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A Question Of Agency?
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<blockquote data-quote="AbdulAlhazred" data-source="post: 8151154" data-attributes="member: 82106"><p>But, if the paradigm of play is "run the AP" or "play the GM's prepared scenario and don't diverge too much if possible" (which I think describe MOST D&D play at least up to a point) then how much is really granted here? The player may not know ANY of this, and it is largely upon the GM to prompt for it. So, either its a non-choice, because the player has very little chance of sussing this out from first principles, or the GM is putting up guideposts, and the player is following them. At this point is the player really saying "My character is an insightful and cooperative guy, he shows reverence"? I mean, OK, but what if he's a loud brash barbarian? What if nothing on the character sheet points either way? </p><p></p><p>Any old way you slice this, the GM came up with the decision point, and what it would be about, the PC's attitude/sensitivity. If the player is simply coming in blind and playing his character, he doesn't even really have any more agency here than if he came to a T intersection with both directions just leading off into darkness, its a coin-flip. And if the player is faithful to his character concept, then he may have no real agency here at all (that would be like if one branch of the T is flooded and he can't swim). </p><p></p><p>Granted, RP might matter, but it might not. If the game is, say Dungeon World, then the player's move is "Discern Realities" and he can then work out what to do based on what fiction is established by that move, plus his character's alignment, bonds, and general personality (which is not defined mechanically in DW). But more subtly, this scenario only arises through a series of interactions in which player intent has already been a part. So meeting drow, the Moon Goddess element, etc. are likely to have been established, or at least some of those details will be called out in the fictional presentation of the results of DR. It is practically guaranteed to be driven by RP in a way that gives the players agency of some sort.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="AbdulAlhazred, post: 8151154, member: 82106"] But, if the paradigm of play is "run the AP" or "play the GM's prepared scenario and don't diverge too much if possible" (which I think describe MOST D&D play at least up to a point) then how much is really granted here? The player may not know ANY of this, and it is largely upon the GM to prompt for it. So, either its a non-choice, because the player has very little chance of sussing this out from first principles, or the GM is putting up guideposts, and the player is following them. At this point is the player really saying "My character is an insightful and cooperative guy, he shows reverence"? I mean, OK, but what if he's a loud brash barbarian? What if nothing on the character sheet points either way? Any old way you slice this, the GM came up with the decision point, and what it would be about, the PC's attitude/sensitivity. If the player is simply coming in blind and playing his character, he doesn't even really have any more agency here than if he came to a T intersection with both directions just leading off into darkness, its a coin-flip. And if the player is faithful to his character concept, then he may have no real agency here at all (that would be like if one branch of the T is flooded and he can't swim). Granted, RP might matter, but it might not. If the game is, say Dungeon World, then the player's move is "Discern Realities" and he can then work out what to do based on what fiction is established by that move, plus his character's alignment, bonds, and general personality (which is not defined mechanically in DW). But more subtly, this scenario only arises through a series of interactions in which player intent has already been a part. So meeting drow, the Moon Goddess element, etc. are likely to have been established, or at least some of those details will be called out in the fictional presentation of the results of DR. It is practically guaranteed to be driven by RP in a way that gives the players agency of some sort. [/QUOTE]
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