Play Is Paramount: Discuss

[Reynard]

There are a lot of cases (such as Hoard of the Dragon Queen) where the backstory bits shaped my GMing of the NPCs and thus affected the game. To a point, the same is true with the Strahd story. And the backstory elements of the Firefly adventure, The Wedding Crashers.

So, work aimed at play. That's the point.

 

[aramis erak]

So, work aimed at play. That's the point.

My point being that what may seem aimed at casual readers may actually be useful and play-influencing material. Reading it I wouldn't consider play. (As I noted, I think Umbran's definition, while dictionary-consistent, misses the point of a game having rules... game play being activity influenced by the game's rules.)
I apply it to sport, as well. I don't consider my time stabbing a swinging ribbon or golf ball on a string to be fencing, but my time practicing with others is... even tho the gear is the same. The use of the rules of Fencing don't matter to the ribbon stabbing - even tho the stabbing the ribbon is a very good skill builder. Kicking a soccer ball at an empty net is skill building, but at a defended net is play.

 

[Reynard]

My point being that what may seem aimed at casual readers may actually be useful and play-influencing material. Reading it I wouldn't consider play. (As I noted, I think Umbran's definition, while dictionary-consistent, misses the point of a game having rules... game play being activity influenced by the game's rules.)
I apply it to sport, as well. I don't consider my time stabbing a swinging ribbon or golf ball on a string to be fencing, but my time practicing with others is... even tho the gear is the same. The use of the rules of Fencing don't matter to the ribbon stabbing - even tho the stabbing the ribbon is a very good skill builder. Kicking a soccer ball at an empty net is skill building, but at a defended net is play.

I feel like you are misunderstanding the thesis. I did not say that only play matters. I said that the work done should be oriented toward play. In sport, practicing skills that make you better in a game is the very definition of making play paramount.

 

[FrogReaver]

I feel like you are misunderstanding the thesis. I did not say that only play matters. I said that the work done should be oriented toward play. In sport, practicing skills that make you better in a game is the very definition of making play paramount.

I think the disconnect is that this version of the claim is definitionally true - no one is arguing that practice doesn’t relate to play in some way.

From my perspective the discussion seems to be about how theory/optimization/etc connects to play, not whether it does at all.