NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="GVDammerung" data-source="post: 3760680" data-attributes="member: 33060">I will imagine that you will agree that social interaction is one of the more important elements of table top RPGs.  I will imagine as well that you will agree that conversation is among the most important parts of this social interaction.  If you are with me on these two points, the question becomes how does unequal knowledge of the game effect the conversation and thus the social interaction.I'm not trying to talk down to you here but you've said you can't grasp the logic.  Moving on.Your example is what I will characterize as a casual conversation, perhaps even among friends.  This is certainly one sort of conversation.  There is another.Conversations about the rules or mechanics, particularly when not among friends (even if not adversaries either), can run to more than casual conversation, running instead to point and counterpoint, with specific detail and examples being requested, even demanded.  When the conversation is at a further remove, such as on ENWorld, this more specifics dominated type of conversation is frequently encountered.  In either situation, the person with the most information is at an advantage as they can provide the requested/demanded specifics.  The person with only the partially reproduced example is at a disadvantage and may well have to "concede" or bow out of the conversation.I have seen this dynamic at work in game stores, at cons and particularly on ENWorld, where it is treated as almost a virtue.  ENWorld is particularly prone to "put up or shut up" sorts of conversations.  Whomever has greater access to information on the topic is more able to "put up" and those with lesser access are more likely to be put in a position where they are moved to "shut up."  Only those participants fully able to equally cite to the rules or whatever can effectively hang in with the conversation.  If you have not witnessed this dynamic, I can only count you a lucky fellow to have so easily moved through the gaming world.To summarize, a disparity in access to rules information impedes conversation where such rules information is germane to the conversation.  Two classes are observed - the fully informed and the partially informed.  It takes no leap of the imagination to imagine who has the better of any ensuing conversation, again excepting purely friendly or casual conversations.</blockquote>

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