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"Plot" is not a four-letter word
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<blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 5658161" data-attributes="member: 42582"><p>In my view this is not true. It suggests an equivalence that is not there.</p><p></p><p>Per <a href="http://www.indie-rpgs.com/_articles/narr_essay.html" target="_blank">Ron Edwards</a>:</p><p></p><p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>Sorcerer </em>presented the Kicker Technique, which is to say, a player-authored Bang included in character creation, giving the GM responsibility to make it central to play. It may be considered the precise opposite of the "character hook" concept presented in many adventure scenarios and role-playing games.</p><p></p><p>Per <a href="http://isabout.wordpress.com/2010/02/16/the-pitfalls-of-narrative-technique-in-rpg-play/" target="_blank">Eero Tuovinen</a>:</p><p></p><p style="margin-left: 20px"><u>The standard narrativistic model</u></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">. . .</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">One of the players is a gamemaster whose job it is to keep track of the backstory, frame scenes according to dramatic needs (that is, go where the action is) and provoke thematic moments . . .</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">The rest of the players each have their own characters to play. They play their characters according to the advocacy role: the important part is that they naturally allow the character’s interests to come through based on what they imagine of the character’s nature and background. . .</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">The actual procedure of play is very simple: once the players have established concrete characters, situations and backstory in whatever manner a given game ascribes, the GM starts framing scenes for the player characters. Each scene is an interesting situation in relation to the premise of the setting or the character (or wherever the premise comes from, depends on the game). The GM describes a situation that provokes choices on the part of the character. The player is ready for this, as he knows his character and the character’s needs, so he makes choices on the part of the character. This in turn leads to consequences as determined by the game’s rules. . .</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">The player’s task in these games is simple advocacy, which is not difficult once you have a firm character. (Chargen is a key consideration in these games, compare them to see how different approaches work.) The GM might have more difficulty, as he needs to be able to reference the backstory, determine complications to introduce into the game, and figure out consequences. Much of the rules systems in these games address these challenges, and in addition the GM might have methodical tools outside the rules, such as pre-prepared relationship maps (helps with backstory), bangs (helps with provoking thematic choice) and pure experience (helps with determining consequences).</p><p></p><p>The Burning Wheel rulebook, in the final section (called "Playing the Game", I think) also has a heading "Role of the Player" (or something similar) in which the first item is to the effect of "Give your PC beliefs and instincts that provide solid hooks for the GM" (I'm paraphrasing from memory, but not too inaccurately).</p><p></p><p>This is not about the GM hooking the players. It's not even about the GM hooking the players with player input. It's about the players hooking the GM.</p><p></p><p>As is often noted, if the group agrees to play an adventure path, than the players are obliged to take the GM's hook. Otherwise the game will not even get going.</p><p></p><p>Well, similarly, in the sort of play that I, Edwards, Tuovinen and Luke Crane are talking about, <em>the GM is obliged to take the players' hooks</em>, as presented at first via their PC builds and backstories, and then as those hooks develop during play. A very simple example - if my player builds a paladin of the Raven Queen, I'm obliged to put undead and/or Orcus cultists into the game. That's an instance of the player hooking the GM.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="pemerton, post: 5658161, member: 42582"] In my view this is not true. It suggests an equivalence that is not there. Per [url=http://www.indie-rpgs.com/_articles/narr_essay.html]Ron Edwards[/url]: [indent][I]Sorcerer [/I]presented the Kicker Technique, which is to say, a player-authored Bang included in character creation, giving the GM responsibility to make it central to play. It may be considered the precise opposite of the "character hook" concept presented in many adventure scenarios and role-playing games.[/indent] Per [url=http://isabout.wordpress.com/2010/02/16/the-pitfalls-of-narrative-technique-in-rpg-play/]Eero Tuovinen[/url]: [indent][U]The standard narrativistic model[/U] . . . One of the players is a gamemaster whose job it is to keep track of the backstory, frame scenes according to dramatic needs (that is, go where the action is) and provoke thematic moments . . . The rest of the players each have their own characters to play. They play their characters according to the advocacy role: the important part is that they naturally allow the character’s interests to come through based on what they imagine of the character’s nature and background. . . The actual procedure of play is very simple: once the players have established concrete characters, situations and backstory in whatever manner a given game ascribes, the GM starts framing scenes for the player characters. Each scene is an interesting situation in relation to the premise of the setting or the character (or wherever the premise comes from, depends on the game). The GM describes a situation that provokes choices on the part of the character. The player is ready for this, as he knows his character and the character’s needs, so he makes choices on the part of the character. This in turn leads to consequences as determined by the game’s rules. . . The player’s task in these games is simple advocacy, which is not difficult once you have a firm character. (Chargen is a key consideration in these games, compare them to see how different approaches work.) The GM might have more difficulty, as he needs to be able to reference the backstory, determine complications to introduce into the game, and figure out consequences. Much of the rules systems in these games address these challenges, and in addition the GM might have methodical tools outside the rules, such as pre-prepared relationship maps (helps with backstory), bangs (helps with provoking thematic choice) and pure experience (helps with determining consequences).[/indent] The Burning Wheel rulebook, in the final section (called "Playing the Game", I think) also has a heading "Role of the Player" (or something similar) in which the first item is to the effect of "Give your PC beliefs and instincts that provide solid hooks for the GM" (I'm paraphrasing from memory, but not too inaccurately). This is not about the GM hooking the players. It's not even about the GM hooking the players with player input. It's about the players hooking the GM. As is often noted, if the group agrees to play an adventure path, than the players are obliged to take the GM's hook. Otherwise the game will not even get going. Well, similarly, in the sort of play that I, Edwards, Tuovinen and Luke Crane are talking about, [I]the GM is obliged to take the players' hooks[/I], as presented at first via their PC builds and backstories, and then as those hooks develop during play. A very simple example - if my player builds a paladin of the Raven Queen, I'm obliged to put undead and/or Orcus cultists into the game. That's an instance of the player hooking the GM. [/QUOTE]
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