
Going through the motions of playing a game probably wouldn't be all that much fun. But in this case the real game is the game of the players trying to play the game.

Do I play the character straight. What if the former player thought they were a Dragon?

The way I see it, with those type of sheets you have three options:

1) Try to figure out what the character was about and play it straight
2) Play it as it was played originally - i.e. a 400 year old Cockney Vampire or a Dragon
3) Figure out a new and different screw-headed take
4) Whine until the GMs hand you a backup character and generally play a player who is not having fun and is intent on causing problems

So what ware we DOING. Why don't we just say we hate each other and quit?

Because Clarence is a game of scenes. There are certain activities that will happen. The players and GMs do need these activities to occur, and will be willing to compromise enough to play through them. That's the structure of the game. On it's own it's rather empty - but the necessity to play the scenes overrides all other concerns. Not that you'd throw your goals away. But you do realize that getting the scene to come off is more important in the long run than screwing Henrietta. You don't want to be the person who stopped the game! So you have to do a certain amount of compromise and cooperation to play through the scenes. The show must go on!!!

Why are the GMs characters, and aren't they more important than me?
Well, they probably will be kind of busy. But they are players with checks and balances. Most importantly they have to play through you in order to checkmate and screw each other. Most of you with one or two exceptions are your own GMs favorites. They'll be forming coalitions to get you what you need to get through game.

The deal is that while any GM can create an ability or item, ultimately whether it is valid or not comes down to the GM to GM combat system. That means the GMs argue about it, and the majority of GMs present win. So the GMs need to maneuver in alliances with other GMs. The problem is most of them aren't on speaking terms.

If the game were random, of course, they could ignore you and play with each other.

But we've selected people who showed a special interest in creating fun for other players to be our "anti-GMs." Don't expect reason, mercy or good GMing from them though! But they *should* be willing to work with you and engage you. To a certain extent this is a faction game, and your default faction is your GM (unless your GM is out to screw you).

The GMs are not set up to make you so miserable you don't have fun playing. If they are, tell them, and they'll stop. They are working hard to be miserable in character, so that there is a dynamic to drive the inertia of the game. We signed them on for that, and they may be kind sadistic, because that's their character. Play with them. Blame the authors.

GMs have different qualities

Bucher is only moderately protective of his characters and tends to be willing to see them tormented, though he'll defend them in the long run against active GM abuses. But he'll gladly let you fail.

Horatio King only likes his players as long as they suck up to him. He is also prone to playing cruel (but non terminal) practical jokes on them, or making them the butt of jokes. But he's most likely to blatantly give them special abilities or items and have the clout to make them stick.

Henrietta is helpful but carries less clout and is in an open vendetta against some of her players.

Marsden is a good GM and helpful, but he really wants the game to work, and might be willing to sell you down the river in the interests of fair play or game balance. He's conservative about items that effect play balance. But he's a solid shooter.

Walker is usually too incoherent to be of help, though he can do random wonderful things if he comes round enough.

Dolores is a really nice person, but none of the other GMs listen to her about anything even though she knows more about the game than many of them, having typed most of it. Dolores is a real Metagame GM, and should only be needed in rare instances.

What to do? Depending on your GM and your status, you may want to suck up to your own GM, or you might want to "hire out" as a mercenary to other GMs. Or you might want to doublecross your GM, pretending loyalty while agreeing to help screw them to get help from another GM.