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<blockquote data-quote="Hussar" data-source="post: 5337024" data-attributes="member: 22779">The problem is P1NBACK, EVERY RPG can be played this way.&nbsp; Lots and lots of groups play this way.&nbsp; Not everyone, true, but, many do.&nbsp; Basically, it amounts to you saying that everyone who doesn't play the way you do is doing it wrong.&nbsp; And I say that because you're claiming that allowing mechanics to direct the role play equates a game with a board game.To me, I just see that board games and RPG's share an element - mechanics.&nbsp; Any time you have mechanics, the narrative in the game will be determined to a greater or lesser extent BY those mechanics.&nbsp; At no point do you get to trump mechanics with narrative in any RPG where the result of an action is mechanically determined.Bringing the hamster wheel around, no matter how you narrate it, you cannot say, &quot;I kill the monster&quot; before you roll the dice.&nbsp; Killing the monster is ENTIRELY mechanically dictated in most RPG's.&nbsp; At best you can say, &quot;I try to kill the monster&quot; but, that's pretty much a meaningless statement in the face of mechanics because it speaks to a future event.&quot;I try to kill the monster&quot; makes about as much difference to the narrative of the game as &quot;I try to climb the wall&quot;.&nbsp; Until such time as you actually engage the mechanics, nothing happens in the game.&nbsp; Until you roll the dice, you are staring at the wall, standing at the bottom.You don't actually do anything until such time as that die stops rolling.&nbsp; THEN you get to narrate what happens.&nbsp; Narrating intent is meaningless.&nbsp; Who cares what you want to happen?&nbsp; What happens is what the dice determine.*&nbsp; After that determination, then the actual narrative of the game moves forward.&nbsp; Otherwise, you're just navel gazing.* Presuming of course that the action you are intent upon doing is mechanically determined.&nbsp; &quot;I walk across the room&quot; does not engage the mechanics.&nbsp; &quot;I walk across the pitching floor of the ship in the storm&quot; now engages the mechanics, and the narrative is entirely determined by whether or not you succeed in an acrobatics check.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Hussar, post: 5337024, member: 22779"] The problem is P1NBACK, EVERY RPG can be played this way. Lots and lots of groups play this way. Not everyone, true, but, many do. Basically, it amounts to you saying that everyone who doesn't play the way you do is doing it wrong. And I say that because you're claiming that allowing mechanics to direct the role play equates a game with a board game. To me, I just see that board games and RPG's share an element - mechanics. Any time you have mechanics, the narrative in the game will be determined to a greater or lesser extent BY those mechanics. At no point do you get to trump mechanics with narrative in any RPG where the result of an action is mechanically determined. Bringing the hamster wheel around, no matter how you narrate it, you cannot say, "I kill the monster" before you roll the dice. Killing the monster is ENTIRELY mechanically dictated in most RPG's. At best you can say, "I try to kill the monster" but, that's pretty much a meaningless statement in the face of mechanics because it speaks to a future event. "I try to kill the monster" makes about as much difference to the narrative of the game as "I try to climb the wall". Until such time as you actually engage the mechanics, nothing happens in the game. Until you roll the dice, you are staring at the wall, standing at the bottom. You don't actually do anything until such time as that die stops rolling. THEN you get to narrate what happens. Narrating intent is meaningless. Who cares what you want to happen? What happens is what the dice determine.* After that determination, then the actual narrative of the game moves forward. Otherwise, you're just navel gazing. * Presuming of course that the action you are intent upon doing is mechanically determined. "I walk across the room" does not engage the mechanics. "I walk across the pitching floor of the ship in the storm" now engages the mechanics, and the narrative is entirely determined by whether or not you succeed in an acrobatics check. [/QUOTE]

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