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<blockquote data-quote="Argyle King" data-source="post: 5762188" data-attributes="member: 58416">However, there's still an acceptable ballpark of 'reality.'&nbsp; That ballpark may be different depending upon your target audience and your genre, but there still is a ballpark.If there were a CSI episode in which one of the agents were shot in the face, but -then he's in next week's episode looking perfectly fine- it's going to raise some questions about 'reality.'Visual mediums also have limitations imposed upon them by their structure and time limit which books and print do not.&nbsp; Likewise, books and print have limitations which rpgs (as an interactive activity) do not.&nbsp; This is one of the reasons why I often am of the opinion that R. Howard's Conan stories were grim and gritty in spite of Conan being such an over-the-top character and surviving impossible odds in a regular basis.&nbsp; The character is needed for the series to continue.&nbsp; Still, Howard writes in a way that makes the reader believe it; he doesn't just handwave and expect the reader to not notice.&nbsp; Conan still has limits.&nbsp; He might be the greatest warrior, but his personal skill still fails when faced with an enemy army.&nbsp; He may well kill 5 or 10 men, but he does not often do so without some sort of wound -unless he had a clear advantage.&nbsp; There's also the world around him which is painted in a way which passes as making sense most of the time.&nbsp; You don't see massive monsters roaming around everywhere; they are often unique creatures.&nbsp; Magic is capable of great things, but bartering with devils still comes with a price.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Argyle King, post: 5762188, member: 58416"] However, there's still an acceptable ballpark of 'reality.' That ballpark may be different depending upon your target audience and your genre, but there still is a ballpark. If there were a CSI episode in which one of the agents were shot in the face, but -then he's in next week's episode looking perfectly fine- it's going to raise some questions about 'reality.' Visual mediums also have limitations imposed upon them by their structure and time limit which books and print do not. Likewise, books and print have limitations which rpgs (as an interactive activity) do not. This is one of the reasons why I often am of the opinion that R. Howard's Conan stories were grim and gritty in spite of Conan being such an over-the-top character and surviving impossible odds in a regular basis. The character is needed for the series to continue. Still, Howard writes in a way that makes the reader believe it; he doesn't just handwave and expect the reader to not notice. Conan still has limits. He might be the greatest warrior, but his personal skill still fails when faced with an enemy army. He may well kill 5 or 10 men, but he does not often do so without some sort of wound -unless he had a clear advantage. There's also the world around him which is painted in a way which passes as making sense most of the time. You don't see massive monsters roaming around everywhere; they are often unique creatures. Magic is capable of great things, but bartering with devils still comes with a price. [/QUOTE]

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