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<blockquote data-quote="Man in the Funny Hat" data-source="post: 4576011" data-attributes="member: 32740">I would prefer to say, &quot;collectively creating a story,&quot; rather than say that you're writing one.&nbsp; Writing shares certain aspects with RPG's but they are NOT the same thing and certain aspects of writing are BAD to apply to an RPG.&nbsp; In writing the author has complete control over all the characters - what they do, what they say, how they react.&nbsp; In an RPG though the DM has a great deal of creative control, is the primary source of what happens in the world, etc., the main characters - the PC's - are voluntarily placed BEYOND his control.&nbsp; It is the players who decide what the main characters do, say, think, and feel.&nbsp; I heartily believe that it is important to keep that distinction VERY clear, because failure to understand it and live by it leads to problems.&nbsp;That is incorrect.&nbsp; The dice are the random element, not contollers of the game, and DEFINITELY not controllers of the choices of the PC's and NPC's.&nbsp; They simply add randomness to the success and failure of what the characters attempt to do, mostly IN COMBAT but also generally in measurable skills especially where there is random chance for success/failure.&nbsp; Much determination of success and failure is simply given over to the DM.&nbsp;As for the OP, the response of, &quot;go write a book,&quot; can be rude, but then it's meant to be because of what draws that response.&nbsp; It isn't at all disingenuous as it is an accurate, visceral response to DM's who exert excessive control of the unfolding and outcome of plots where it is not needed or wanted, especially in interfering with the strictly hands-off area of PLAYER character decisions.&nbsp;It's one thing to plan the adventures and GUIDE the story, but by definition players have a great deal of control over the actual direction of the game as well.&nbsp; Now players don't particularly realize this as a matter of course and don't ACTIVELY exert the control they do have.&nbsp; That's why the DM is there - to keep the players influence over the story from being aimless, disorderly, even counterproductive - but not to NEGATE it.&nbsp;That's what is meant by, &quot;go write a book.&quot;&nbsp; It's an admonition to a DM to allow the players/PC's influence upon the story to have meaningful, sensible effect, not simply made to conform to the DM's unshakable, predetermined course of events.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Man in the Funny Hat, post: 4576011, member: 32740"] I would prefer to say, "collectively creating a story," rather than say that you're [I]writing[/I] one. Writing shares certain aspects with RPG's but they are NOT the same thing and certain aspects of writing are BAD to apply to an RPG. In writing the author has complete control over all the characters - what they do, what they say, how they react. In an RPG though the DM has a great deal of creative control, is the primary source of what happens in the world, etc., the main characters - the PC's - are voluntarily placed BEYOND his control. It is the players who decide what the main characters do, say, think, and feel. I heartily believe that it is important to keep that distinction VERY clear, because failure to understand it and live by it leads to problems. That is incorrect. The dice are the random element, not contollers of the game, and DEFINITELY not controllers of the [I]choices[/I] of the PC's and NPC's. They simply add randomness to the success and failure of what the characters attempt to do, mostly IN COMBAT but also generally in measurable skills especially where there is random chance for success/failure. Much determination of success and failure is simply given over to the DM. As for the OP, the response of, "go write a book," can be rude, but then it's meant to be because of what [I]draws[/I] that response. It isn't at all disingenuous as it is an accurate, visceral response to DM's who exert excessive control of the unfolding and outcome of plots where it is not needed or wanted, especially in interfering with the strictly hands-off area of PLAYER character decisions. It's one thing to plan the adventures and GUIDE the story, but by definition players have a great deal of control over the actual direction of the game as well. Now players don't particularly realize this as a matter of course and don't ACTIVELY exert the control they do have. That's why the DM is there - to keep the players influence over the story from being aimless, disorderly, even counterproductive - but not to NEGATE it. That's what is meant by, "go write a book." It's an admonition to a DM to allow the players/PC's influence upon the story to have meaningful, sensible effect, not simply made to conform to the DM's unshakable, predetermined course of events. [/QUOTE]

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