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<blockquote data-quote="jdrakeh" data-source="post: 2707056" data-attributes="member: 13892"><p>Before you begin to play any roleplaying game, all of the players (including the GM) should take some time to draft a social contract. What is a social contract? In simple terms, a social contract is merely an agreement made between the players that organizes the tenets of a given game to their mutual satisfaction. For example: </p><p></p><p><em>Charles, Mark, and Melissa mutually decide that they want to use the d20 Modern rules to play a game set during the 1930s, in New York City that centers on a group of pulp heroes battling to save humanity from ancient evil.</em></p><p></p><p>In this example, the players have drafted a very simple social contract that restricts their game to taking place during a certain time period, in a certain place, and focusing on a certain premise. Naturally, like the role-playing game itself, the tenets of a social contract are limited only by the boundaries of your imagination. </p><p></p><p>Setting aside some time at the beginning of the initial game session to draft a social contract does two very important things. First, it ensures that all of the players have some say in what the game will encompass, thus ensuring that they all have some level of personal investment in the game. Second, it lets all of the players know what they can expect from the game that lies ahead, keeping them all on the same page, so to speak. Both of these things go a long way towards making a game more enjoyable for those involved.</p><p> </p><p>The most important thing to remember when drafting a social contract is that it exists to serve all of the players, thus, no player should be excluded from the drafting process. That is, input from all players should be given equal consideration when drafting the social contract - no idea should ever be excluded without first being examined for merit. To exclude a proposed tenet without first giving it consideration runs directly contrary to the stated purpose of cooperating with other players to draft the social contract (and, indeed, such action can cause resentment). </p><p></p><p>A good rule of thumb to adhere to when drafting the social contract is one of majority rule. This does mean that sometimes certain individuals will have to make concessions, but it also goes a long way towards ensuring that everybody has at least some say in what tenets are incorporated into the contract. In the interest of being fair, some players may wish to hold a vote on whether or not to include individual proposed tenets in the social contract - and this is perfectly acceptable (in fact, I personally endorse this approach to drafting social contracts). </p><p></p><p>The second most important thing to keep in mind when drafting a social contract is that it is not (nor should it ever be) set in stone. Both the drafters of the contract and the contract itself should always be open to the possibility of change. A time may arise when some players wish to amend, omit, or otherwise alter tenets in the social contract and making such proposals should always be encouraged, even if they are not enacted. </p><p></p><p>Ultimately, the social contract is an <em>extremely</em> useful tool that is often overlooked, despite the fact that it would prevent many of the disputes related to rule implementation and setting conventions that often crop up on internet forums, by resovling such issues before they occur. Prevention is, after all, the best measure one can take to avoid controversy. </p><p></p><p>[I have some interest in Elements of Magic]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="jdrakeh, post: 2707056, member: 13892"] Before you begin to play any roleplaying game, all of the players (including the GM) should take some time to draft a social contract. What is a social contract? In simple terms, a social contract is merely an agreement made between the players that organizes the tenets of a given game to their mutual satisfaction. For example: [i]Charles, Mark, and Melissa mutually decide that they want to use the d20 Modern rules to play a game set during the 1930s, in New York City that centers on a group of pulp heroes battling to save humanity from ancient evil.[/i] In this example, the players have drafted a very simple social contract that restricts their game to taking place during a certain time period, in a certain place, and focusing on a certain premise. Naturally, like the role-playing game itself, the tenets of a social contract are limited only by the boundaries of your imagination. Setting aside some time at the beginning of the initial game session to draft a social contract does two very important things. First, it ensures that all of the players have some say in what the game will encompass, thus ensuring that they all have some level of personal investment in the game. Second, it lets all of the players know what they can expect from the game that lies ahead, keeping them all on the same page, so to speak. Both of these things go a long way towards making a game more enjoyable for those involved. The most important thing to remember when drafting a social contract is that it exists to serve all of the players, thus, no player should be excluded from the drafting process. That is, input from all players should be given equal consideration when drafting the social contract - no idea should ever be excluded without first being examined for merit. To exclude a proposed tenet without first giving it consideration runs directly contrary to the stated purpose of cooperating with other players to draft the social contract (and, indeed, such action can cause resentment). A good rule of thumb to adhere to when drafting the social contract is one of majority rule. This does mean that sometimes certain individuals will have to make concessions, but it also goes a long way towards ensuring that everybody has at least some say in what tenets are incorporated into the contract. In the interest of being fair, some players may wish to hold a vote on whether or not to include individual proposed tenets in the social contract - and this is perfectly acceptable (in fact, I personally endorse this approach to drafting social contracts). The second most important thing to keep in mind when drafting a social contract is that it is not (nor should it ever be) set in stone. Both the drafters of the contract and the contract itself should always be open to the possibility of change. A time may arise when some players wish to amend, omit, or otherwise alter tenets in the social contract and making such proposals should always be encouraged, even if they are not enacted. Ultimately, the social contract is an [i]extremely[/i] useful tool that is often overlooked, despite the fact that it would prevent many of the disputes related to rule implementation and setting conventions that often crop up on internet forums, by resovling such issues before they occur. Prevention is, after all, the best measure one can take to avoid controversy. [I have some interest in Elements of Magic] [/QUOTE]
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