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<blockquote data-quote="Bedrockgames" data-source="post: 6778497" data-attributes="member: 85555"><p>I can certainly respect not enjoying an approach rooted more in "the GM's world" approach but I think this kind of sets up a bit of a straw man. I like the world to feel real around my character, and I think the metric here is the GM tries to answer questions like "is there a cobbler" or "is there a magic guild in town" as logically as he or she can based on what has been established about the world and what seems reasonable. That is subjective to a degree, and every GM will have biases, but just because we have biases doesn't make us total slaves to them or require that we throw our hands up in despair and say "GM's world is impossible!". In my experience if the GM strives for impartiality, honesty and fairness in pursuit of running the world around the PCs, it will feel consistent and real. There will be imperfections, there will occasionally be bad GMs, but most GMs I've played under can manage this well with minimal issues. It takes the GM checking him or herself from time to time and asking "am I making this ruling because it goes somewhere that is convenient for me, or because its what the NPC would do, or what would be the case in this world." It isn't the only approach, but it is an entirely valid one. If the GM makes a serious error in judgment, like one thing exists in town, but something else that should be there isn't, if it is really glaring, probably warrants a reversal or explanation. But again it depends on how nitpick the players are about levels of realism there. Every group is different and part of the GM's responsibility here is to respond to the group's concerns about details. For me, I am honestly not going to worry or notice if the GM says there is a cobbler but no haberdasher. Some groups might be concerned about that kind of detail, but it probably wouldn't warrant a second glance in my current group (I have been in groups where that sort of thing matters though and when you are running for those kinds of players, the GM has to step up those kinds of details). I'll probably just assume articles for sewing are just made at home or something by most people or some other arrangement is in place. If you were playing in a campaign I was running though, and any time that sort of thing came up, it clearly bothered you (or attracted your interest) I would make a point of reading up on that aspect of culture and make sure it was as believable as I could make it. This is actually something I really enjoy as a GM. I'm a history buff, but I have my own areas of interest (I've never been too into things like textiles for example, and am much more interested in history of knowledge and social history). But I've had players who really want a ground level explanation of how things like Carp farming work in the setting. When that happens it gives me something to research that I might not normally take an interest in (and almost always expands my sense of the world). </p><p></p><p>But that doesn't mean a carp farm is going to exist in a particular place just because a player expresses an interest in them. My feeling as a player is when things exist simply because I suggest an interest in them....it feels like the world around me is too malleable and not a solid, external thing. </p><p></p><p>Again, none of this is about achieving a 100% perfect representation of reality in the setting. It is about believability and maintaining the illusion that the world is a real place external to my character.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Bedrockgames, post: 6778497, member: 85555"] I can certainly respect not enjoying an approach rooted more in "the GM's world" approach but I think this kind of sets up a bit of a straw man. I like the world to feel real around my character, and I think the metric here is the GM tries to answer questions like "is there a cobbler" or "is there a magic guild in town" as logically as he or she can based on what has been established about the world and what seems reasonable. That is subjective to a degree, and every GM will have biases, but just because we have biases doesn't make us total slaves to them or require that we throw our hands up in despair and say "GM's world is impossible!". In my experience if the GM strives for impartiality, honesty and fairness in pursuit of running the world around the PCs, it will feel consistent and real. There will be imperfections, there will occasionally be bad GMs, but most GMs I've played under can manage this well with minimal issues. It takes the GM checking him or herself from time to time and asking "am I making this ruling because it goes somewhere that is convenient for me, or because its what the NPC would do, or what would be the case in this world." It isn't the only approach, but it is an entirely valid one. If the GM makes a serious error in judgment, like one thing exists in town, but something else that should be there isn't, if it is really glaring, probably warrants a reversal or explanation. But again it depends on how nitpick the players are about levels of realism there. Every group is different and part of the GM's responsibility here is to respond to the group's concerns about details. For me, I am honestly not going to worry or notice if the GM says there is a cobbler but no haberdasher. Some groups might be concerned about that kind of detail, but it probably wouldn't warrant a second glance in my current group (I have been in groups where that sort of thing matters though and when you are running for those kinds of players, the GM has to step up those kinds of details). I'll probably just assume articles for sewing are just made at home or something by most people or some other arrangement is in place. If you were playing in a campaign I was running though, and any time that sort of thing came up, it clearly bothered you (or attracted your interest) I would make a point of reading up on that aspect of culture and make sure it was as believable as I could make it. This is actually something I really enjoy as a GM. I'm a history buff, but I have my own areas of interest (I've never been too into things like textiles for example, and am much more interested in history of knowledge and social history). But I've had players who really want a ground level explanation of how things like Carp farming work in the setting. When that happens it gives me something to research that I might not normally take an interest in (and almost always expands my sense of the world). But that doesn't mean a carp farm is going to exist in a particular place just because a player expresses an interest in them. My feeling as a player is when things exist simply because I suggest an interest in them....it feels like the world around me is too malleable and not a solid, external thing. Again, none of this is about achieving a 100% perfect representation of reality in the setting. It is about believability and maintaining the illusion that the world is a real place external to my character. [/QUOTE]
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