D&D 5E [+] Explain RPG theory without using jargon

[Crimson Longinus]

"If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't understand it yourself." ―Albert Einstein

I really could use a link to Einstein's explanation of special and general relativity that can be understood by a six year old!

 

[Umbran]

I personally find such open antipathy for jargon counterproductive.

Jargon poses a barrier to entry for anyone who isn't already in the jargon in-group. Barriers to entry are counterproductive.

Jargon is great when you have a bunch of people who already know the jargon go off into a jargon place and have jargon talk. EN World, however, is not an RPG theory jargon place. Maybe using a tag on a thread title, like, "[Ivory Tower]" or something, would at least inform people that they should not expect to join in if they aren't part of the jargon cabal.

It's not like you can explain even the math underpinning Einstein's work without using jargon!

So, as a guy who has worked through Einstein and then Hawking's "Large Scale Structure of Spacetime", for fun, I think you are missing a couple points:

1) Most importantly: RPG theory is not differential tensor calculus. Don't make like it is that hard. It ain't rocket science or quantum chromodynamics.

2) You can explain the major elements of Einstein and Hawking without talking math - indeed, Hawking did so, in A Brief History of Time. Double-indeed, another one of the other greatest minds of physics, Richard Feynman, noted that if you can't explain your theory in plain English, you don't really understand it yourself - "If you want to master something, teach it."

Dropping the jargon is a way to add to your own understanding.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Jargon poses a barrier to entry for anyone who isn't already in the jargon in-group. Barriers to entry are counterproductive.

Jargon is great when you have a bunch of people who already know the jargon go off into a jargon place and have jargon talk. EN World, however, is not an RPG theory jargon place. Maybe using a tag on a thread title, like, "[Ivory Tower]" or something, would at least inform people that they should not expect to join in if they aren't part of the jargon cabal.

I was of the opinion that the portion of my post that you cut out was the portion that recognized these facts.

So, as a guy who has worked through Einstein and then Hawking's "Large Scale Structure of Spacetime", for fun, I think you are missing a couple points:

1) Most importantly: RPG theory is not differential tensor calculus. Don't make like it is that hard. It ain't rocket science or quantum chromodynamics.

2) You can explain the major elements of Einstein and Hawking without talking math - indeed, Hawking did so, in A Brief History of Time. Double-indeed, another one of the other greatest minds of physics, Richard Feynman, noted that if you can't explain your theory in plain English, you don't really understand it yourself - "If you want to master something, teach it."

Dropping the jargon is a way to add to your own understanding.

I would not have given Einstein as an example if the opening post hadn't referenced it. I don't care if the reference was facetious; I find anti-jargon sentiment is used as a cudgel and not as a scalple.

And yes, I have also read A Brief History of Time. It's a good book. It also doesn't teach you diddly about why the things involved are almost certainly true, or very close to the truth. You basically have to coast on Hawking's authority as a cosmologist. I don't really consider that an "explanation." Further, given a major point of this (and previous) threads has been "we don't actually trust the authority of the people involved," eliding out jargon absolutely completely zero tolerance doesn't seem productive to me. But, as stated, I intend to put my money where my mouth is and show why some amount of jargon is actually appropriate, so long as one takes care to make it genuinely useful (as in, explaining it when speaking to an unfamiliar audience and using it to skip the need for tedious, repetitious circumlocution.)

 

[Campbell]

We speak in jargon all the time on these boards. Stuff like the story, fudging, hook, the adventure, sandbox, world building, "living breathing world". It's just particular jargon that seems unwelcome. Jargon that describes games like Apocalypse World, Sorcerer, Dogs in the Vineyard. It's almost like what's unwelcome is the playstyle more than the jargon.

 

[Malmuria]

We speak in jargon all the time on these boards. Stuff like the story, fudging, hook, the adventure, sandbox, world building, "living breathing world". It's just particular jargon that seems unwelcome. Jargon that describes games like Apocalypse World, Sorcerer, Dogs in the Vineyard. It's almost like what's unwelcome is the playstyle more than the jargon.

I mean, we’ve seen debates around terms like fudging, sandbox, and railroad get heated. Forge jargon is codified to a level where it feels hard to engage with the ideas unless you learn this particular language, where learning that language requires reading forum discussions from 20 years ago. And, to be honest, some people enforce that requirement, so that if you try to talk about a particular game (like the ones you mention) using your own language, you open yourself up to criticism.

 

[Ovinomancer]

I mean, we’ve seen debates around terms like fudging, sandbox, and railroad get heated. Forge jargon is codified to a level where it feels hard to engage with the ideas unless you learn this particular language, where learning that language requires reading forum discussions from 20 years ago. And, to be honest, some people enforce that requirement, so that if you try to talk about a particular game (like the ones you mention) using your own language, you open yourself up to criticism.

Please, point me in the direction of those coitizing you for failing to use approved jargon while discussing these games. I have words. I would speak those words to those people. I haven't seen any of this anywhere, though, so any pointers would be helpful.

 

[Malmuria]

edit: it’s a (+) thread,

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

I do think twice posting about some games knowing that you might come in

When I feel that way, I find that the blocking function is helpful.

I'd say more, but I'm not sure what you're responding to.

 

[Malmuria]

When I feel that way, I find that the blocking function is helpful.

I'd say more, but I'm not sure what you're responding to.

Well then you don’t see ppl criticizing you for blocking them (this happened to you btw)

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Well then you don’t see ppl criticizing you for blocking them (this happened to you btw)

My well-lived life is all the satisfaction I need. Besides, haters gonna hate. There is absolutely no requirement that I listen.