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Judgement calls vs "railroading"
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<blockquote data-quote="Campbell" data-source="post: 7052566" data-attributes="member: 16586"><p>Here's the way I look at things: During the course of play players of role playing games (including the GM) are going to make innumerable judgement calls. This moment to moment decision making is the very heart of play. As a GM, you are ultimately responsible for making judgements about the fiction that will have a significant impact on the play that follows. I consider that a given and take that responsibility very seriously. What is most interesting to me is what guides you in those moments - the principles you depend upon that inform your decision making. I do not take it as a given that you will shape events to occur in the manner that you want them to. The impulse will always be there, but I believe manipulating outcomes as a GM does not make for better or more meaningful play. I enjoy role playing games far more when all participants are genuinely surprised by the resulting fiction. I like <strong>playing to find out</strong>.</p><p></p><p>There are multiple ways to play to find out, including one way that is far older than the hobby. Examples include: <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Free Kriegsspiel.</strong> Kriegsspiel was a very detailed Prussian wargame developed in the 1800s in order to train junior officers. Playtesting revealed that Kriegsspiel war games took entirely too much time to resolve and removed much of the immediacy of decision making required on the battlefield. In order to get around it, a variant named Free Kriegsspiel was introduced. In Free Kriegsspeil, rather than an elaborate rule book to resolve military matters an experienced senior officer would take on the role of Game Master and rely upon their knowledge to resolve maneuvers. Play depended on detailed scenarios and the historical warfare knowledge of the Game Master. Free Kriegsspeil formed the foundations of the war gaming tradition that Dungeons and Dragons grew out of. Rather than taking on the role of military commanders, players would play individual adventurers. The fundamentals of this playstyle are relatively simple: The GM or referee utilizes scenarios that players are free to engage with in any way, and the GM makes judgement calls based on his own knowledge of the fiction, based on what would be most likely. In cases where he is uncertain he utilizes random rolls to disclaim decision making. We simply play the fiction out. The weakness of this method of play is that it leans heavily on scenario design and the expertise of the Game Master. Think of a dungeon is a front on a war against civilization. Games that embrace this method include Stars Without Number, OD&D, Moldvay D&D, Traveller, and RuneQuest. Playing at the World does a very good job of explaining how this play style came about, and how it generally functioned.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Scene Framing.</strong> This method depends on a GM to create shorter, punchy scenarios that are quickly resolved. We call these scenes. The important part here is that scenes are developed based on the results of previous scenes. Within the context of a given scene, the GM functions in a similar matter to a Free Kriegsspeil GM, making judgement calls in accordance with the fiction and determining where the rules apply. Generally, we lean much heavier on the rules to resolve scenes though. The GM is not assumed to be an expert and we expect resolution of scenes to be short and punchy. Examples of games that embrace this style include Burning Wheel, InSpectres, and Marvel Heroic Roleplay.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Principled Game Mastering.</strong>In this style of play we assume that a GM is not a neutral arbiter, but in fact will play a very active role in shaping play. They are not, however, interested in determining outcomes - only in setting up interesting fiction for players to react to. Play is based on moves and counter moves. Players do something - GM responds with fiction that will prompt the players to make decisions. In any given moment the GM is guided by a set of considered principles that serve to reinforce the type of fiction we are all interested in seeing play out. There is considerably less distance in this method of play between the GM and other players. Players play characters with drives, connections, and things they are expected to go after. The GM plays the setting in opposition to those characters with restraints based on his principles. This discipline allows the GM and other players to play hard. While this type of play is seen readily in Apocalypse World and its derivatives, it was first used to play games like Moldvay D&D in a very different, but functional way. Examples of game that embrace this style include Dogs in the Vineyard, Apocalypse World, and Blades in the Dark.</li> </ul><p></p><p>I enjoy playing in all of these ways, but when running games I am particularly partial to <strong>Principled Game Mastering</strong> because reliance on Game Mastering Principles gives me the freedom to take a more active hand without having an overwhelming influence. When I run Apocalypse World I feel free to be an active participant while valuing the contributions other players make just as much. <strong>Being a fan of the players characters</strong> means I can place the players in a tough situation and be genuinely interested in how they will get out of it if they can. I do not feel the need to hold back anymore than what my principles demand out of me. I have also had success using these methods to run RuneQuest and Chronicles of Darkness.</p><p></p><p>I know [MENTION=42582]pemerton[/MENTION] generally favors scene framing. It used to be my jam, but not really anymore.</p><p></p><p>These categories are not necessarily separated by iron walls. One of the great things about being exposed to a wide variety of techniques includes the ability to be guided by different sets of principles in different situations as play demands. What is important to me is understanding that decision making process and understanding its impact on play.