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Is RPGing a *literary* endeavour?
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<blockquote data-quote="uzirath" data-source="post: 7594541" data-attributes="member: 8495"><p>I rarely have firm answers to questions about what RPGs can or cannot be. I've played in so many games over the years that have entirely different premises and aesthetic sensibilities.</p><p></p><p>I agree with you to the extent that playing or running an RPG is not equal to writing or reading a novel. </p><p></p><p>But RPGs can certainly have many literary characteristics, as Ralif Redhammer pointed out:</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>I played in a great Traveller campaign once that we later learned was based on the Goldilocks fairy tale. I've played in explicit Middle Earth games where a strong understanding of Tolkien canon was a requirement. I've played in games where the players were expected to write up each session as a narrative that was later edited and self-published into a book. I'm an advisor for a student who is designing a roleplaying game with deep roots in his study of <em>Alice in Wonderland</em>.</p><p></p><p>And, from another angle, many literary elements are useful in RPGs: foreshadowing, pacing, rising action, climax, denouement, etc. Players and GMs who can describe developments with precision, efficiency, and eloquence tend to be the types of players I enjoy playing with. These are also qualities I appreciate in fiction.</p><p></p><p>So I'm not sure how to usefully tease apart the differences.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="uzirath, post: 7594541, member: 8495"] I rarely have firm answers to questions about what RPGs can or cannot be. I've played in so many games over the years that have entirely different premises and aesthetic sensibilities. I agree with you to the extent that playing or running an RPG is not equal to writing or reading a novel. But RPGs can certainly have many literary characteristics, as Ralif Redhammer pointed out: I played in a great Traveller campaign once that we later learned was based on the Goldilocks fairy tale. I've played in explicit Middle Earth games where a strong understanding of Tolkien canon was a requirement. I've played in games where the players were expected to write up each session as a narrative that was later edited and self-published into a book. I'm an advisor for a student who is designing a roleplaying game with deep roots in his study of [I]Alice in Wonderland[/I]. And, from another angle, many literary elements are useful in RPGs: foreshadowing, pacing, rising action, climax, denouement, etc. Players and GMs who can describe developments with precision, efficiency, and eloquence tend to be the types of players I enjoy playing with. These are also qualities I appreciate in fiction. So I'm not sure how to usefully tease apart the differences. [/QUOTE]
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