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I've co-authored a lot of papers. That doesn't require a "leader".

Using the vocabulary of GNS (from The Forge), he identifies two forms of simulationism - purist-for-system (eg C&S) and high concept (the "living novel" approach, where as I posted upthread he anticipates the issues with Dragonlance) - and also two forms of gamism - the gamble ("lottery D&D")...

I don't think alignment contributes any sophistication to moral thinking in play, for the reason that I already posted in this thread: it characterises all the major moral outlooks/approaches as good, and hence has nothing to say about disagreements between them. In my own play experience, I...

Agreed. It seems like a concession to the sorts of approach that Pulsipher criticises. I think it's interesting in that it shows that Gygax/TSR was aware of this variety of approaches to play as early as 1978. Interesting point. I think that there are differences between Gygax's PHB and DMG...

Which entails that it can't be anything but opinion, doesn't it? Anyway, I'm still not sure that measurement or metrics are how we identify golden ages. I'm probably out of touch. My sense of when things might have "peaked" is a little different - but still, I don't have any sense of a "golden...

I'm not telling you what you meant. I'm saying that there is a difference between player actions determine alignment and GM arbitrates alignment based on player actions. For instance, the player could determine their PC's alignment based on their actions. Or they could ask the opinion of the...

I agree with @EzekielRaiden: there is a big difference between alignment is a consequence of how the player plays their PC and alignment is decided by the GM on the basis of how the player plays their PC.

The original AD&D rulebooks (PHB and DMG) are clear that "good" encompasses the general range of moral view: LG is framed in Benthamite terms (the greatest benefit for the greatest number) while concepts of "right" and of "welfare", "satisfaction" and "life, happiness, and prosperity" are also...

I've never read or played MouseGuard, though I have heard of its phases/turns before. (I know TB2e fairly well, but it uses a different phase structure.) I'm curious about your (1) - as in, to what extent is the GM free to set the stakes in the GM turn? Is there some expectation that these will...

It's a long time since I've been to a convention. I went with friends, and we played together as a team. Mostly we didn't know the GMs, which was interesting but generally not bad.

Yes, I know. But in the context of the thread is seemed like it might be useful to spell it out.

John Harper had a good diagram to illustrate this "jigsaw pieces" approach: The Mighty Atom

In Burning Wheel, on a successful roll the task is successful and the intent achieved. On a failed roll, the intent is not achieved - and the GM narrates what happens, which may or may not include the task succeeding. So there are three possibilities: Task succeeds, and intent succeeds...

I think this illustrates how task resolution, in combination with no sense that the GM is obliged to honour the intent, is a recipe for railroading.

This came up a few times in discussions of 4e: what's the DC for a Diplomacy check to allow another character to spend a healing surge? The logic of hit points suggests it should be possible; but there is the risk of intruding on the role of the Healing skill. One possibility is that, on the...

This isn't quite right: there is no "vice versa"; and it is only Comeliness of -9 or lower that triggers this effect, and only if both the creature with the negative comeliness and the character viewing them are of evil alignment. It's not possible for an ordinary mortal to have such a low...

It depends on the system. Classic Traveller uses random encounters. Torchbearer has random Camp and Town Events; but encounters during the Adventure Phase are either triggered by going to a place on the map, or introduced by the GM as twists for failed tests. Prince Valiant doesn't use random...

Awesome to see you posting! I haven't seen you for ages. Pulsipher's skilled play is basically the same as what Gygax describes in his PHB, under the label "Successful Adventures": on the player side, the emphasis is on prep, planning and seizing control (as much as can be done) of what things...

What adventure(s) do you have in mind?

Stone Town is a city that has existed for a long time. And I think it relies mostly on groundwater; I don't think there is a river of any significance.