Play Is Paramount: Discuss

[prabe]

Nope, I'm holding a smaller and modified version of that general idea. One that isn't saying anything about how people spend their time, just how RPG books are generally designed.

Yeah, TRPGs are games, and games are made to be played, just like beer is made to be drunk. The fact someone might want to poke around at chargen or worldbuilding, or even just read the books for pleasure, doesn't change the former, just like someone using beer as a marinade or to kill slugs in the garden doesn't change the latter.

 

[Fenris-77]

Yeah, TRPGs are games, and games are made to be played, just like beer is made to be drunk. The fact someone might want to poke around at chargen or worldbuilding, or even just read the books for pleasure, doesn't change the former, just like someone using beer as a marinade or to kill slugs in the garden doesn't change the latter.

I'm sure we could find edge cases if we looked. Books that are perhaps more meant to be read, or satire games that maybe aren't really meant to be played, but those don't change anything either.

 

[Micah Sweet]

GMing is design, too, so consumer in that way too.

Like i said in the OP, this was mostly an attempt to consolidate my own thoughts on the subject through discussion. In the end, I am not really concerned with how people define or embrace "engagement". And really I don't think people are "wrong" for expending prep time and effort doing random worldbuilding or whatever. Where I think I ultimately land is more like:

"What happens at the table is the most important thing, so spend your limited time and energy on things that support what happens at the table." Something like that anyway.

Precisely the claim I disagree with, at least as a general stance.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

And that's why there's so many pushbacks and arguments.

Well, not the only reason.

 

[Umbran]

Well, not the only reason.

Okay, I can fix it to "...that's a major reason for..."
That better?

 

[Fenris-77]

Oooh. Semantics. Imma pop some popcorn.

 

[Reynard]

Well, not the only reason.

Okay, I can fix it to "...that's a major reason for..."
That better?

I mean, in this particular case, pushback and arguments (aka discussions) are exactly the point.

 

[Umbran]

I mean, in this particular case, pushback and arguments (aka discussions) are exactly the point.

Arguments are not discussion. They are two different processes.

 

[Reynard]

Arguments are not discussion. They are two different processes.

People often make arguments as part of the process of discussion, no?

In either case, do you have an opinion on the actual subject of the thread, or just on how I presented it incorrectly?

 

[Umbran]

People often make arguments as part of the process of discussion, no?

And thus my point is demonstrated - being unclear leads to less-than-valuable exchanges.

In either case, do you have an opinion on the actual subject of the thread, or just on how I presented it incorrectly?

"The subject of this thread is stated incompletely," or "the subject of the thread, as stated, is untrue," are both most certainly opinions on the subject of the thread.