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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mallus" data-source="post: 6203230" data-attributes="member: 3887">The way I understand 'drifting' is it's when the gameplay at the table moves away from the activities directly supported/reinforced/rewarded by the mechanics. Drifting doesn't occur when you move away from a system's default genre --ie, when the fiction 'drifts'-- unless genre assumptions are hard-coded into the mechanics. Full disclosure: I'm no expert in Forge theory, Ron Edwards, etc. The implication is that RPGs should have the most rules for what the campaigns are about, ie they should be mechanically and thematically focused. Note 'thematically-focused' doesn't preclude the blending of genres. If your game/campaign is about exploring dungeons, overcoming deadly monsters & puzzles, and acquiring valuable treasures --ie, old-school D&D-- it doesn't really matter if said treasures are ancient magic swords or even-ancienter laserguns. My problem with the drift construct is it sounds good in theory, inarguable good, even, but it doesn't accurately represent how I enjoy RPGs in practice. The most fun I've had RPG'ing comes from... how do I put this... pounding square pegs into round holes. Using systems to run games that frequently either ignore or run contrary to the default manner of play established by the mechanics.I've found I want the rules to cover what I'm least interested in inventing myself (combat systems, exploration support, etc). Conversely, I don't want or need rules for the gameplay elements that most interest me, for example, social interaction, conversation, and negotiation, or rules with mechanically encode personality and interpersonal conflict. I also like to hand out a lot of narrative control to players in campaign run in systems without any formal rules for doing it.I guess I have a conflicted relationship with formal rules... I want to drift a system (usually). I like the tension between the world implied (or overtly established) by the rules and what I end up doing with (and to) them. That process of reconciliation/attempted reconciliation really drives my interest in a campaign. I guess that makes me a 'system matters, but not in the way most folks think' sort of guy.</blockquote>

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