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General Tabletop Discussion
D&D Older Editions
Presentation vs design... vs philosophy
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<blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 7934827" data-attributes="member: 6696971"><p>[USER=87792]@Neonchameleon[/USER]</p><p></p><p>Let me see what you think of this (because its hard for me to figure that we disagree here).</p><p></p><p>I think people are using "empower" in two very different ways when it comes to GMing 4e vs 5e.</p><p></p><p><strong>4e Empowerment</strong></p><p></p><p>I think people (like you and I) who speak of how "empowering" GMing 4e is are actually talking about <em>empowerment through a lovely combination of liberation and constraint. </em>Liberation from the burden of overhead (both rulings overhead and prep overhead). Liberation from the table-handling time issues of AD&D and 3.x where you had to cross-check multiple tomes to vet rules interactions etc. Liberation due to the fact that (a) you're constrained from the temptation of exercising Force by how player-facing the game is and the (b) simultaneous assurance of the fact that simply letting system have its say and coming up with creative, thematic obstacles and complications will result in satisfying emergent play (so you don't need Force in the first place).</p><p></p><p>GMing 4e is very similar to GMing PBtA games in that way. Your job is exclusively to maximize your creativity with interesting battlefield:team monster synergy and to come up with thematic obstacles and complications by referencing PC build flags and prior fiction in both your conflict framing and your Skill Challenges.</p><p></p><p>Its liberating in the "right" ways and constraining in the "right" ways; by proxy, empowering.</p><p></p><p><strong>5e Empowerment</strong></p><p></p><p>I think people who speak of how "empowering" GMing 5e are talking about (a) being back in the seat as "lead storyteller", (b) about being back in the suit with an overwhelmingly GM-facing rules mediation experience ("rulings not rules"), and (c) because the game is not so "bolted down" and action resolution is so GM-facing, (d) the GM has extreme latitude afforded to them to drive play as they see fit, and do so without table quibble or rules-reference, to tell an interesting story and entertain the group (and can easily deploy covert Force to get there).</p><p></p><p>[HR][/HR]</p><p></p><p>Two TOTALLY different forms of "Empowerment", and in most ways diametric opposition.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Manbearcat, post: 7934827, member: 6696971"] [USER=87792]@Neonchameleon[/USER] Let me see what you think of this (because its hard for me to figure that we disagree here). I think people are using "empower" in two very different ways when it comes to GMing 4e vs 5e. [B]4e Empowerment[/B] I think people (like you and I) who speak of how "empowering" GMing 4e is are actually talking about [I]empowerment through a lovely combination of liberation and constraint. [/I]Liberation from the burden of overhead (both rulings overhead and prep overhead). Liberation from the table-handling time issues of AD&D and 3.x where you had to cross-check multiple tomes to vet rules interactions etc. Liberation due to the fact that (a) you're constrained from the temptation of exercising Force by how player-facing the game is and the (b) simultaneous assurance of the fact that simply letting system have its say and coming up with creative, thematic obstacles and complications will result in satisfying emergent play (so you don't need Force in the first place). GMing 4e is very similar to GMing PBtA games in that way. Your job is exclusively to maximize your creativity with interesting battlefield:team monster synergy and to come up with thematic obstacles and complications by referencing PC build flags and prior fiction in both your conflict framing and your Skill Challenges. Its liberating in the "right" ways and constraining in the "right" ways; by proxy, empowering. [B]5e Empowerment[/B] I think people who speak of how "empowering" GMing 5e are talking about (a) being back in the seat as "lead storyteller", (b) about being back in the suit with an overwhelmingly GM-facing rules mediation experience ("rulings not rules"), and (c) because the game is not so "bolted down" and action resolution is so GM-facing, (d) the GM has extreme latitude afforded to them to drive play as they see fit, and do so without table quibble or rules-reference, to tell an interesting story and entertain the group (and can easily deploy covert Force to get there). [HR][/HR] Two TOTALLY different forms of "Empowerment", and in most ways diametric opposition. [/QUOTE]
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