Using AI to help write freeforms: Angst

This is the third part of my series of posts exploring using ChatGPT to help write a freeform. Following part 1 and part 2, I thought I’d have a go at getting deeper into plotting, creating some angsty situations using ChatGPT.

I’m not providing the ChatGPT’s full response this time, for the sake of brevity. You can ask it the same questions if you want to see what it comes up with (it won’t be the same!).

First prompt

It is 1971. The Appleyards are a successful folk-rock band with 5 members: Emily (Lead Singer), Mark (Lead Guitarist), Sarah (Keyboardist), Liam (Bassist), Olivia (Drummer). After their first album, what internal tensions pull the band apart?

As a first pass, ChatGPT came up with creative differences, ego clashes, personal relationships, substance abuse and differences in work ethic. So nothing unexpected there. (It provided some detail, but nothing to write home about.) 

I wanted to explore the band’s creative differences, so I tweaked the prompt and tried again in a new chat. (I could probably have continued in the same chat.)

Second prompt

It is 1971. The Appleyards are a successful folk-rock band with 5 members: Emily (Lead Singer), Mark (Lead Guitarist), Sarah (Keyboardist), Liam (Bassist), Olivia (Drummer). After their first album, give five examples of personal relationship issues that cause the band to split up

ChatGPT gave me five responses, romantic involvement, creative differences, financial disputes, substance abuse problems and ego clashes. This was what it gave me for romantic involvement:

Romantic involvement: Emily, the lead singer, begins dating Mark, the lead guitarist, which creates tension within the band. Other members may feel left out or uncomfortable with the dynamic, leading to resentment and disagreements.

Third prompt

This was interesting, but I thought I’d start digging deeper. So, in the same chat (ChatGPT builds on what has gone before), I asked:

Why does Liam feel jealous about Mark and Emily's new relationship?

ChatGPT gave me five suggestions: emotional connection, insecurity, fear of change, perceived favouritism and personal attraction. For example:

Insecurity: Liam might have underlying insecurities about his own worth and contribution to the band. Seeing Emily, the lead singer, form a relationship with Mark, the lead guitarist, could intensify his feelings of inadequacy and make him question his importance within the group.

Fourth prompt

This was getting more interesting, so I asked:

What terrible action does Liam take?

This time, Chat GPT gave me one answer:

In this scenario, Liam takes a terrible action by sabotaging one of the band's important performances. Fueled by his feelings of jealousy and resentment towards Mark and Emily's relationship, Liam intentionally tampers with the sound equipment or interferes with the band's instruments during a crucial live performance.

Liam's action is an act of betrayal towards his bandmates and the band's fans. By sabotaging the performance, he disrupts the band's reputation and potentially causes damage to their professional image. This action not only harms the band's immediate success but also creates a significant rift within the group, making it nearly impossible for them to continue working together.

Liam's decision to sabotage the performance reflects his deep-seated anger and frustration, but it ultimately leads to the band's breakup, as the other members lose trust in him and feel betrayed by his actions.

No options this time – and much more detail. I felt I was getting somewhere.

Fifth prompt

How do the rest of the band react to Liam's actions?

ChatGPT dutifully answered for all four band members, but let’s concentrate on Emily:

Emily (Lead Singer): Emily may feel deeply hurt and disappointed by Liam's actions. She trusted him as a bandmate and friend, and his betrayal may leave her feeling a mix of anger, sadness, and confusion. She may struggle to understand why Liam would intentionally sabotage their performance.

Sixth prompt

Why does Liam regret his actions?

ChatGPT gave me several answers, such as:

Realization of the consequences: Liam starts to understand the full extent of the damage he has caused. He sees how his actions have not only harmed the band's reputation but also fractured the trust and unity within the group. Witnessing the band's breakup and the pain it causes his former bandmates and himself, Liam realizes the gravity of his mistake.

Seventh prompt

Why doesn't Emily accept Liam's apology?

Lingering hurt and betrayal: The pain and betrayal caused by Liam's sabotaging actions may still be fresh in Emily's mind. She may struggle to let go of the hurt and resentment she feels towards Liam, making it challenging for her to accept his apology immediately.

Eighth prompt

I thought it was time to bring in one of the other band members:

Why does Olivia never forgive Liam? And what does she do as a result?

