NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Tinner" data-source="post: 2442413" data-attributes="member: 19667">My games run the gamut from near total immersion (larp/ic at all times) to almost no immersion (kick in the door, smash-mouth D&D). When we don't use immersive play, it's usually due to one or more of the following reasons.1. It isn't fun - This isn't a critique of immersion itself. I'm not saying that immersive RP isn't fun in and of itself, because it is! What I mean is that there are times when getting inside my PC's head does not sound like a fun time. Sometimes I just want to kill the orc and take his pie. I play these games for fun. If any method of gaming doesn't feel fun at the time, I'm not going to use it. Likewise, there are times when roll-playing isn't what I want, and some deep immersion would be just the ticket.2. The rules get in the way - Any game that demands tactical miniature use, extensive number crunching, a multi-page character sheet, and a handful of dice is much harder to play immersively than one that is based on clever wordplay and brief sessions of rock/paper/scissors. The most immersive game I ever took part in was a mortal X-files larp using the MET system. We all stayed deeply immersed throughout play. It was easy to do, since character sheets were the size of 3x5 cards and the rules were some simplistic. However, when we play D&D we only rarely reach any level of immersion, since everyone is more concerned with miniature placement, tactical movement, and getting the best situational modifiers to their actions. Sure, you can play D&D without these things, but we choose not to, and they do impede immersion.3. Emotional content - This one works both ways. Some of the best, most immersive roleplay I've ever been a part of was in a two player on GM game of Shadowrun. The game was as much focussed on the personal lives of the PC's as it was their actual shadowruns. We spent hours detail family life, outings with children, marriages, etc. Because the playerss had so much emotional involvement in theinr characters, it was easy to stay immersed throughout the game. On the other hand, there have been games where the emotions were just as deep, but they were hot, negative emotions - Rage and anger at an enemy etc. When the players are heated up and out for blood, they are much more prone to seeing every dice roll as an attack on their hated foe. At that point they are so "immersed" in the actual combat, they concentrate on the mechanics rather than roleplaying. It's oddly similar to the experience of "being in the zone" that fighters feel. Where you become so focussed on the aggressive act at hand, it drives all other thoughts from your mind.4. It's not that kind of game - Some games just aren't meant to be immersive. Toon, Paranoia, anything silly or played for camp Not to say that you couldn't, but why would you?</blockquote>

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