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<blockquote data-quote="Ovinomancer" data-source="post: 8223284" data-attributes="member: 16814">Actually, definitionally what can be easily changed is not canon, so...?What's in the GM's notes can be changed easily prior to introduction in play.&nbsp; This assessment is absolutely independent of a GM's preference or willingness to change it.&nbsp; And no one is 100% on this, so it's not like we can find someone that has never and would never change anything once it's in the GM's notes (this rather ignores any brainstorming or drafting or in-work phases of GM's notes where things change all the time), so this isn't even an argument where we can postulate a hypothetical GM that's absolute on this issue without engaging in farce.If the notes are available to be changed, whereas things introduced into the fiction are usually unavailable to be changed, then there is a difference in kind here, and that's what I'm pointing out -- the GM's notes cannot be cannon because they can be easily changed.&nbsp; Whether or not they are is utterly irrelevant to this point.And this is different issue that goes to the same point -- the GM's early imagining is not privileged over the players as far as being canon because of this authority divide!&nbsp; The only thing the player can leverage to play is what's introduced (in a game where they have no other authorities, this isn't universal although it's a hallmark of D&amp;D -- spells being a notable exception), then only what's introduced is of any value to the majority of players at the table.&nbsp; This is what the game canon is -- that which is shared.&nbsp; It can't be what the GM is thinking might happen next, but could change, if motivated.And I'm saying that by doing so they're hiding what they really care about behind the wrong reason -- because the GMs notes cannot be on the same level as the shared fiction as far as canon goes.&nbsp; Instead, what's going on here is that the prep informs the choices the GM makes and is a play aid. How does that work?&nbsp; This is a good question, but one that will never be asked if analysis is stuck on the false premise that prep is &quot;real&quot;.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Ovinomancer, post: 8223284, member: 16814"] Actually, definitionally what can be easily changed is not canon, so...? What's in the GM's notes can be changed easily prior to introduction in play. This assessment is absolutely independent of a GM's preference or willingness to change it. And no one is 100% on this, so it's not like we can find someone that has never and would never change anything once it's in the GM's notes (this rather ignores any brainstorming or drafting or in-work phases of GM's notes where things change all the time), so this isn't even an argument where we can postulate a hypothetical GM that's absolute on this issue without engaging in farce. If the notes are available to be changed, whereas things introduced into the fiction are usually unavailable to be changed, then there is a difference in kind here, and that's what I'm pointing out -- the GM's notes cannot be cannon because they can be easily changed. Whether or not they are is utterly irrelevant to this point. And this is different issue that goes to the same point -- the GM's early imagining is not privileged over the players as far as being canon because of this authority divide! The only thing the player can leverage to play is what's introduced (in a game where they have no other authorities, this isn't universal although it's a hallmark of D&D -- spells being a notable exception), then only what's introduced is of any value to the majority of players at the table. This is what the game canon is -- that which is shared. It can't be what the GM is thinking might happen next, but could change, if motivated. And I'm saying that by doing so they're hiding what they really care about behind the wrong reason -- because the GMs notes cannot be on the same level as the shared fiction as far as canon goes. Instead, what's going on here is that the prep informs the choices the GM makes and is a play aid. How does that work? This is a good question, but one that will never be asked if analysis is stuck on the false premise that prep is "real". [/QUOTE]

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