ChatGPT gave me three suggestions for Olivia’s reaction (Deep sense of betrayal, Lack of remorse or accountability, Irreparable damage to their friendship) and concluded:

As a result of her inability to forgive Liam, Olivia decides to sever ties with him completely. She may choose to distance herself from him personally and professionally, no longer participating in any form of communication or collaboration. Olivia may prioritize her own emotional well-being and surround herself with people who she feels can be trusted and supported, cutting Liam out of her life entirely to avoid further pain or betrayal.

(I did wonder if asking a two-part question would be a mistake. It seems not.)

I stopped there – I had more than enough if I was going to write this up as a freeform plot. And if I needed more detail, ChatGPT was obviously happy to provide me more.

Overall

I’m impressed. With the right prompts and some follow-up questions, creating plots for freeforms with ChatGPT is trivially easy. The plots need adjusting to work in the context of a freeform (I need to work out what the players will do), but ChatGPT has given me a solid basis for a messy plot involving the band’s relationships.

So, my takeaways:

• Crafting a good opening statement is key. But you can try again until you get it right.
• Use follow-up questions to get into the detail.
• This doesn’t take long – I’ve spent longer writing about this than I did getting the original text from ChatGPT!
• It’s very easy to get information from ChatGPT. Ruthlessly culling may be a key skill in the future.

Going forward

ChatGPT is going to take a bit of getting used to, but I can see it speeding up freeform creation (this may be especially useful at Peaky). Once we get good at asking the right questions, it will hopefully mean more and better freeforms!

It’s possible that AI-assisted freeforms will be dull and samey; avoiding that is our job.

Next time: hordes.

Using AI to help write freeforms: Plots

Last time I used ChatGPT to brainstorm fifteen characters for That Second Difficult Album, a freeform larp about a 1970s folk-rock band. This time, I thought I’d see what I could do with a plot.

Amazingly, if you continue the conversation, ChatGPT remembers its previous answers.

So, in the same conversation, I asked it:

It is 1971. The Appleyards are a successful folk-rock band with 5 members. The band need to decide where to tour to promote their next album. Give me ten suggested countries they can tour (including South Africa, the USA and behind the Iron Curtain), with the advantages and disadvantages associated with each. Give reasons for each band member for choosing that country, or reasons why they wouldn't

The reply (I’ve changed the formatting to make it easier to read, but not the actual text.)

United States of America (USA)

• Advantages:
• Jack "Jazzy" Appleyard sees the USA as a lucrative opportunity to tap into a massive music market and expand their fanbase.
• Lisa "Lix" Appleyard appreciates the diverse audience and potential for exposure.
• Simon "Strings" Appleyard believes the USA is the perfect place to showcase his guitar skills.
• Disadvantages: 
• Mike "Mallets" Appleyard worries about the high competition and expensive logistics involved. 
• Sally "Sticks" Appleyard expresses concerns about the intense pressure and expectation in the American music industry.

United Kingdom (UK)

• Advantages:
• Lisa "Lix" Appleyard suggests the UK due to its rich music history, vibrant music scene, and potential for media coverage.
• Marcus "Maverick" Walker, the studio engineer, points out that touring the UK would be logistically easier and less expensive than other options.
• Disadvantages:
• Jack "Jazzy" Appleyard expresses concerns about facing fierce competition in the UK and fears that they may get overshadowed by established British bands.

ChatGPT did the same for Canada, Australia, Germany, France and South Africa. It got stuck at Japan, so I asked it for three more countries, and it gave me Brazil, the Netherlands and Argentina, with the same format and detail (actually, slightly more detail).

(There may be a word or character limit to its output, so bear that in mind.)

It’s tempting to add the entire output from ChatGPT into this blog, but that will just make it verbose. That’s one of the dangers of ChatGPT – it’s too easy to use to create mediocre content. Use it with care!

So there’s loads of stuff I could use for a plot here. And it took only a few minutes to get this – it would be easy to take the best of this and turn it into a plot for a game.

Yes, it needs culling and some decent conflicts and more detail, but in terms of getting ideas, ChatGPT is a gold mine.

Then, for a bit of fun, I thought I’d ask ChatGPT about the missing drummer. You can see its response in Appendix 2, below.

Summary

So, my immediate reaction is that ChatGPT is a really useful tool during the brainstorming part of creating a freeform. It may take a few goes to get the answers you need, but you can get a lot of ideas in only a few minutes.

