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General Tabletop Discussion
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DM question: how much do you incorporate PC backgrounds into the campaign?
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<blockquote data-quote="hawkeyefan" data-source="post: 7944434" data-attributes="member: 6785785"><p>Okay, let me try to elaborate. </p><p></p><p>Forget that we're playing a game for a minute. Imagine a group of 8 people has split up into two groups of 4 in order to search an abandoned building. Each group moves about the building, room to room, examining what's there. </p><p></p><p>One of the people in the first group gets a little concerned and decides to check in on the second group. Maybe he has a hunch, or maybe he sees something in one of the rooms that indicates there may be a need for caution.....whatever the case, I think you will agree that this is a possibility in the real world. He may, without any direct knowledge of what is happening to them, decide to go and check on the other group. This seems like a very reasonable and plausible action, no?</p><p></p><p>Okay, now let's take that situation and drop it into a game unconcerned about metagaming, and one that is concerned about metagaming. </p><p></p><p>In the unconcerned game, the above is still possible. The character from the first group is free to go check in on the second group. There is no restriction on his actions from reasons outside of the game.</p><p></p><p>In the game concerned with metagaming, there very likely may be such restrictions. Of course, it depends on what is happening at the table. If group 2 actually is in some kind of danger, and anyone from group 1 says "I'd like to go check on them" the DM blocks the action because of the outside knowledge. Oddly enough, if there is no danger, the DM would likely allow it. This is not at all consistent, and is entirely dependent upon elements beyond the game world.</p><p></p><p>One game allows for any and all actions, the other restricts actions based on a concern about metagaming. A perfectly reasonable and plausible action on the part of one character is blocked. </p><p></p><p>If plausibility is one of the guiding principles of play, then I think the one that limits plausible actions is probably not preferred. Or would normally not be considered preferable, except that metagaming's been set up as a boogeyman for many gamers.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="hawkeyefan, post: 7944434, member: 6785785"] Okay, let me try to elaborate. Forget that we're playing a game for a minute. Imagine a group of 8 people has split up into two groups of 4 in order to search an abandoned building. Each group moves about the building, room to room, examining what's there. One of the people in the first group gets a little concerned and decides to check in on the second group. Maybe he has a hunch, or maybe he sees something in one of the rooms that indicates there may be a need for caution.....whatever the case, I think you will agree that this is a possibility in the real world. He may, without any direct knowledge of what is happening to them, decide to go and check on the other group. This seems like a very reasonable and plausible action, no? Okay, now let's take that situation and drop it into a game unconcerned about metagaming, and one that is concerned about metagaming. In the unconcerned game, the above is still possible. The character from the first group is free to go check in on the second group. There is no restriction on his actions from reasons outside of the game. In the game concerned with metagaming, there very likely may be such restrictions. Of course, it depends on what is happening at the table. If group 2 actually is in some kind of danger, and anyone from group 1 says "I'd like to go check on them" the DM blocks the action because of the outside knowledge. Oddly enough, if there is no danger, the DM would likely allow it. This is not at all consistent, and is entirely dependent upon elements beyond the game world. One game allows for any and all actions, the other restricts actions based on a concern about metagaming. A perfectly reasonable and plausible action on the part of one character is blocked. If plausibility is one of the guiding principles of play, then I think the one that limits plausible actions is probably not preferred. Or would normally not be considered preferable, except that metagaming's been set up as a boogeyman for many gamers. [/QUOTE]
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DM question: how much do you incorporate PC backgrounds into the campaign?
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