Do You Want Immersive Roleplay?

[Talmek]

So this thread got me to reflect on the positive experiences I've had as a player (sadly this is the vast minority of my overall RPG experiences - I'm almost ALWAYS the DM) and yes, I do look for and prefer to have a level of immersion in my games. Further, I think that I desire this so much that I would be guilty of trying to make this occur in the games that I've run, to the point where it has overridden the desires of my players. Obviously that second piece is a bad thing, but I truly do believe that an immersive experience would be more memorable and meaningful down the road than and experience where a player would reminisce and say, "hey, remember that time I hit the mob for XXX damage?"

As always, YMMV and in no way would I try to recruit those that may want things a little different.

 

[fjw70]

I am curios about the seemingly knee jerk "not interested" comments.

I said no because this seems to be a summary of what the OP meant by immersion.

I'll create a custom rule set and keep it hidden from the players, making all rolls for them and me behind the screen.

RPGs are games and I am interested in engaging the rules as well as the story.

 

[Bedrockgames]

For me the first thing that excited me about RPGs and was like a revelation when I first played, was that instant feeling that I was somewhere else, completely in the shoes of my character. So that is the feeling I like to have when playing. I just don't get that full experience from movies or video games but table top RPGs, for some reason allow me to have it. So I'd say immersion is what I'm after when I play.

 

[fjw70]

To me immersion is playing the game and making decisions strictly from the character's POV and never from the player's POV. So things like Fate Points and 5e's inspiration break immersion and I like those things so I am not looking for immersion.

 

[Imaculata]

I think the importance of immersion is why I do so much research for my pirate campaign. I keep a whole list at the ready of all the kinds of strange tropical fruit, and with details on what they look like, what they taste like, and what the trees and plants look like that they grow on. I bet many DM's would not go to such great lengths. But I am constantly reminded about how important it is when I see the look of wonder in the eyes of my players when I describe something that seems totally believable and real. Plus they learn so much new things along the way, and so do I when I do the research. It gives me a lot of work, and a lot of joy.

 

[Maxperson]

\. I also see immersion as a feeling one can learn to induce and control such that each player is in control of his or her own level of immersion. So when I see complaints that X or Y "breaks my immersion" - usually in reference to how the GM or another player is playing - I just shake my head.

It's this inability to understand that people can be different from you when it comes to immersion that has me shaking my head. You understand so much, yet this aspect seems to elude you.

To the OP's question. Yes. Absolutely.

 

[Pickles III]

I think the importance of immersion is why I do so much research for my pirate campaign. I keep a whole list at the ready of all the kinds of strange tropical fruit, and with details on what they look like, what they taste like, and what the trees and plants look like that they grow on. I bet many DM's would not go to such great lengths. But I am constantly reminded about how important it is when I see the look of wonder in the eyes of my players when I describe something that seems totally believable and real. Plus they learn so much new things along the way, and so do I when I do the research. It gives me a lot of work, and a lot of joy.

I tend to zone out & glaze over with this sort of detail. It's like being forced to watch QI, which everyone else seems to find hilarious but always features Stephen Fry lecturing me.


That said I do enjoy it when classic features are respected so I'm happier if there are no warforged in the FR or clerics in Dark Sun etc & I don't have patience for people whose DM will not let them play CG paladins or Dwarven wizards.

 

[iserith]

It's this inability to understand that people can be different from you when it comes to immersion that has me shaking my head. You understand so much, yet this aspect seems to elude you.

To the OP's question. Yes. Absolutely.

When something comes down to skill - a thing that can be improved with effort - yes, I absolutely do shake my head when people would rather blame the other rather than improve their own skills. It's certainly easier to blame someone else though.

 

[Maxperson]

When something comes down to skill

Skill isn't all there is to immersion. That's a misconception of yours. Skill can help you get immersed, but the fantasy world environment/playstyle also plays into becoming immersed and in staying there. The idea that it's skill only is wrong.

 

[iserith]

Skill isn't all there is to immersion. That's a misconception of yours. Skill can help you get immersed, but the fantasy world environment/playstyle also plays into becoming immersed and in staying there. The idea that it's skill only is wrong.

We've covered this ground in another thread, so I won't hash it out again with you here. But, in short, it's the same skill that method actors use and thus something you can learn and improve. There is nothing you can do to shake me out of my feeling of "immersion." I have to choose to let you do that. It wasn't always thus, however. It was an important factor for me in playing RPGs, so I worked on it. As can anyone else.