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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
Mo Holkar writes (via email):
ReplyDeleteI also did a bit of experimenting with ChatGPT, which I haven't
written up, but you can see the results here:
https://holkar.net/larps/up_for_debate.html
This was for a Nordic-style chamber larp, rather than a uk-freeform, so it is pretty much ready to play just from the results of the prompt. Which was:
"Suggest a larp setting and story, for a group of four characters, to occupy about three hours of play. The themes should centre around rivalry, unfulfilled hopes, disappointment and betrayal, and the hope of something pure emerging from the suffering. The setting should be modern-day real-world. The four characters should all be of equal importance to the story, and equally able to see themselves as the protagonist -- whether heroic or flawed. Suggest a series of scenes from which the larp can be structured."
Entering the same prompt again would generate a completely different setting and characters, so one could create an endless succession of bland-but-playable larps this way.
Like you, I think the main danger lies probably in people using
ChatGPT to produce unnecessary verbiage in background materials etc. I can't see it successfully replacing the actual design part of the process any time very soon.