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<blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 9538033" data-attributes="member: 42582">On story in RPGing.I know three ways to talk about it - maybe there are more.(1) After play occurs, someone recounts it (by talking, by writing notes, whatever). Some of these &quot;stories&quot; will be very tedious. Some will reduce tedium by eliding actual events that occurred during play (eg a write-up of a combat that took twenty minutes of play to resolve might elide the round-by-round events of attack, damage, hp depletion etc and just describe a framing and an outcome).(2) Before play occurs, someone (typically the GM, or an author whose work the GM buys) writes a rough outline of anticipated events. Play consists of the players working through those events. DL is a famous example, Most contemporary D&amp;D modules seem to be a version of this.(3) The game system - its mechanics, governing principles, etc - are designed so that, when the game participants follow those rules and principles in their play, the fictional events that unfold exhibit properties that are admired in other fictional forms&nbsp; - eg there is theme, rising action, crisis and resolution , etc. These days Apocalypse World and its derivatives are the best-known RPGs designed in this fashion, but there are many others too, including many that predate AW.Games that support approach (3) do not need to include rules or principles that require players, or the GM, to think about the unfolding events &quot;as a story&quot;. But typically they will need rules or principles that require the GM to think about the particular characters or situations from the perspective of theme/premise/crisis/dramatic need.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="pemerton, post: 9538033, member: 42582"] On [I]story[/I] in RPGing. I know three ways to talk about it - maybe there are more. (1) After play occurs, someone recounts it (by talking, by writing notes, whatever). Some of these "stories" will be very tedious. Some will reduce tedium by eliding actual events that occurred during play (eg a write-up of a combat that took twenty minutes of play to resolve might elide the round-by-round events of attack, damage, hp depletion etc and just describe a framing and an outcome). (2) Before play occurs, someone (typically the GM, or an author whose work the GM buys) writes a rough outline of anticipated events. Play consists of the players working through those events. DL is a famous example, Most contemporary D&D modules seem to be a version of this. (3) The game system - its mechanics, governing principles, etc - are designed so that, when the game participants follow those rules and principles in their play, the fictional events that unfold exhibit properties that are admired in other fictional forms - eg there is theme, rising action, crisis and resolution , etc. These days Apocalypse World and its derivatives are the best-known RPGs designed in this fashion, but there are many others too, including many that predate AW. Games that support approach (3) do [I]not[/I] need to include rules or principles that require players, or the GM, to think about the unfolding events "as a story". But typically they will need rules or principles that require the [I]GM[/I] to think about the particular characters or situations from the perspective of theme/premise/crisis/dramatic need. [/QUOTE]

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