"Gamism," The Forge, and the Elephant in the Room

[pemerton]

With all due respect, I think taking direct quotes from Ron Edwards can inadvertently subvert your efforts IMO -- unless you were only meaning to preach to the choir?

Well, often when I post I'm trying to sort out my own ideas, and relating my point to an author or rulebook that has influenced me can help with that.

But I've decided to adopt your suggested strategy in a new thread!

 

[S'mon]

H Imagine you are trying to moderate a forum where the mandate is to stick tightly to the point of a topic, say only what is useful on that topic, and when it is done, everyone shut up about it. Oh, and don't post off the cuff, either. Really think about what you are saying.

Who set that mandate? Ron Edwards. Who interpreted and applied that mandate? Ron Edwards.

Lots of fora have similar mandates. The Dragonsfoot Workshop forum is one that comes to mind. But I have never seen anything like RE's ostentatious yawn-and-squelch routine anywhere but The Forge.

 

[LurkAway]

But I've decided to adopt your suggested strategy in a new thread!

Sounds good. Mind you, one possible drawback is that you won't get many replies if your post is too reasonable and moderate

As for me, I think I'm going to take a badly needed vacation from Enworld. I actually have my wife's hotmail address registered with this account, so I'm going to erase my password and tell her: No matter how much I beg and plead, do not send me the password for at least a month. I hope this strategy works!

 

[pemerton]

LurkAway, enjoy your vacation!

 

[steenan]

But, alas, with age comes, at least in my circles tendarcy to stick with something we do well. Lack of time contributes as well.

With full-time work and family I have much less time than I had 10 years ago, but the effect on my gaming is opposite to what you experienced. I have varied needs that no single game satisfies and I don't have time to play several times a week, as I used to do. So I play less campaigns and more one-shots (each in a different system), and I favor thematically-intense games over generic ones.

What kinda games you play? Not D&D much? Those more philosophical ones I take based on your nick.

I think it's important in these kinda discussions about gaming to tell what are games we prefer to play. Helps to get where we are coming for these conclusions.

Currently, I run Nobilis (that's where the title comes from) and play Exalted. We'll also start a Mistborn campaign soon.

But that's just now; I like to mix things. I played several indie games, from Dogs in the Vineyard to Polaris and 3:16. But I also played two D&D (3e) campaigns, some Warhammer, Pathfinder, Call of Cthluhu, Mouse Guard, Savage Worlds, Wolsung and old World of Darkness (Vampire, Werewolf, Mage).

I also created several homebrew systems (one of which we played in two campaigns, over 3 years total) and played in my friends' homebrews.

Also what's up with names like "hollysomething god" and "feathered fowl" (given by Oathbound), they sound so stupid. Do they sound less stupid to native englishspeaker? I am honestly curious I run into these word-horrors now and then. Sometimes problem is with translation. Feathered Fowl requires imagination not to translate it into something like Chicken flock or similar.

I'm not a native English speaker. In Polish, "Hollyhock god" sounds just as strange and is definitely not as natural for me as "Game master".
But it is not stupid. I understand where this name came from. In a game where everyone plays, essentially, a god of something, and where flower symbolism is an important theme, calling the person who runs the game a god of hollyhock (fruitfulness, abundance, fertility, potential for growth) brings exactly the meaning it's supposed to.

Too much rules and too much in-game-world-thematic-knowledge leads to too dense gaming experiences. Which is kinda like bad movie where lot of special effects try to cover the plot that makes no sense.

If the rules or the setting details just are there - I agree. But there are game that are "system heavy" or "setting-heavy" in a planned and directed way. They require greater investment to work, but also bring rewards that a simple, casual game can't offer.

For example, if you try to play Dogs in the Vineyard without understanding lives and mindset of the Faithful, or without understanding how the mechanics is to be used, the game will, most probably, be a catastrophe, even with a good GM and experienced players. But DitV,, with its thematic focus and system designed to support it, leads to session much more intense and interesting than if one tried to play a similar story in a more traditional rpg.