Immersion?

[Reynard]

Immersion is when the players say, "remember when you shoved your polearm up the rot-wampster's butt," instead of saying "remember when we were playing D&D and you rolled that nat 20?"

Or it's whenever this guy starts talking:

It occurs to me that one reason I don't like the typical actual play video is that there's zero immersion for me. Not only am I watching a table of "funny" players instead of feeling like I'm in the story, but I'm sitting behind a screen, watching a table of "funny" players. The best ones provide some post-production images, animation, and/or sound effects.

One bonus for actual plays: the players are better at keeping the dice on the table than in-person players.

The more AP I watch, the less it resembles actually playing an RPG.

 

[Bill Zebub]

I ask them what them mean by it because everyone seems to have their own definitions of practically every word these days.

100%.

And even then, if you do ask, you can't be sure.

One thing I've noticed is that what some people describe as "immersive" is the exact opposite of how I would describe it.

More specifically, I feel immersed when I feel like it's me in the game, and if I'm just dictating actions for somebody who is not me, then I'm not immersed. Other people say that are most immersed when they are trying to inhabit somebody who is not them.

And to give an example, referring to another thread going on right now, I do NOT feel immersed if I can't solve a challenge using my own noodle, but instead am rolling dice to see if this character who is not me can solve the challenge. Which is the exact opposite of what I have seen other people write.

Another example would be trolls and fire: if I am pretending to not know to use fire on the trolls then I no longer feel like I am immersed in the game, but instead am narrating actions for a 3rd party.

 

[Bill Zebub]

The other thing I've noticed about the word "immersion" is that it is often used in the context of "when (my pet peeve occurs) it breaks immersion."

Examples are:

• "Somebody talks about their character in 3rd person"
• "A character falls a long way and doesn't die"
• "Characters sleep in their armor"
• "A player uses knowledge their character wouldn't have"
• "A player of a Dwarf speaks with a Scottish accent"
• "A gnome paladin dual-wields rapiers"
• "A halfling is a strong as a half-orc"

And so on. The sources of supposed immersion-breaking are endless.

 

[TiQuinn]

The other thing I've noticed about the word "immersion" is that it is often used in the context of "when (my pet peeve occurs) it breaks immersion."

Examples are:

• "Somebody talks about their character in 3rd person"
• "A character falls a long way and doesn't die"
• "Characters sleep in their armor"
• "A player uses knowledge their character wouldn't have"
• "A player of a Dwarf speaks with a Scottish accent"
• "A gnome paladin dual-wields rapiers"
• "A halfling is a strong as a half-orc"

And so on. The sources of supposed immersion-breaking are endless.

Yeah, this is why for me immersion is something that groups shouldn't worry about actively trying to achieve. IMO, Immersion happens when it happens. I think it's too simplistic to place blame on something, and actually expect that it's something that can be controlled. I think when people point out those things as being immersion breaking, they're talking about their take on verisimilitude, and those two things are different for me.

 

[TwoSix]

More specifically, I feel immersed when I feel like it's me in the game, and if I'm just dictating actions for somebody who is not me, then I'm not immersed. Other people say that are most immersed when they are trying to inhabit somebody who is not them.

This. I think there's a distinct difference between being immersed "in the setting" and immersed "in the character". I find it impossible to feel like I, personally, am "in the game", but I can definitely immerse in the perspective and thought processes of the character I'm playing.