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What makes an TTRPG a "Narrative Game" (Apocalypse World Discussion)
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<blockquote data-quote="Neonchameleon" data-source="post: 9317690" data-attributes="member: 87792"><p>Apocalypse World was deliberately written to be a narrative game with Vincent Baker explicitly stating "<em>The entire game design follows from “Narrativism: Story Now” by Ron Edwards.</em>" And among those who enjoy narrativist games it is incredibly influential and generally a favourite of those who do - while it has almost none of the features of those that use Narrativism or narrativist games as a snarl world; 5e has more metacurrencies than AW.</p><p></p><p>So what are the features that make it a great PC-focused narrativist game? In my opinion they include the following:</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Relatively low GM authority, setting the focus on the PCs<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The Apocalypse World GM is the "MC" or "Master of Ceremonies" - i.e. possibly the most important player but the first among equals</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">There's no fudging of rolls possible when the GM never rolls a dice. And the actions are chosen by the players</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The GM doesn't write the world - indeed the world (although controlled by the GM) is created during Session Zero</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The GM is explicitly instructed to "be a fan of the player characters"</li> </ul></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The characters are distinctly part of the setting and aren't some random doofuses who met in a bar and have nothing to do with events<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The setting is explicitly created round the PCs</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The PCs explicitly mostly have jobs and bases of operations in the setting so are invested in the area</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Many of the playbooks have explicit NPC relationships</li> </ul></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Character growth and development of the type that makes for good stories is focused on<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Minimal "number goes up" development - no levels, no bloating of hit points and only slight stat progression. Instead growth is more extending the character's abilities or even transforming them. Possibly even changing playbooks. Characters end up <em>changed</em> and in logical ways but not always anticipated ways</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">You get XP for showing the side of you that others want to see (highlights) or for interacting with other PCs in stressful situations, whether helping them or interfering (Hx). Or for move specific recklessness.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">There are ways back from "No one could have survived that" - but no ways back without consequence, and changing your playbook is huge</li> </ul></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">"<em>Story </em>Now" - the story is now and not preauthored<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Success-with-consequences mechanics mean that scenes aren't going to go as expected; no one can predict the outcome</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">They also lead to "<a href="https://perell.com/note/but-therefore-rule/" target="_blank">but ... therefore</a>" which leads to better stories than "yes ... and" (which is where success or failure mechanics go)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">There is a <em>lot</em> of room for character choice, both before and as a consequence of actions</li> </ul></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">"Story <strong><em>Now</em></strong>" - you get to events fast and things happen fast. There's no faffing around waiting (other than for pizza/chatter)<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The mechanical parts of character creation are fast</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The characters start with intertwined and slightly double edged backstories so there's no need for "meet up scenes"</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">You don't slow the game down to look things up in the manual</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Every roll is consequential and has the potential to go very wrong or very right (even when it's "just" damage there's the Harm Move)</li> </ul></li> </ul><p>These are not limits to what AW does that makes it great for narrative focused games - but they are big parts of it. And it means that by the end of the second session (with the first containing group character creation) no one knows where their character or the situation is going, just that it's moving fast and no one will come out unchanged. </p><p></p><p>Fate, for example, has some of this including at least some non-linear growth and intertwined backstories as well as a lower authority GM than trad gaming - but in general it's largely independent of Fate's fate points.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Neonchameleon, post: 9317690, member: 87792"] Apocalypse World was deliberately written to be a narrative game with Vincent Baker explicitly stating "[I]The entire game design follows from “Narrativism: Story Now” by Ron Edwards.[/I]" And among those who enjoy narrativist games it is incredibly influential and generally a favourite of those who do - while it has almost none of the features of those that use Narrativism or narrativist games as a snarl world; 5e has more metacurrencies than AW. So what are the features that make it a great PC-focused narrativist game? In my opinion they include the following: [LIST] [*]Relatively low GM authority, setting the focus on the PCs [LIST] [*]The Apocalypse World GM is the "MC" or "Master of Ceremonies" - i.e. possibly the most important player but the first among equals [*]There's no fudging of rolls possible when the GM never rolls a dice. And the actions are chosen by the players [*]The GM doesn't write the world - indeed the world (although controlled by the GM) is created during Session Zero [*]The GM is explicitly instructed to "be a fan of the player characters" [/LIST] [*]The characters are distinctly part of the setting and aren't some random doofuses who met in a bar and have nothing to do with events [LIST] [*]The setting is explicitly created round the PCs [*]The PCs explicitly mostly have jobs and bases of operations in the setting so are invested in the area [*]Many of the playbooks have explicit NPC relationships [/LIST] [*]Character growth and development of the type that makes for good stories is focused on [LIST] [*]Minimal "number goes up" development - no levels, no bloating of hit points and only slight stat progression. Instead growth is more extending the character's abilities or even transforming them. Possibly even changing playbooks. Characters end up [I]changed[/I] and in logical ways but not always anticipated ways [*]You get XP for showing the side of you that others want to see (highlights) or for interacting with other PCs in stressful situations, whether helping them or interfering (Hx). Or for move specific recklessness. [*]There are ways back from "No one could have survived that" - but no ways back without consequence, and changing your playbook is huge [/LIST] [*]"[I]Story [/I]Now" - the story is now and not preauthored [LIST] [*]Success-with-consequences mechanics mean that scenes aren't going to go as expected; no one can predict the outcome [*]They also lead to "[URL='https://perell.com/note/but-therefore-rule/']but ... therefore[/URL]" which leads to better stories than "yes ... and" (which is where success or failure mechanics go) [*]There is a [I]lot[/I] of room for character choice, both before and as a consequence of actions [/LIST] [*]"Story [B][I]Now[/I][/B]" - you get to events fast and things happen fast. There's no faffing around waiting (other than for pizza/chatter) [LIST] [*]The mechanical parts of character creation are fast [*]The characters start with intertwined and slightly double edged backstories so there's no need for "meet up scenes" [*]You don't slow the game down to look things up in the manual [*]Every roll is consequential and has the potential to go very wrong or very right (even when it's "just" damage there's the Harm Move) [/LIST] [/LIST] These are not limits to what AW does that makes it great for narrative focused games - but they are big parts of it. And it means that by the end of the second session (with the first containing group character creation) no one knows where their character or the situation is going, just that it's moving fast and no one will come out unchanged. Fate, for example, has some of this including at least some non-linear growth and intertwined backstories as well as a lower authority GM than trad gaming - but in general it's largely independent of Fate's fate points. [/QUOTE]
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