This isn’t a question for me to answer, because as you’ll soon find out, it’s not really an either/or situation. You can develop either side of the question, and it’s something you’ll have to consider regardless of whether you go the published path or the homebrewed path. Let’s take a look at what this is all about though, so you can have a better understanding of where I’m coming from.
The Basics
The most important thing to consider about writing a scenario is how much you should be paid. It’s a common question among game designers, and there’s a reason for it: money is always a factor when it comes to crunch time. If you’re working for a publisher, your boss (or the person reading the budget) will have the final say on how much you’re gonna be paid for the project, and it’s usually a pretty tight fit, since you’ll need to justify the costs of the project (development, art, etc). For my part, I always like to play it by ear. If your game sounds like a lot of fun, and it probably will, then I’d say go for it. You’ll most likely have a good time and learn a lot.
More Than Meets The Eye
Another thing you need to consider when writing a scenario is how much it costs your GM. If you’re ever planning on distributing a copy of your scenario (PDF, print, etc) to someone, say, at a gaming convention or at the library, you need to take this into account. Most likely, the person you’re giving it to won’t have access to a printer, so you’ll need to make sure you’ve got enough copies of the thing. If this is the kind of scenario where cheating is allowed, then you need to think about how much you’ll need to pay the players to ensure their coziness. You’ll need to make a rough calculation about how much you’ll need to tip the cops, bribe the judges, and how much you’ll need to spend on ammunition. This is where you might want to ask a friend who’s a writer or a lawyer to give you a hand with the calculations, so you can spend less time pondering over it and more time having fun. This is all apart from the time you’ll need to spend learning how to play the game, of course.
The Fun
What’s important about writing a good scenario, above all else, is that it needs to be fun. If your players are having fun while playing your scenario, then you’ve achieved something great. This is important because the majority of games out there are actually designed to be fun. A scenario isn’t something you’ll usually encounter in a game, unless it’s a dungeon delving game or a war game. So, you might find yourself in a scenario writing dry spell for a while, until you find an activity that’s more fun, that you can relate to. It could be that you’re a fashion designer who finds designing clothes for your friends and family fun, or that you enjoy teaching yoga and travel, or that you’re simply enjoying life in general. It’s important to see scenarios as a fun activity, and nothing more, since so much focus is often placed on the money side of things.
I hope this article has helped clear up some of the common misconceptions surrounding scenario writing, so you can go forth and write some awesome games!
If this is your first visit to the blog, then be sure to check out the Why Scenario Writing Is Important page for more information on why scenario writing is so vital to your gaming experience.