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Lore Isn't Important
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<blockquote data-quote="hawkeyefan" data-source="post: 8846357" data-attributes="member: 6785785"><p>I think that the idea of "discovery" as it relates to the fictional world is best if used sparingly. Players in an RPG are part, but not fully, acting as the audience. And an audience may like to learn things along the way. But is that suitable for play?</p><p></p><p>I expect the answer to that question will vary a lot from person to person. My answer would be that "It may be" which is a bit of a cop out. I suppose there are times when such a setting-based discovery will be interesting for the players, irrespective of their characters' involvement in the revelation. I would not say it cannot happen.</p><p></p><p>But I expect it's best when it's kept to a minimum. I think lore is better deployed as a foundation of sorts to base things on, and not as a series of curtain-pulling revelations by the GM. </p><p></p><p>Certain elements of the fiction will simply work better if shared openly and readily whenever they become applicable. Offering an abundance of information for free helps make it feel like the characters are actual denizens of the world of the game. Surprising them at every turn with every bit of information... it's just not the way the world works.</p><p></p><p>In such a game, I'd feel like I didn't know anything and was constantly being told what's true. That doesn't feel much like discovery to me because there's a strong passive element to it that feels contrary.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="hawkeyefan, post: 8846357, member: 6785785"] I think that the idea of "discovery" as it relates to the fictional world is best if used sparingly. Players in an RPG are part, but not fully, acting as the audience. And an audience may like to learn things along the way. But is that suitable for play? I expect the answer to that question will vary a lot from person to person. My answer would be that "It may be" which is a bit of a cop out. I suppose there are times when such a setting-based discovery will be interesting for the players, irrespective of their characters' involvement in the revelation. I would not say it cannot happen. But I expect it's best when it's kept to a minimum. I think lore is better deployed as a foundation of sorts to base things on, and not as a series of curtain-pulling revelations by the GM. Certain elements of the fiction will simply work better if shared openly and readily whenever they become applicable. Offering an abundance of information for free helps make it feel like the characters are actual denizens of the world of the game. Surprising them at every turn with every bit of information... it's just not the way the world works. In such a game, I'd feel like I didn't know anything and was constantly being told what's true. That doesn't feel much like discovery to me because there's a strong passive element to it that feels contrary. [/QUOTE]
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