Continuity Shmontinuity! :)

[Scribble]

So on the WoTC boards someone pointed out that they thought there was a continuity error in one of the creation stories of the points of light...

It made me think, I hope there are a BUNCH of continuity errors. I'd prefer it if say, each race has its own version of how the world was created, or what the gods are.

Why give specifics? Mystery always makes my brain bubble with ideas.

Anyone else?

 

[Janx]

I think there's some folks who expect a 1 true truth, and that all other variants are wrong.

I'm OK with that. As a GM, I'd prefer to not reveal that 1 true truth right away. Instead, I'd rather players see multiple versions, and ponder which one is right (assuming its useful in game), and then I reveal which truth was right, or a new truth that invalidates or supports all the others as they play.


The reason for people arguing is that they expect wotc to publish the 1 true truth and for that to be canon. However, I don't believe players have a right to the truth before the game begins. So therefore WotC doesn't have a right to publish a 1 true truth that I have to follow in my game because it means players know the 1 true truth before the game begins.

 

[Shemeska]

Why give specifics? Mystery always makes my brain bubble with ideas.

Anyone else?

Mystery is awesome. However there's a big difference between intentionally providing conflicting origin stories and contrasting legends in-game, versus an out of game continuity goof.

 

[Scribble]

Mystery is awesome. However there's a big difference between intentionally providing conflicting origin stories and contrasting legends in-game, versus an out of game continuity goof.

Well I realize if the intent is to provide a truth, and you goof and put something conflicting it needs editing.

It just made me think that I would preffer there to not be a truth to begin with.

 

[Haffrung Helleyes]

I agree

RuneQuest/Glorantha did this really well, by the way.

Each culture had a 'What my father told me' section that covered answers to basic life questions from that culture's point of view. They often conflicted with each other. Just like in real life!

Ken

 

[Shemeska]

Well I realize if the intent is to provide a truth, and you goof and put something conflicting it needs editing.

It just made me think that I would preffer there to not be a truth to begin with.

And I agree with you there

 

[Scribble]

RuneQuest/Glorantha did this really well, by the way.

Each culture had a 'What my father told me' section that covered answers to basic life questions from that culture's point of view. They often conflicted with each other. Just like in real life!

Ken

Thats cool... I like that. Thats one of the things I always liked about the WoD stuff... The little stories and snippets about "something" that didn't always fit togetehr perfectly, and never gave the whole story. My mind always started racing with possibilities.

It also gives my in game cultures something to fight about aside from, "we're good you're veil!"

 

[Mallus]

However there's a big difference between intentionally providing conflicting origin stories and contrasting legends in-game, versus an out of game continuity goof.

Some of my best mysteries started off as the unintentional kind...

 

[Janx]

the question is, what kind of continuity error is it. Is it conflicting cultures opinion of world creation, gee... that's new. It is typo related. Is it a schema that doesn't make sense within itself. Is it even a big deal?

I was watching a Buffy episode last night where Buffy's new super-soldier boyfriend riley is having withdrawal from not taking his meds.

I saw some mistakes.

1) buffy takes off her head scarf and wraps riley's injured hand. As they talk, one cut to buffy shows her scarf on her head (top-right corner of screen, almost off camera).
-They probably shot it in a few takes, and assembled the conversation.

2) riley not getting his meds handled dumbly. When the boss is killed, the 2nd in command doctor orders the soldiers to go back to their dorm rooms (above base). Later, the 2nd in command doctor is overheard saying, the soldiers are going to need their meds, or be in trouble, and they need to start bringing them in.
-if the dr. knows all this, why did he order them off the facility, instead of order them to stay on base, in a room?

3) if riley "has to to take his meds", how come the episode before, he was leaving for his folks place in Iowa for a thanksgiving weekend, and didn't have a problem (because he prolly took his meds with).
-the writers introduced the meds in the beginning of the same episode where he had a problem with not taking them, thus the previous episode didn't take them into account, thus introducing the contradiction.

Does any of this matter to the overal plot? Not really. And it wasn't obvious when I saw it the first time, but now that I'm watching disc after disc, in rapid succession, these little goofs are clear.

I believe the same is true for continuity in a D&D game. It's only obvious after scrutiny which isn't entirely likely (unless the players got screwed, and they're stewing over it).

 

[Doug McCrae]

RuneQuest/Glorantha did this really well, by the way.

Each culture had a 'What my father told me' section that covered answers to basic life questions from that culture's point of view. They often conflicted with each other. Just like in real life!

Yeah I was reminded of that too. I love that stuff. The What The Priests Say sections from Gods of Glorantha are even more awesome, totally contradictory. These guys have utterly opposed world views.

RuneQuest has the best fluff of any fantasy roleplaying game. It's so rooted in culture and religion. I think the lack of those two things is why D&D's fluff has always been so crappy. The PCs are just tomb robbers, they don't know about anything that won't help them rob more tombs. They're rootless wanderers. D&D doesn't do religion right, never has, it should take more inspiration from the real world and less from Robert E Howard's crazed cultists.