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Message: <blockquote data-quote="robertsconley" data-source="post: 9676730" data-attributes="member: 13383">I’m pointing out the inconsistency in criticizing the authority of traditional referees while giving a pass to similar practices, just because they're framed differently or not enshrined in system mechanics.By your own admission, you still put your thumb on the scale to ensure the campaign reflects your creative vision. The customs of traditional play are often mocked as arbitrary or unstructured, yet we see you describing how you’ll “move things along” or montage through scenes you find unengaging, using the system not to avoid authority, but to exercise it differently.You dismiss my point as “silly” or “facile,” but that doesn’t change what you yourself said:Yes, you can, and systems you use allow you to do exactly that. But the presence of rules for it doesn’t change the core intent or effect: you’re deciding what kind of play belongs in the campaign, and what gets brushed aside.I’m not asking you to like traditional play, nor am I ignoring the unique qualities of Burning Wheel, Blades in the Dark, PbtA, or Monsterhearts. But it would be helpful to drop the pretense that this is fundamentally different from the referee authority you critique elsewhere. You're free to use whatever term you like, facilitation, guidance, or anything else. But it’s clear you’re treating leadership as synonymous with authority, when in fact leadership exists and thrives in contexts where no formal authority is present at all.That’s exactly the kind of leadership I’m referring to: the kind found in volunteer groups, hobby circles, and collaborative efforts, where people come together, help coordinate, and keep things moving without issuing commands. Referees do that all the time, regardless of the system.This isn’t a fringe or uncommon usage either. A quick search turns up hundreds of examples using “leadership” in this broader sense. It’s standard language in education, community organizing, and creative collaboration.You're free to disagree, but let’s not pretend the term is being stretched beyond recognition. It's being used precisely as many others do in similar contexts.</blockquote>

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