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FKR: How Fewer Rules Can Make D&D Better
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<blockquote data-quote="clearstream" data-source="post: 9085268" data-attributes="member: 71699"><p>It took a while to really get started untangling the threads, but here is a further step in the direction I am thinking. First some groundwork</p><ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">As we know, GDS through to GNS identified three purposes of play. Gamist, Dramatist/Narrativist*, and Simulationist. Uniquely, GNS claims these purposes conflict. Intriguingly, GNS has another category of play - Zilchplay, or play without a creative purpose - which potentially applies to the vast majority of actual roleplayers. (*I'm aware that these aren't quite the same thing.)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">GEN took a different approach: positing a bottom tier of mechanics and techiques scaffolding a top tier of intent, style of play and limitations, in all combinations.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">You identified a fourfold, expressed in pairs. Score|Achievement, Groundedness|Simulation, Conceit|Emulation, and Values|Issues.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">A quite influential blogpost categorised play into six cultures. Classic. Trad. Nordic Larp. Story Games. OSR. Neo-trad.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">A few elements have been claimed more or less by all sides. Exploration. Immersion. Story (whether in the telling or the creating.) To the extent that TTRPGs are games, one can feasibly add Game.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">I've observed other purposes. Such as the Construction|Perfection that I advocated should be added to your fourfold.</li> </ol><p>Recently, I have been influenced by an essay by Eero Tuovinen about simulationism. He says that</p><p></p><p>Tuovinen also writes that</p><p></p><p>In a recent exchange, a poster here on Enworld characterised simulationism in the following ways - setting tourism, touring, leisurely, breezy free play.</p><p></p><p>I think the utility of GNS is that it offers purchase on an otherwise impossibly diverse and nuanced subject. If your fourfold was more widely shared, it would serve equally well. Speaking in terms of norms, I can see at least a fivefold at this point (this is where immersionism comes in.)</p><ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"><strong>Gamism</strong>, nearest your S|A and Classic, OSR wants in, too</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"><strong>Dramatism</strong>, nearest your V|I and Story Games, and from its own unique angle Nordic Larp.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"><strong>Simulationism </strong>(per Tuovinen) nearest elements of your G|S and C|E.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Immersionism, which I will now label "<strong>Tourism</strong>", nearest other elements of your G|S and C|E.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"><strong>Storytelling</strong>, nearest Trad and Neo-Trad</li> </ol><p>Additionally, there's some reason to believe that certain mechanics and techniques best serve some purposes or intents and styles of play, in part through how they limit it. Various positions are taken on agency and authorship, sanctity and interest; sometimes unhelpfully conflated with purposes.</p><p></p><p>So! To put it provocatively, <strong>1.</strong> is where we started, and <strong>4.</strong> and <strong>5.</strong> are what the vast majority of actual RPG play has been to date. Zilchplay. Exploring worlds and stories. Dramatism has been busily breaking things and making discoveries that benefit everyone. Simulationism has been hiding its light under a bushel. And notice that everyone is still going to want a slice of exploration, immersion, story, and game... they can't easily do without those things.</p><p></p><p>Using this fivefold for purchase, I've observed satisfying play in all of the following cases</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Purism</strong> - drive one so hard that there isn't space for the others.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Diversity over time </strong>- move between purposes as fits your exploration.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Hybridisation </strong>- reconstruct your play around your purposes</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Casual tolerance </strong>- make space for each participant to focus on purposes that satisfy them</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Differential emphasis </strong>- some purposes are muted, such as my C|P, while others are emphasised</li> </ul><p>So that's immersionism relabelled now as "tourism". I'd like to close on this from Tuovinen</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="clearstream, post: 9085268, member: 71699"] It took a while to really get started untangling the threads, but here is a further step in the direction I am thinking. First some groundwork [LIST=1] [*]As we know, GDS through to GNS identified three purposes of play. Gamist, Dramatist/Narrativist*, and Simulationist. Uniquely, GNS claims these purposes conflict. Intriguingly, GNS has another category of play - Zilchplay, or play without a creative purpose - which potentially applies to the vast majority of actual roleplayers. (*I'm aware that these aren't quite the same thing.) [*]GEN took a different approach: positing a bottom tier of mechanics and techiques scaffolding a top tier of intent, style of play and limitations, in all combinations. [*]You identified a fourfold, expressed in pairs. Score|Achievement, Groundedness|Simulation, Conceit|Emulation, and Values|Issues. [*]A quite influential blogpost categorised play into six cultures. Classic. Trad. Nordic Larp. Story Games. OSR. Neo-trad. [*]A few elements have been claimed more or less by all sides. Exploration. Immersion. Story (whether in the telling or the creating.) To the extent that TTRPGs are games, one can feasibly add Game. [*]I've observed other purposes. Such as the Construction|Perfection that I advocated should be added to your fourfold. [/LIST] Recently, I have been influenced by an essay by Eero Tuovinen about simulationism. He says that Tuovinen also writes that In a recent exchange, a poster here on Enworld characterised simulationism in the following ways - setting tourism, touring, leisurely, breezy free play. I think the utility of GNS is that it offers purchase on an otherwise impossibly diverse and nuanced subject. If your fourfold was more widely shared, it would serve equally well. Speaking in terms of norms, I can see at least a fivefold at this point (this is where immersionism comes in.) [LIST=1] [*][B]Gamism[/B], nearest your S|A and Classic, OSR wants in, too [*][B]Dramatism[/B], nearest your V|I and Story Games, and from its own unique angle Nordic Larp. [*][B]Simulationism [/B](per Tuovinen) nearest elements of your G|S and C|E. [*]Immersionism, which I will now label "[B]Tourism[/B]", nearest other elements of your G|S and C|E. [*][B]Storytelling[/B], nearest Trad and Neo-Trad [/LIST] Additionally, there's some reason to believe that certain mechanics and techniques best serve some purposes or intents and styles of play, in part through how they limit it. Various positions are taken on agency and authorship, sanctity and interest; sometimes unhelpfully conflated with purposes. So! To put it provocatively, [B]1.[/B] is where we started, and [B]4.[/B] and [B]5.[/B] are what the vast majority of actual RPG play has been to date. Zilchplay. Exploring worlds and stories. Dramatism has been busily breaking things and making discoveries that benefit everyone. Simulationism has been hiding its light under a bushel. And notice that everyone is still going to want a slice of exploration, immersion, story, and game... they can't easily do without those things. Using this fivefold for purchase, I've observed satisfying play in all of the following cases [LIST] [*][B]Purism[/B] - drive one so hard that there isn't space for the others. [*][B]Diversity over time [/B]- move between purposes as fits your exploration. [*][B]Hybridisation [/B]- reconstruct your play around your purposes [*][B]Casual tolerance [/B]- make space for each participant to focus on purposes that satisfy them [*][B]Differential emphasis [/B]- some purposes are muted, such as my C|P, while others are emphasised [/LIST] So that's immersionism relabelled now as "tourism". I'd like to close on this from Tuovinen [/QUOTE]
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