Play Is Paramount: Discuss

[Fenris-77]

I feel like someone dosed me with some particularly strong acid.

Sorry, that was me. Just trying to liven things up.

 

[Maxperson]

Well, sure… if you change the definition of cooking to fit your metaphor, then sure, it’ll fit.

I've already given an example of multiple cooks cooking a meal. Hell, go to any nice restaurant and multiple chefs are cooking your meal. Cooking is not a solo job.

I feel like someone dosed me with some particularly strong acid.

Ahh, earth magic.

 

[Maxperson]

I feel as though someone is trying to tell me I'm not saying what I'm saying. At least being dosed with acid could plausibly be fun.

Nobody has tried to tell you that you are not saying what you are saying. If that's what you are getting, you are misunderstanding something somewhere.

 

[Lanefan]

Your games may involve players passively consuming what they are given, but mine do not.

Actively (as opposed to passively) consuming something is still consuming it.

I write an adventure. They engage with it in any way they choose, which can even include not engaging with it at all. I write a setting, which they pretty much have to engage with if the game is to occur, but beyond that their engagement can take an almost limitless number of different forms. That's active consumption, in this analogy.

 

[soviet]

Actively (as opposed to passively) consuming something is still consuming it.

I write an adventure. They engage with it in any way they choose, which can even include not engaging with it at all. I write a setting, which they pretty much have to engage with if the game is to occur, but beyond that their engagement can take an almost limitless number of different forms. That's active consumption, in this analogy.

OK, but that still isn't the limit of available RPGs.

 

[pemerton]

let’s say I read an RPG sourcebook… something with a lot of setting detail. Even if I’m reading that material with no intention of using it in play, I’m still going to engage with it with some imagined game in mind. Because that’s the way it’s written.

And I don’t just mean the obvious things like stat-blocks and the like, though those are certainly a part of it. But more importantly, how situations are presented but not resolved. A book for gaming is (most likely, one would hope) presented with gaming in mind. The conflicts introduced won’t be resolved in the book… because they’re meant to be resolved in play.

I have read books that (i) are intended for use in RPGing but that (ii) resolve the situations that they present.

Two examples (not the only two): Dead Gods; and Expedition to the Demonweb Pits.

My personal view is that feature (ii) of these books makes them not very good as RPG books. But I think my view is a minority one across the population of RPGers.

 

[hawkeyefan]

I have read books that (i) are intended for use in RPGing but that (ii) resolve the situations that they present.

Two examples (not the only two): Dead Gods; and Expedition to the Demonweb Pits.

My personal view is that feature (ii) of these books makes them not very good as RPG books. But I think my view is a minority one across the population of RPGers.

Well, yeah… some products assume a lot more about how the game will go than others do. And how good an idea that is will vary. My feelings are probably more in line with yours, I think.

But, having said that, I’ve actually run Dead Gods and thought it was fun. However, I will say that I didn’t run it as presented… more that I used several of the elements of it. I’m not sure if I recall how the resolution is presented (I’m not saying it wasn’t, I expect you’re right) I just am not sure if it was presented as likely, or possible, or certain.

 

[pemerton]

I’ve actually run Dead Gods and thought it was fun. However, I will say that I didn’t run it as presented… more that I used several of the elements of it. I’m not sure if I recall how the resolution is presented (I’m not saying it wasn’t, I expect you’re right) I just am not sure if it was presented as likely, or possible, or certain.

I own it, and have read it. I'm not going to check just now because I'm about to leave home to GM a session - and we all know that play is paramount! - but I do remember, when reading it, not really grasping how it could be run. Because of the way that is presents resolution as well as situation.

When you ran it, was that "back in the day"? Without wanting to go to far in describing how your approach to RPGing has changed over the years, would you have been more comfortable with railroading back then?

 

[hawkeyefan]

I own it, and have read it. I'm not going to check just now because I'm about to leave home to GM a session - and we all know that play is paramount! - but I do remember, when reading it, not really grasping how it could be run. Because of the way that is presents resolution as well as situation.

When you ran it, was that "back in the day"? Without wanting to go to far in describing how your approach to RPGing has changed over the years, would you have been more comfortable with railroading back then?

Actually I ran it more recently. Near the beginning of the 5e days. So 2014 to 2015.

If I had run it back in the day I likely would have run it very much “as is” and not been as concerned about railroading. Back in those days, my group largely wanted to play through specific adventures like that, and even our homebrew stuff was very much of that type.