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GMs: Guiding Morals in GMing
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<blockquote data-quote="Celebrim" data-source="post: 8989485" data-attributes="member: 4937"><p>So, I'm not sure if I'm one of the others with the wider definitional net. I don't think however I have a position at odds with [USER=29398]@Lanefan[/USER], and if you agree with that statement by him, I suspect I can widen the definition in ways that won't offend you. Afterall, Lanefan put an "and so on" in his definition that made it clear that he was giving an example and not being all encompassing.</p><p></p><p>The two important points are first that the GM is making a fiat ruling that contradicts myth, rules, or fortune mechanics ("fudging") even if and especially if the myth, rules, or fortune aren't revealed to the player. And secondly, that the GM is put in a situation where his whim or desires are given free reign. In such a situation the GM is likely to consciously or unconsciously make decisions to get the game to turn out the way he wants it to turn out, and that the GM is consciously or unconsciously metagaming and making his decision based on his knowledge now of player action and what that action's outcome is likely to be. Note that if the GM is using the myth, rules, or fortune mechanics to make his decision on the basis of the player's action this is a very different process than deliberately forgoing the use of the myth, rules, or fortune mechanics. Following the process of applying the rules to the situation and rolling a dice to determine the outcome of anything that is indefinite results in outcomes that the GM may not desire. But almost by definition, if the GM is not constrained by the situation, the rules, or the fortune mechanic then it becomes impossible for anything to happen that the GM does not want to happen. If the GM isn't consciously limiting his own power over the situation, then the GM gets what the GM wants.</p><p></p><p>Running the game by fiat while pretending to be applying the situation, the rules, and the fortune mechanics is how I define "Illusionism", and for the last few pages I've been trying to answer the question, "But what's wrong with illusionism?"</p><p></p><p>My answer is, "Well, not necessarily anything, but if it is overused and over relied on then there are consequences most groups probably won't like." </p><p></p><p>And my not so hidden motivation behind this is that there are systems, designers and influencers out there that have been preaching a gospel of high illusionism as the secret to being a good GM. And I don't think it's as simple as that. If high illusionism were all it took to be a good GM, what did we ever develop rules and adventures for?</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Celebrim, post: 8989485, member: 4937"] So, I'm not sure if I'm one of the others with the wider definitional net. I don't think however I have a position at odds with [USER=29398]@Lanefan[/USER], and if you agree with that statement by him, I suspect I can widen the definition in ways that won't offend you. Afterall, Lanefan put an "and so on" in his definition that made it clear that he was giving an example and not being all encompassing. The two important points are first that the GM is making a fiat ruling that contradicts myth, rules, or fortune mechanics ("fudging") even if and especially if the myth, rules, or fortune aren't revealed to the player. And secondly, that the GM is put in a situation where his whim or desires are given free reign. In such a situation the GM is likely to consciously or unconsciously make decisions to get the game to turn out the way he wants it to turn out, and that the GM is consciously or unconsciously metagaming and making his decision based on his knowledge now of player action and what that action's outcome is likely to be. Note that if the GM is using the myth, rules, or fortune mechanics to make his decision on the basis of the player's action this is a very different process than deliberately forgoing the use of the myth, rules, or fortune mechanics. Following the process of applying the rules to the situation and rolling a dice to determine the outcome of anything that is indefinite results in outcomes that the GM may not desire. But almost by definition, if the GM is not constrained by the situation, the rules, or the fortune mechanic then it becomes impossible for anything to happen that the GM does not want to happen. If the GM isn't consciously limiting his own power over the situation, then the GM gets what the GM wants. Running the game by fiat while pretending to be applying the situation, the rules, and the fortune mechanics is how I define "Illusionism", and for the last few pages I've been trying to answer the question, "But what's wrong with illusionism?" My answer is, "Well, not necessarily anything, but if it is overused and over relied on then there are consequences most groups probably won't like." And my not so hidden motivation behind this is that there are systems, designers and influencers out there that have been preaching a gospel of high illusionism as the secret to being a good GM. And I don't think it's as simple as that. If high illusionism were all it took to be a good GM, what did we ever develop rules and adventures for? [/QUOTE]
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