But is it any good at angsty plots? I will try that next time.

Appendix 1: Second try

When ChatGPT first paused, I asked it again in a new chat (rather than continuing the previous chat). As you can see, ChatGPT has forgotten the band hames it picked.

United States of America (USA)

Advantages: Huge music market, diverse audience, the potential for exposure and fanbase growth.

Disadvantages: Competitive market, expensive logistics, visa requirements.

Reasons for:

• Emily (Lead Singer): She sees the USA as the land of opportunity, where they can reach a wide audience and potentially break into the mainstream music scene.
• Mark (Lead Guitarist): He is influenced by American rock and wants to experience the cultural richness of iconic venues like The Fillmore and Whisky a Go Go.
• Sarah (Keyboardist): She recognizes the importance of the American music market and believes they can connect with like-minded artists and musicians.

Reasons against:

• Liam (Bassist): He believes that touring the USA would be too expensive and that they might get lost in the oversaturated market, preferring a more intimate tour.
• Olivia (Drummer): She worries about the band getting caught up in the chaos of the American music scene and prefers a quieter tour in a different country.

ChatGPT gave me this level of detail with UK, Canada and Australia before giving up just after starting Germany.

It also kept the same five characters – I may have got more detail because it wasn’t trying to include the studio engineers, music producers and other characters from the original response.

Appendix 2: What happened to the drummer?

Steve (new chat)

It is 1971 The Appleyards, a folk-rock band, have just finished recording their second album at a recording studio. However, the stresses of recording the album are starting to show and the drummer has gone missing. Give me five scenarios for what happened to the drummer.

ChatGPT

Scenario 1: The drummer, Charlie, is a free-spirited individual with a penchant for adventure. One day, during a break from recording, he decides to embark on a spontaneous road trip. He hops into his vintage Volkswagen van and drives off, exploring the open road, leaving his bandmates puzzled and worried about his whereabouts.

Scenario 2: The recording sessions have taken a toll on Charlie, causing him to feel overwhelmed and burnt out. Feeling the need for some solitude and reflection, he retreats to a secluded cabin in the woods. He leaves a note explaining his need for a break from the band's hectic schedule and takes this opportunity to find inner peace and recharge his creative energy.

Scenario 3: Charlie, always known for his eccentric personality, becomes intrigued by a local circus passing through town. Fascinated by the acrobats and performers, he befriends them and convinces himself that joining the circus for a while would be a remarkable experience. He leaves a cryptic message for his bandmates, hinting at his new adventure, and disappears into the world of circus life.

Scenario 4: As the pressures of the recording sessions intensify, Charlie's artistic temperament clashes with the rest of the band. The constant disagreements and creative differences become unbearable for him. Frustrated and disheartened, he decides to quit the band abruptly, leaving the others in shock. He packs his bags and takes the next train to a different city, pursuing a solo career in music.

Scenario 5: Charlie, known for his love of the ocean, has always dreamed of sailing across the seas. Overwhelmed by the stress of the recording process, he seizes the opportunity to fulfil his lifelong dream. He disappears from the recording studio, leaving behind a note expressing his desire to sail away and explore the world. His bandmates are left wondering if he will ever return.

(I love the fact that the drummer ran off to join the circus in the third scenario!)

Using AI to help write freeforms

At Peaky 2023, while we were writing That Second Difficult Album and coming up with ideas for the background, I asked ChatGPT for some ideas.

My prompt: Give me a band backstory for a folk rock band whose first album was in 1971. The band name is The Appleyards

ChatGPT then churned out 500 words of passable background that sounded exactly like it came from a music paper. (The actual text is at the bottom of this post.)

My first instinct was to embrace this brave new world, but several members of the team were against it, so we didn’t.

Brainstorming with ChatGPT

But perhaps ChatGPT can help with brainstorming? So after Peaky (while writing this post), I tried something different.

It is 1971 The Appleyards, a folk-rock band with 5 members, have just finished recording their second album at a recording studio. However, the stresses of recording the album are starting to show and the drummer has gone missing. Give 15 characters, including the band, with goals and conflicts suitable for a larp roleplaying game

(I had to tweak the prompt a couple of times to get the right response. Writing good prompts is going to be an essential skill.)

