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General Tabletop Discussion
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Does the world exist for the PCs?
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<blockquote data-quote="HJFudge" data-source="post: 7613691" data-attributes="member: 6997593"><p>For me, the best games to play, the best gaming experiences, happen when a player character can shape the world through their in game actions and the group of players can tell a story.</p><p></p><p>As soon as I feel like I am not in control of my destiny in the game, I lose interest. When every place I turn, when every rock I uncover, is somehow revolving around me and the party? The world loses any interest for me.</p><p></p><p>Those kind of words are poorly designed, because there is no mystery, there is no choice, just a paper thin illusion that the DM crafted 'especially for us'...which is fine and all, but I want a world where I help shape through my decisions and actions, not through the fiat of someone who knows whats best for my party. If the world is properly designed, there is room for me and my party to make decisions and interact with it that feel more 'real'. </p><p></p><p>Maybe the Empire of Doom doesnt have *anything to do with us as characters*...at least at first, when its created. In fact, its better that it does not!</p><p></p><p>Because then, during ACTUAL PLAY, we the party may decide how we want to interact with the Empire of Doom. Do we want to engineer its downfall, and work against it at every turn? Or maybe, just maybe, we can ally with them to bring down someone else whom we decided we don't like? Or perhaps we want to infiltrate it from the inside? Maybe we don't care about it at all and would rather explore the wilds and find monsters and treasure.</p><p></p><p>The thing is? When play begins...we the players *do not know* what we want quite yet. Neither does the DM. So if he's designed it around us and decided that it's going to be our major nemesis? He has <strong>ripped away</strong> any agency we had regarding it. There is no choice. They are the BAD GUYS and now we must fight them. Maybe we didn't want to fight them. Maybe thats not the story that wouldve been told if the group had been allowed to make decisions.</p><p></p><p>I believe that the core of the DnD experience...indeed, most tabletop gaming experience...is allowing the players to decide what their characters are to the world. Not designing a world that forces that choice on them.</p><p></p><p>Which is what those who are 'designing the world for the specific PCs' are doing, whether they acknowledge it or not. And if that is the world building advice the DMG is giving to players? It is terrible, bad advice. This isn't a book or a play or a show, its a tabletop game. If you wanna tell a cool story go write a book, DMing isnt for you. Let the story emerge on its own, get out of its way.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="HJFudge, post: 7613691, member: 6997593"] For me, the best games to play, the best gaming experiences, happen when a player character can shape the world through their in game actions and the group of players can tell a story. As soon as I feel like I am not in control of my destiny in the game, I lose interest. When every place I turn, when every rock I uncover, is somehow revolving around me and the party? The world loses any interest for me. Those kind of words are poorly designed, because there is no mystery, there is no choice, just a paper thin illusion that the DM crafted 'especially for us'...which is fine and all, but I want a world where I help shape through my decisions and actions, not through the fiat of someone who knows whats best for my party. If the world is properly designed, there is room for me and my party to make decisions and interact with it that feel more 'real'. Maybe the Empire of Doom doesnt have *anything to do with us as characters*...at least at first, when its created. In fact, its better that it does not! Because then, during ACTUAL PLAY, we the party may decide how we want to interact with the Empire of Doom. Do we want to engineer its downfall, and work against it at every turn? Or maybe, just maybe, we can ally with them to bring down someone else whom we decided we don't like? Or perhaps we want to infiltrate it from the inside? Maybe we don't care about it at all and would rather explore the wilds and find monsters and treasure. The thing is? When play begins...we the players *do not know* what we want quite yet. Neither does the DM. So if he's designed it around us and decided that it's going to be our major nemesis? He has [B]ripped away[/B] any agency we had regarding it. There is no choice. They are the BAD GUYS and now we must fight them. Maybe we didn't want to fight them. Maybe thats not the story that wouldve been told if the group had been allowed to make decisions. I believe that the core of the DnD experience...indeed, most tabletop gaming experience...is allowing the players to decide what their characters are to the world. Not designing a world that forces that choice on them. Which is what those who are 'designing the world for the specific PCs' are doing, whether they acknowledge it or not. And if that is the world building advice the DMG is giving to players? It is terrible, bad advice. This isn't a book or a play or a show, its a tabletop game. If you wanna tell a cool story go write a book, DMing isnt for you. Let the story emerge on its own, get out of its way. [/QUOTE]
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