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<blockquote data-quote="AbdulAlhazred" data-source="post: 8830645" data-attributes="member: 82106">Yeah, this has been my central thesis for years on this point, ALL RPG play is fundamentally pretty contrived. I mean, its possible to imagine some that is a bit less so than other instances, I guess. However I don't think anything resembling the classic model of a group of players who play individual PCs who form a cohesive group really can ever get much away from that. Either the group exists sort of purely for meta-game reasons (typical of most classic D&amp;D play) or else there is a plot device to explain it (IE the 'squad of soldiers' kind of model). In the latter case, why is this particular 'squad' so specifically going to engage in some highly unusual activities? Or if their activities are more typical, then they aught mostly to be pretty mundane, right? I CAN imagine an RPG that was something like &quot;Play the High School Football Team&quot; or something where the things that happen are highly typical and not exceptionally unusual. The drama would then be purely local and pretty down-to-earth (one PC gets his girlfriend stolen by another, etc.). I don't see anything WRONG with that, but it seems weirdly unfit for something like a fantasy game.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="AbdulAlhazred, post: 8830645, member: 82106"] Yeah, this has been my central thesis for years on this point, ALL RPG play is fundamentally pretty contrived. I mean, its possible to imagine some that is a bit less so than other instances, I guess. However I don't think anything resembling the classic model of a group of players who play individual PCs who form a cohesive group really can ever get much away from that. Either the group exists sort of purely for meta-game reasons (typical of most classic D&D play) or else there is a plot device to explain it (IE the 'squad of soldiers' kind of model). In the latter case, why is this particular 'squad' so specifically going to engage in some highly unusual activities? Or if their activities are more typical, then they aught mostly to be pretty mundane, right? I CAN imagine an RPG that was something like "Play the High School Football Team" or something where the things that happen are highly typical and not exceptionally unusual. The drama would then be purely local and pretty down-to-earth (one PC gets his girlfriend stolen by another, etc.). I don't see anything WRONG with that, but it seems weirdly unfit for something like a fantasy game. [/QUOTE]

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