30 seconds later, ChatGPT replied with:

1. Jack "Jazzy" Appleyard (Lead vocalist/guitarist): Goal - Ensure the success of the album and maintain the band's reputation. Conflict - Struggling with creative differences with the other band members.
2. Lisa "Lix" Appleyard (Keyboardist/backing vocalist): Goal - Find a replacement drummer before the upcoming tour. Conflict - Dealing with personal issues that affect her focus on the band.
3. Simon "Strings" Appleyard (Lead guitarist): Goal - Push the boundaries of the band's sound and gain recognition as a skilled guitarist. Conflict - Clashes with the other band members over the direction of the album.
4. Mike "Mallets" Appleyard (Bassist): Goal - Reconcile the band's differences and maintain harmony within the group. Conflict - Struggling with creative block and feeling overshadowed by other band members.
5. Sally "Sticks" Appleyard (Missing Drummer): Goal - Find her true calling as a musician and decide if she wants to continue with the band. Conflict - Internal struggle with her passion for music and a desire for a different path.
6. Marcus "Maverick" Walker (Studio Engineer): Goal - Ensure the album's production quality and maintain a professional atmosphere. Conflict - Frustration with the band's internal issues interfering with the recording process.
7. Ruby "Roadie" Thompson (Band's Roadie): Goal - Support the band in any way possible and solve any logistical problems they face. Conflict - Dealing with personal issues that affect her ability to assist the band effectively.
8. Max "Manager" Chambers (Band Manager): Goal - Secure a record deal for the band and propel their career to new heights. Conflict - Balancing the band's desires with the demands of the music industry.
9. Brenda "Booking Agent" Harris (Band's Booking Agent): Goal - Secure lucrative gigs and opportunities for the band. Conflict - Facing pressure from other bands' agents who want their clients to get more attention.
10. Derek "Disc Jockey" Morris (Radio DJ): Goal - Promote the band's new album on the radio and help increase their fanbase. Conflict - Struggling with personal relationships and his own career aspirations.
11. Olivia "Outfit Guru" Reynolds (Band's Stylist): Goal - Create unique and visually appealing outfits for the band to enhance their stage presence. Conflict - Dealing with limited resources and clashing with band members over their desired styles.
12. Ethan "Enthusiastic Fan" Lawson (Devoted Fan): Goal - Support the band in any way possible and help create a positive fan community. Conflict - Overcoming personal obstacles to maintain his dedication to the band.
13. Natalie "Nosy Journalist" Carter (Music Journalist): Goal - Write an in-depth article about the band's creative process and the making of the album. Conflict - Struggling to uncover the band's inner dynamics and conflicts.
14. Dylan "Determined Promoter" Grant (Music Promoter): Goal - Organize successful concerts and events to increase the band's exposure. Conflict - Facing financial constraints and competition from other promoters.
15. Veronica "Vintage Collector" Sullivan (Collector of Band Memorabilia): Goal - Obtain rare and valuable items related to the band's history. Conflict - Competing with other collectors and facing ethical dilemmas regarding authenticity.

(I’ve tweaked the formatting to make it easier to read, but other than that, the characters above are exactly as ChatGPT created.)

I’m impressed. For two minutes’ work, there are many good ideas to build on. And there are at least three characters we didn’t even consider in our brainstorming – the outfit guru, radio DJ and collector. (Not that we would necessarily have used them, but even so.) 

And while only some of the conflicts work for a freeform, we could have used something like this as a starting point.

And had I asked for 20 characters, ChatGPT would have given me 20. (Results from earlier prompts included a vocal coach, a devoted fan who wanted to find the missing drummer and a rebellious, indie musician.)

The general hostility in the group deterred me from using ChatGPT further during Peaky. If you use it in a group, you need everyone’s buy-in.

Dangers of using AI

I’ve only scratched the surface of using AI, but already I can see a few dangers.

Tropes and stereotypes: As you can see, ChatGPT creates obvious tropes and stereotypes – not that that’s necessarily a problem, as most freeforms rely on exactly those tropes and stereotypes. But we can’t rely on AI if we want original ideas in the games.

Fluffage and garbage: There’s a danger that because it’s so easy to create text with AI, we give players too much to read. A 500-word background is fine if it’s important to the game, but if it’s nothing more than background fluff, it would be better off unwritten.

