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World-Building tips: what does "What is the Game?" mean?
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<blockquote data-quote="magnusmalkus" data-source="post: 7421954" data-attributes="member: 34915"><p>Ok, Good input. Thank you GrahamWillis.</p><p></p><p>So, what I'm hearing is that (based on the examples given: space/planar exploration and military expedition, defining a setting for play etc...), it's a matter of choosing a unique Mode + Scenario that answers 'What is the Game". </p><p></p><p>Other options could be Post-Apocalyptic Survival, Relic Questing, Monster Extermination, Spreading a Message Throughout the Land, Community Coping in Isolation, Government Sanctioned Bounty Hunting, Cult Recruitment... yes, the list is endless.</p><p></p><p>But isn't that just another way of expressing a games 'setting'? I wonder why the author didn't just specify "What is the Game SETTING" or "WHERE is the Game (Set)" following up the thought provoking query with the proviso "Make it unique and not a copy".</p><p></p><p>It is as GrahmWills pointed out, the comparison to the three non-RPG games John Four mentioned, where I think the most value lies in understanding the vague question of "Where is the Game". The three board games listed seem to be divided by the WAY the games were played... Catan (strategy & RNG) Jenga (skill & strategy) and, Gloomhaven (dice & card RNG dungeon crawling). The MODE of play is what defines their differences, much the way Sandbox, Narrative and Character Development define MODES of P&P RPG's. This is why I was looking for other, different modes of play for RPG's. Maybe there aren't others and I'm still misunderstanding.</p><p></p><p>Indeed, the author did go on to talk about settings: "I want gameplay in Duskfall to be different from adventures set in the Forgotten Realms, Newhon, or the Hyborian Age." Isn't it just flavor that sets these settings apart? In what way, by example of the topic being discussed (What is the Game?) are they different? What makes each of them unique aside from swapping out city names, gods and coinage?</p><p></p><p>So maybe John Four is asking "What is the Game (Mode)", to which I still left asking "How many are there and what are they?" Settings & Scenarios, yes these are innumerable and only limited by our imaginations. </p><p></p><p>I suppose I may have to reach out to the author for further clarification. I brought it here first because I'm sure John Four, the e-mails author, receives a slew of responses to his weekly emails. I thought perhaps a think-tank such as found here might be more apt to generate a response than my one voice among many others.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="magnusmalkus, post: 7421954, member: 34915"] Ok, Good input. Thank you GrahamWillis. So, what I'm hearing is that (based on the examples given: space/planar exploration and military expedition, defining a setting for play etc...), it's a matter of choosing a unique Mode + Scenario that answers 'What is the Game". Other options could be Post-Apocalyptic Survival, Relic Questing, Monster Extermination, Spreading a Message Throughout the Land, Community Coping in Isolation, Government Sanctioned Bounty Hunting, Cult Recruitment... yes, the list is endless. But isn't that just another way of expressing a games 'setting'? I wonder why the author didn't just specify "What is the Game SETTING" or "WHERE is the Game (Set)" following up the thought provoking query with the proviso "Make it unique and not a copy". It is as GrahmWills pointed out, the comparison to the three non-RPG games John Four mentioned, where I think the most value lies in understanding the vague question of "Where is the Game". The three board games listed seem to be divided by the WAY the games were played... Catan (strategy & RNG) Jenga (skill & strategy) and, Gloomhaven (dice & card RNG dungeon crawling). The MODE of play is what defines their differences, much the way Sandbox, Narrative and Character Development define MODES of P&P RPG's. This is why I was looking for other, different modes of play for RPG's. Maybe there aren't others and I'm still misunderstanding. Indeed, the author did go on to talk about settings: "I want gameplay in Duskfall to be different from adventures set in the Forgotten Realms, Newhon, or the Hyborian Age." Isn't it just flavor that sets these settings apart? In what way, by example of the topic being discussed (What is the Game?) are they different? What makes each of them unique aside from swapping out city names, gods and coinage? So maybe John Four is asking "What is the Game (Mode)", to which I still left asking "How many are there and what are they?" Settings & Scenarios, yes these are innumerable and only limited by our imaginations. I suppose I may have to reach out to the author for further clarification. I brought it here first because I'm sure John Four, the e-mails author, receives a slew of responses to his weekly emails. I thought perhaps a think-tank such as found here might be more apt to generate a response than my one voice among many others. [/QUOTE]
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