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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Campbell" data-source="post: 7077622" data-attributes="member: 16586">When it comes to consistency there are few things my group tends to do that I believe helps to maintain it.We constrain detail to what we need to create a space for play. Unlike those Forgotten Realms authors our interests are not in creating an entire fictional world, complete with intricate details, lengthy histories, and the like. We are only really concerned with the things that concern our characters. We are not publishing lengthy treatises. If it does not enrich player decision making or help position characters into fiction we do not detail it. The intent is to create a rich space for play while leaving room to expand things further as needed. Often play will focus on a fairly limited geographic area that players come to really know and love. This has other implications on play, but one thing it helps achieve is an alignment of player and character interests. It also helps characters feel like they were not fully sprung up in their current state. This active knowledge base means I can depend on my players as a resource and a check when I go off the reservation.We elide what does not interest us, and dive deep into what does. We do not have to know everything about the world, a city, or even a given player character. There is so much richness and diversity to a single life it would be impossible to meaningfully cover it all in play. We must choose where to focus our attention. In my case I tend not to focus overly much on exacting physical descriptions, distances, and hard measures of time. I describe things the same way I tend to see the world - in broad strokes with a focus on what stands out and with a focus on people. I do not really do maps well. I do build elaborate relationship maps players can add to and reference during play.  That's generally where my interests lay. Other players are generally free to work with me to elaborate on areas they wish to explore. I use their passion as a resource.We rely on players to be Subject Matter Experts. Instead of depending on one person to keep all the details in their head, we divide up the labor. This is generally done on the basis of the characters they are playing. We assume you are playing a given type of character because you are interested in the fiction that goes along with it. I expect the player of a mage to care more about the way magic works than I might. I want to reward that investment. I also want to provide players with the opportunity to establish deep ties to their characters and really care about their lives so things like relationships, their allies, and even those they regard as enemies are up for grabs. This is another powerful chance to align player and character interests. You will see that a lot from me. I want to encourage the feeling of really being grounded in the setting and being an expert in the things you should be an expert in.We are exploring characters. We are not really exploring setting. For us, the setting is a means to an end - not an end unto itself. Our primary interest is these characters and their web of connections to the fiction. Being flexible in our approach to setting development means we can maintain our focus on being consistent with the events of play, not conforming play to fit within the bounds of prepared material that often can feel contrived because it does not come from real people interacting with other real people. The social dynamic of play can result in fiction that feels more authentic and less designed. We focus on the fiction as experienced.We are not afraid of do overs and talking things out.If we play something out and it does not feel authentic to our sense of the fiction or these characters we are not afraid to speak up. We also do not feel like we need to get it right the first time. If we miss some critical detail we can rewind and replay it or work together to clarify the situation. This ability to call each other out on our crap is a critical component of our play. Our core assumption is that you do not really own your characters and no one really owns the fictional world. We trust the GM to play the world with integrity and we trust the other players to play their characters with integrity. We trust everyone to be curious explorers of the fiction. Constructive criticism along the way is not only valued, but expected.</blockquote>

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