Play Is Paramount: Discuss

[Reynard]

As I understood it, OP thought his thesis was at least phrased as more absolutist than he liked, or was confident about.

OP is really uncomfortable talking about himself in the third person.

 

[prabe]

OP is really uncomfortable talking about himself in the third person.

OP could try talking about himself in the second person, I suppose.

 

[Fenris-77]

Or the completely unexpected fourth person.

 

[FrogReaver]

Uh, saying that looking over all the people doing the hobby, the experience of playing the game will generally be the most important form of engagement.

I agree with this version. I don’t think it’s what you actually said earlier though.

I mean, the post does go on to say others will prefer other forms of engagement, it seems to me you could have figured it out from reading it.

It also goes on to say that despite others preferring other forms of engagement they would still:

“There will be those who prefer other related experiences to actually playing the games--and someone might prefer, say, chargen in a given game to actual play, while still overall putting play as the most important experience”

That certainly sounds like a claim that the individuals who prefer other things in some way still rank play as the most important experience - which is the notion I’m pushing back against. Now maybe that’s not what you meant, but I think it’s obvious why I’m reading your post that way.

 

[Fenris-77]

while still overall putting play as the most important experience”

That's interesting. I wouldn't put it like that at all. 'Important' is an idea that's pretty subjective and up to the individual. My point was more that RPGs are games, and games are supposed to be played (that is their specific purpose). From this it follows that all the non-play RPG activities, like reading and prep, are indexed to eventual play in a general sense. That this eventuality might not be true for specific individuals doesn't change anything. It's not about importance though, that's probably far too strong.

 

[FrogReaver]

You can disagree all you like. I don't think that the idea that the core telos of games is to be played is even remotely controversial. Nor was this an assault on anyone's enjoyment of the non-play aspects of the hobby like worldbuilding, session prep, or whatever.

I don’t think “games are meant to be played” settles the question of what forms of engagement are most important.

It tells you something about design intent, not about how people actually meaningfully engage with the hobby. Those can diverge quite a bit.

 

[FrogReaver]

That's interesting. I wouldn't put it like that at all. 'Important' is an idea that's pretty subjective and up to the individual. My point was more that RPGs are games, and games are supposed to be played (that is their specific purpose). From this it follows that all the non-play RPG activities, like reading and prep, are indexed to eventual play in a general sense. That this eventuality might not be true for specific individuals doesn't change anything. It's not about importance though, that's probably far too strong.

Prabe said that not me. I just quoted him.

 

[Reynard]

I don’t think “games are meant to be played” settles the question of what forms of engagement are most important.

I'm not sure "important" is the right word here. Important to whom?

 

[Fenris-77]

I don’t think “games are meant to be played” settles the question of what forms of engagement are most important.

It tells you something about design intent, not about how people actually meaningfully engage with the hobby. Those can diverge quite a bit.

How individual people engage with the hobby is, oddly, pretty unimportant to my point (plus we aren't striving for a definition based on edge cases). Games are indeed meant to be played. Most gamers who are reading RPG books are going to play RPGs, designers design their games to be played, and most GM prep for actual play. It's all indexed to play because that's what one does with a game. Sure, some folks don't follow that pattern, and that's cool, but those folks and their habits aren't what anyone is basing general commentary about the hobby on.

 

[FrogReaver]

I'm not sure "important" is the right word here. Important to whom?

What do you think the bright word here?