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<blockquote data-quote="clearstream" data-source="post: 9456789" data-attributes="member: 71699">If I understand it correctly, those things labelled &quot;game&quot; by the footnote are the &quot;games&quot; referred to above it. So for TTRPG it's laid out here that prep is acceptable if all participants are aware of it. Hopefully I've put that correctly?Here I see three concerns advanced. One is that &quot;prep&quot; ought to label something distinct from &quot;situation&quot;. I've used prep in the broad sense of &quot;preparation&quot; prior to play of material that will be used in play, by any participant. Perhaps the thought should be that prepartion for play is a super-category encompassing various matters, such as &quot;situation&quot; versus other &quot;prep&quot;. I don't aim to resolve that here, only to acknowledge that the taxonomy of prep isn't a settled question. One of the qualities of &quot;situation&quot; is that it's &quot;stuff that I have to use&quot;, if I read that correctly.The second concern reminds me of other posters putting weight upon decision points. Hopefully I put it correctly that the concern is for what ought to motivate and justify my decision to use prepped material? One implication seems to be that &quot;situation&quot; could include anything prepped to manage that decision, such an encounter procedure. What I have in mind is that prepped NPCs could then be counted not floating, so long as I have to use the procedure. One thing that makes me curious about is ruleslite or FKR play that presumably wouldn't have any such encounter procedures, but might rely on prepped material such as for example the Earthsea quintet of books. I suppose that material is &quot;situation&quot; because even though I might not use any given part of it in play (which could make it look &quot;floating&quot;) when I come to the appropriate situation I'm committed to using it.A third concern seems to be around cognitive resources. If I have it right, the worry is that the cognitive burden of managing floating prep could interfere with responsiveness to other player input. That could be through exhausting cognitive resources, or through marshalling them in directions that resist adjustment. Perhaps both. It seems the worry would be that when I prep material I become committed to use that material, which withstands what happens in play. If that's right, then it would form a critical counterpoint to all those who have talked about &quot;prep, but hold it lightly&quot; because it would put in doubt their willingness or capacity to let go their prep. It's not clear why that doesn't apply to situation just as much as other prep? Unless it is specifically needing to make a decision that is far more cognitively onerous or monopolising than recollecting or implementing whatever ludic facts, fiction or procedures amount to situation.If the above is generally right, then the view seems to be that there is a sub-category of prep, or distinct category of preestablished material (established prior to play) that is material disclosed to all participants and committed to use. Labelling that for convenience &quot;situation&quot;, there's an implication that prepared situation ought to be acceptable in TTRPG. Do I have that right?</blockquote>

[QUOTE="clearstream, post: 9456789, member: 71699"] If I understand it correctly, those things labelled "game" by the footnote are the "games" referred to above it. So for TTRPG it's laid out here that prep is acceptable if all participants are aware of it. Hopefully I've put that correctly? Here I see three concerns advanced. One is that "prep" ought to label something distinct from "situation". I've used prep in the broad sense of "preparation" prior to play of material that will be used in play, by any participant. Perhaps the thought should be that prepartion for play is a super-category encompassing various matters, such as "situation" versus other "prep". I don't aim to resolve that here, only to acknowledge that the taxonomy of prep isn't a settled question. One of the qualities of "situation" is that it's "stuff that I have to use", if I read that correctly. The second concern reminds me of other posters putting weight upon decision points. Hopefully I put it correctly that the concern is for what ought to motivate and justify my decision to use prepped material? One implication seems to be that "situation" could include anything prepped to manage that decision, such an encounter procedure. What I have in mind is that prepped NPCs could then be counted [B]not[/B] floating, so long as I have to use the procedure. One thing that makes me curious about is ruleslite or FKR play that presumably wouldn't have any such encounter procedures, but might rely on prepped material such as for example the Earthsea quintet of books. I suppose that material is "situation" because even though I might not use any given part of it in play (which could make it look "floating") when I come to the appropriate situation I'm committed to using it. A third concern seems to be around cognitive resources. If I have it right, the worry is that the cognitive burden of managing floating prep could interfere with responsiveness to other player input. That could be through exhausting cognitive resources, or through marshalling them in directions that resist adjustment. Perhaps both. It seems the worry would be that when I prep material I become committed to use that material, which withstands what happens in play. If that's right, then it would form a critical counterpoint to all those who have talked about "prep, but hold it lightly" because it would put in doubt their willingness or capacity to let go their prep. It's not clear why that doesn't apply to situation just as much as other prep? Unless it is specifically needing to make a decision that is far more cognitively onerous or monopolising than recollecting or implementing whatever ludic facts, fiction or procedures amount to situation. If the above is generally right, then the view seems to be that there is a sub-category of prep, or distinct category of preestablished material (established prior to play) that is material disclosed to all participants and committed to use. Labelling that for convenience "situation", there's an implication that prepared situation ought to be acceptable in TTRPG. Do I have that right? [/QUOTE]

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