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<blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 9115211" data-attributes="member: 42582"><p>[USER=6785785]@hawkeyefan[/USER] Thanks for the link - I watched the video.</p><p></p><p>For anyone else reading the thread who hasn't watched the video, it has three key claims.</p><p></p><p>(1) <em>Plot</em> works by manipulating the relationship between <em>time</em> and <em>satisfaction</em>. The author instils a desire into the audience - by way of (say) empathy with a character, or some other concern for what will happen in a situation - and then defers the satisfaction of that desire (by way of rising action prior to the climax).</p><p></p><p>(2) <em>Games</em> work by establishing a desire - say, to beat the other player or to achieve some outcome - and then placing obstacles, structured by the rules of the game, in the way of the satisfaction of that desire. Playing the game means being drawn into the game (via the desire) and then encountering the obstacles as things to be overcome (by engaging in game play) such that the desire might be realised.</p><p></p><p>(3) Hence, <em>to play a game</em> is, in fact, <em>to experience a plot</em>. Which is why we - humans - find playing games a source of satisfaction and meaning. (A corollary is that there is no ludic/narrative contrast - the ludic is a special case of the narrrative.)</p><p></p><p></p><p>I think it's pretty interesting. In the context of discussions of RPG design, it reminded me of <a href="http://lumpley.com/hardcore.html" target="_blank">this</a>:</p><p></p><p style="margin-left: 20px"><h2>A Small Thing About Suspense</h2></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">I have no criticism cred to back this up. Just amatuer observations. So kick my butt if you gotta.</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>Suspense doesn't come from uncertain outcomes.</strong></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">I have no doubt, not one shred of measly doubt, that Babe the pig is going to wow the sheepdog trial audience. Neither do you. But we're on the edge of our seats! What's up with that?</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>Suspense comes from putting off the inevitable.</strong></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">What's up with that is, we know that Babe is going to win, but we don't know <em>what it will cost</em>.</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">Everybody with me still? If you're not, give it a try: watch a movie. Notice how the movie builds suspense: by putting complications between the protagonist and what we all know is coming. The protagonist has to buy victory, it's as straightforward as that. That's why the payoff at the end of the suspense is satisfying, after all, too: we're like <em>ah, finally</em>.</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">What about RPGs?</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">Yes, it can be suspenseful to not know whether your character will succeed or fail. I'm not going to dispute that. But what I absolutely do dispute is that that's the only or best way to get suspense in your gaming. In fact, and check this out, when GMs fudge die rolls in order to preserve or create suspense, it shows that suspense and uncertain outcomes are, in those circumstances, incompatible.</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">So here's a better way to get suspense in gaming: put off the inevitable.</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">Acknowledge up front that the PCs are going to win, and never sweat it. Then use the dice to escalate, escalate, escalate. We all know the PCs are going to win. What will it cost them?</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="pemerton, post: 9115211, member: 42582"] [USER=6785785]@hawkeyefan[/USER] Thanks for the link - I watched the video. For anyone else reading the thread who hasn't watched the video, it has three key claims. (1) [I]Plot[/I] works by manipulating the relationship between [I]time[/I] and [I]satisfaction[/I]. The author instils a desire into the audience - by way of (say) empathy with a character, or some other concern for what will happen in a situation - and then defers the satisfaction of that desire (by way of rising action prior to the climax). (2) [I]Games[/I] work by establishing a desire - say, to beat the other player or to achieve some outcome - and then placing obstacles, structured by the rules of the game, in the way of the satisfaction of that desire. Playing the game means being drawn into the game (via the desire) and then encountering the obstacles as things to be overcome (by engaging in game play) such that the desire might be realised. (3) Hence, [I]to play a game[/I] is, in fact, [I]to experience a plot[/I]. Which is why we - humans - find playing games a source of satisfaction and meaning. (A corollary is that there is no ludic/narrative contrast - the ludic is a special case of the narrrative.) I think it's pretty interesting. In the context of discussions of RPG design, it reminded me of [url=http://lumpley.com/hardcore.html]this[/url]: [indent][HEADING=1]A Small Thing About Suspense[/HEADING] I have no criticism cred to back this up. Just amatuer observations. So kick my butt if you gotta. [B]Suspense doesn't come from uncertain outcomes.[/B] I have no doubt, not one shred of measly doubt, that Babe the pig is going to wow the sheepdog trial audience. Neither do you. But we're on the edge of our seats! What's up with that? [B]Suspense comes from putting off the inevitable.[/B] What's up with that is, we know that Babe is going to win, but we don't know [I]what it will cost[/I]. Everybody with me still? If you're not, give it a try: watch a movie. Notice how the movie builds suspense: by putting complications between the protagonist and what we all know is coming. The protagonist has to buy victory, it's as straightforward as that. That's why the payoff at the end of the suspense is satisfying, after all, too: we're like [I]ah, finally[/I]. What about RPGs? Yes, it can be suspenseful to not know whether your character will succeed or fail. I'm not going to dispute that. But what I absolutely do dispute is that that's the only or best way to get suspense in your gaming. In fact, and check this out, when GMs fudge die rolls in order to preserve or create suspense, it shows that suspense and uncertain outcomes are, in those circumstances, incompatible. So here's a better way to get suspense in gaming: put off the inevitable. Acknowledge up front that the PCs are going to win, and never sweat it. Then use the dice to escalate, escalate, escalate. We all know the PCs are going to win. What will it cost them?[/indent] [/QUOTE]
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