(I can see longer-written games as a result – in the same way that novels became much longer when word processors took over from typewriters. As a fan of terse, tightly-written games, I don’t see this as a good thing.)

Garbage in, garbage out: Learning to craft good prompts will be vital to getting the best out of AI.

A new frontier

I’m not sure ChatGPT is ready to write a complete freeform just yet, but once we work out how to use it, AI tools will be extremely useful – particularly in brainstorming and planning.

But they must be used carefully; otherwise, they will lead to tired, tropey games full of fluff. 

I see lots of potential for using AI to speed up game-writing, and I’m keen to explore how AI can help us write freeform larps.

Next time: plots.

Appendix: My original prompt and ChatGPT’s response

My prompt: Give me a band backstory for a folk rock band whose first album was in 1971. The band name is The Appleyards

ChatGPT’s response

The Appleyards - Nurturing Folk Rock's Roots

The Appleyards, an influential folk rock band, emerged from the vibrant music scene of the early 1970s. Comprised of five exceptionally talented musicians, they etched their place in history with their distinctive sound and heartfelt songwriting. Hailing from the small town of Wisteria Grove, their journey began in an old, creaky barn, where they spent countless hours refining their craft.

Formed in 1969, The Appleyards were initially a trio consisting of lead vocalist and guitarist Daniel "Danny" Fletcher, multi-instrumentalist and backing vocalist Lily Bishop, and the masterful guitarist and mandolin player, Lucas Sullivan. The trio's melodic harmonies and intricate instrumentation quickly captivated local audiences, leading to their first gig at a quaint coffeehouse in town.

Shortly after their debut performance, the band encountered drummer Timothy "Tim" Richards and bassist Ethan Anderson, both gifted musicians who brought a dynamic rhythm section to The Appleyards' evolving sound. With their complete lineup solidified, the band set their sights on crafting their first album, eager to share their unique blend of folk and rock with the world.

In 1971, The Appleyards released their self-titled debut album, "The Appleyards," which received critical acclaim for its rich storytelling and soulful melodies. The album showcased the band's ability to seamlessly merge folk-inspired ballads with the raw energy of rock, creating a sound that was both familiar and refreshing.

One of the album's standout tracks, "Wisteria Grove," paid homage to their humble beginnings and reflected the band members' deep-rooted connection to their hometown. The hauntingly beautiful song became an instant hit and helped propel The Appleyards to the forefront of the folk rock scene.

Following the success of their debut album, The Appleyards embarked on a rigorous touring schedule, crisscrossing the country to share their music with audiences far and wide. Their live performances became legendary, characterized by their undeniable chemistry on stage and their ability to effortlessly captivate crowds with their heartfelt lyrics and enchanting melodies.

Over the years, The Appleyards continued to release a string of critically acclaimed albums, including "Wandering Spirit" (1973), "Aurora Skies" (1975), and "Harvest Moon" (1978). Each album showcased the band's growth and maturity, as they delved deeper into their songwriting and incorporated a wider range of instruments into their sound.

Despite achieving commercial success and critical acclaim, The Appleyards remained true to their roots, always maintaining a genuine connection with their fans. They were renowned for their humility and commitment to using their music as a means to inspire and bring people together.

While the band eventually disbanded in the early 1980s, their legacy as pioneers of folk rock endured. The Appleyards' music continues to resonate with listeners across generations, and their influence can be heard in the work of countless contemporary folk rock artists.

Today, the story of The Appleyards serves as a testament to the power of music and the enduring spirit of a band that embraced the essence of folk rock, etching their name in the annals of musical history.

Games played in 2023 (so far)

Compared to recent years, 2023 has started quietly.  So far, I’ve had 19 sessions, fewer than one a week. 

Those 19 sessions comprise:

• Ten freeforms (hurrah! I like freeforms!)
• Three episodes of Kingdom
• Two episodes of Cthulhu Dark
• Several one-shots: Fiasco, Fate Accelerated, ALIEN and For the Queen. I last ran a session at AireCon, back in March.

Most games have been at conventions. I have two online TTRPG groups. Until recently, they’ve been meeting weekly, but thanks to events outside anyone’s control, they are both on hiatus. As a result, in 2023, I’ve managed only five “weekly” sessions.

Maybe I need to find a new group?