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Campbell, post: 7052566, member: 16586"] Here's the way I look at things: During the course of play players of role playing games (including the GM) are going to make innumerable judgement calls. This moment to moment decision making is the very heart of play. As a GM, you are ultimately responsible for making judgements about the fiction that will have a significant impact on the play that follows. I consider that a given and take that responsibility very seriously. What is most interesting to me is what guides you in those moments - the principles you depend upon that inform your decision making. I do not take it as a given that you will shape events to occur in the manner that you want them to. The impulse will always be there, but I believe manipulating outcomes as a GM does not make for better or more meaningful play. I enjoy role playing games far more when all participants are genuinely surprised by the resulting fiction. I like [B]playing to find out[/B]. There are multiple ways to play to find out, including one way that is far older than the hobby. Examples include:[LIST] [*][B]Free Kriegsspiel.[/B] Kriegsspiel was a very detailed Prussian wargame developed in the 1800s in order to train junior officers. Playtesting revealed that Kriegsspiel war games took entirely too much time to resolve and removed much of the immediacy of decision making required on the battlefield. In order to get around it, a variant named Free Kriegsspiel was introduced. In Free Kriegsspeil, rather than an elaborate rule book to resolve military matters an experienced senior officer would take on the role of Game Master and rely upon their knowledge to resolve maneuvers. Play depended on detailed scenarios and the historical warfare knowledge of the Game Master. Free Kriegsspeil formed the foundations of the war gaming tradition that Dungeons and Dragons grew out of. Rather than taking on the role of military commanders, players would play individual adventurers. The fundamentals of this playstyle are relatively simple: The GM or referee utilizes scenarios that players are free to engage with in any way, and the GM makes judgement calls based on his own knowledge of the fiction, based on what would be most likely. In cases where he is uncertain he utilizes random rolls to disclaim decision making. We simply play the fiction out. The weakness of this method of play is that it leans heavily on scenario design and the expertise of the Game Master. Think of a dungeon is a front on a war against civilization. Games that embrace this method include Stars Without Number, OD&D, Moldvay D&D, Traveller, and RuneQuest. Playing at the World does a very good job of explaining how this play style came about, and how it generally functioned. [*][B]Scene Framing.[/B] This method depends on a GM to create shorter, punchy scenarios that are quickly resolved. We call these scenes. The important part here is that scenes are developed based on the results of previous scenes. Within the context of a given scene, the GM functions in a similar matter to a Free Kriegsspeil GM, making judgement calls in accordance with the fiction and determining where the rules apply. Generally, we lean much heavier on the rules to resolve scenes though. The GM is not assumed to be an expert and we expect resolution of scenes to be short and punchy. Examples of games that embrace this style include Burning Wheel, InSpectres, and Marvel Heroic Roleplay. [*][B]Principled Game Mastering.[/B]In this style of play we assume that a GM is not a neutral arbiter, but in fact will play a very active role in shaping play. They are not, however, interested in determining outcomes - only in setting up interesting fiction for players to react to. Play is based on moves and counter moves. Players do something - GM responds with fiction that will prompt the players to make decisions. In any given moment the GM is guided by a set of considered principles that serve to reinforce the type of fiction we are all interested in seeing play out. There is considerably less distance in this method of play between the GM and other players. Players play characters with drives, connections, and things they are expected to go after. The GM plays the setting in opposition to those characters with restraints based on his principles. This discipline allows the GM and other players to play hard. While this type of play is seen readily in Apocalypse World and its derivatives, it was first used to play games like Moldvay D&D in a very different, but functional way. Examples of game that embrace this style include Dogs in the Vineyard, Apocalypse World, and Blades in the Dark. [/LIST] I enjoy playing in all of these ways, but when running games I am particularly partial to [B]Principled Game Mastering[/B] because reliance on Game Mastering Principles gives me the freedom to take a more active hand without having an overwhelming influence. When I run Apocalypse World I feel free to be an active participant while valuing the contributions other players make just as much. [B]Being a fan of the players characters[/B] means I can place the players in a tough situation and be genuinely interested in how they will get out of it if they can. I do not feel the need to hold back anymore than what my principles demand out of me. I have also had success using these methods to run RuneQuest and Chronicles of Darkness. I know [MENTION=42582]pemerton[/MENTION] generally favors scene framing. It used to be my jam, but not really anymore. These categories are not necessarily separated by iron walls. One of the great things about being exposed to a wide variety of techniques includes the ability to be guided by different sets of principles in different situations as play demands. What is important to me is understanding that decision making process and understanding its impact on play. [/QUOTE]
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