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Realistic Consequences vs Gameplay
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<blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 8007366" data-attributes="member: 6696971"><p>The only game I run where PCs are thematically neutral and unidimensional is Moldvay Basic D&D. But that game makes no bones about its challenge-based, pawn stance orientation toward play where the exclusive play priority is getting as much stuff as you can out of a dungeon before your loadout falters. Here PC unidimensionality is a feature, not a bug.</p><p></p><p>Outside of that, It’s basically impossible to create unidimensional PCs (and/or play them as such) in the other games I run so it’s not a concern that I have had to bear out.</p><p></p><p>Here is where I often see unidimensional PCs emerge:</p><p></p><p>* D&D games where multiple dominant play priorities/paradigms converge and simultaneously threaten the integrity of each other:</p><p></p><p>1) Challenge-based.</p><p></p><p>2) “Realism” (often this is GM Simulation)-based.</p><p></p><p>3) PCs are advertised as protagonists (the thing whose dramatic need is advocated for, expressed through play, and ultimately changes; amplifies, degrades, or morphs).</p><p></p><p>4) When actually the setting is already encoded as the protagonist before play has even begun and it becomes abundantly clear as play progresses.</p><p></p><p></p><p>What happens?</p><p></p><p>Players go into the game wanting to overcome obstacles with their built PCs.</p><p></p><p>Players may also want to express and propagate some dramatic need and attendant arc.</p><p></p><p>That need and arc become second fiddle (background color to the settings prptagonism) if they manifest at all. This can happen through moments of GM Force subverting a player trying to project their will onto the fiction. This can come from players trying to change the gamestate posotively in a noncombat situation but perceiving that they’ve been fouled (and will yet be foiled in the future) by a GM misappropriating the trajectory of play due to inconsistent or uninferrable mediation of mostly/wholly GM-facing resolution procedures.</p><p></p><p>Invariably, the player falls back entirely on (a) challenge-based priorities centered around combat (b) which are consistent and inferrable because they’re player-facing and easily actionable by just escalating to violence.</p><p></p><p>All that has to be done to prevent this degeneration (insofar as someone doesn’t intend for this to occur as a product of play) is change the orientation of play (priorities, relationships, resolution procedures/mechanics).</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Manbearcat, post: 8007366, member: 6696971"] The only game I run where PCs are thematically neutral and unidimensional is Moldvay Basic D&D. But that game makes no bones about its challenge-based, pawn stance orientation toward play where the exclusive play priority is getting as much stuff as you can out of a dungeon before your loadout falters. Here PC unidimensionality is a feature, not a bug. Outside of that, It’s basically impossible to create unidimensional PCs (and/or play them as such) in the other games I run so it’s not a concern that I have had to bear out. Here is where I often see unidimensional PCs emerge: * D&D games where multiple dominant play priorities/paradigms converge and simultaneously threaten the integrity of each other: 1) Challenge-based. 2) “Realism” (often this is GM Simulation)-based. 3) PCs are advertised as protagonists (the thing whose dramatic need is advocated for, expressed through play, and ultimately changes; amplifies, degrades, or morphs). 4) When actually the setting is already encoded as the protagonist before play has even begun and it becomes abundantly clear as play progresses. What happens? Players go into the game wanting to overcome obstacles with their built PCs. Players may also want to express and propagate some dramatic need and attendant arc. That need and arc become second fiddle (background color to the settings prptagonism) if they manifest at all. This can happen through moments of GM Force subverting a player trying to project their will onto the fiction. This can come from players trying to change the gamestate posotively in a noncombat situation but perceiving that they’ve been fouled (and will yet be foiled in the future) by a GM misappropriating the trajectory of play due to inconsistent or uninferrable mediation of mostly/wholly GM-facing resolution procedures. Invariably, the player falls back entirely on (a) challenge-based priorities centered around combat (b) which are consistent and inferrable because they’re player-facing and easily actionable by just escalating to violence. All that has to be done to prevent this degeneration (insofar as someone doesn’t intend for this to occur as a product of play) is change the orientation of play (priorities, relationships, resolution procedures/mechanics). [/QUOTE]
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