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General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
Realistic Consequences vs Gameplay
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<blockquote data-quote="Fenris-77" data-source="post: 8014587" data-attributes="member: 6993955"><p>[USER=29398]@Lanefan[/USER] - Challenge level posed by the GM, as a part of how he runs his bit of the game, has a huge impact on player agency and thus player expectations of agency. It doesn't matter that the declared action is the same at all, it's the expected outcome that's different and that's where the differential agency comes from - it's part of the table contract, essentially. Anything outside of combat is affected by choices in playstyle and will certainly effect player decisions on declared actions.</p><p></p><p>Second, the modification of setting elements indexes authorial ability, thus narrative control, thus agency. Again, it's about expectations and what is generally the case, not that the GM is deciding. The decision does indeed rest with the GM, although it doesn't in all games, but what's important is how the game is generally played at the table, not that the GM is deciding. There are many games, including styles of D&D game, where the precise reason there will be a chandelier is because the player asked about it. If the player didn't ask, it wouldn't matter. That doesn't mean there's <em>always</em> a chandelier, it still needs to make sense (no, there's no chandelier in the privy), but if there's no good reason why there shouldn't be a chandelier, then there isn't really a good reason to say there isn't if someone asks (or a balcony, or whatever minor prop is in question). I am not suggesting that everyone needs to run things this way but it does index greater player agency. This is exactly how my games run btw, so I'm not just spitballing a possibility. </p><p></p><p>Both of these are excellent examples of how player agency is about far more than just being able to declare actions.</p><p></p><p>In both cases you are, I feel, conflating <em>who</em> is deciding for <em>how</em> they are deciding when it comes to what's actually important vis a vis agency. In both cases the GM is, in essence, devolving some authority onto the player, or more accurately in the first case, adjudicating success with greater impact on the narrative, and in the second devolving a portion of authorial control.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Fenris-77, post: 8014587, member: 6993955"] [USER=29398]@Lanefan[/USER] - Challenge level posed by the GM, as a part of how he runs his bit of the game, has a huge impact on player agency and thus player expectations of agency. It doesn't matter that the declared action is the same at all, it's the expected outcome that's different and that's where the differential agency comes from - it's part of the table contract, essentially. Anything outside of combat is affected by choices in playstyle and will certainly effect player decisions on declared actions. Second, the modification of setting elements indexes authorial ability, thus narrative control, thus agency. Again, it's about expectations and what is generally the case, not that the GM is deciding. The decision does indeed rest with the GM, although it doesn't in all games, but what's important is how the game is generally played at the table, not that the GM is deciding. There are many games, including styles of D&D game, where the precise reason there will be a chandelier is because the player asked about it. If the player didn't ask, it wouldn't matter. That doesn't mean there's [I]always[/I] a chandelier, it still needs to make sense (no, there's no chandelier in the privy), but if there's no good reason why there shouldn't be a chandelier, then there isn't really a good reason to say there isn't if someone asks (or a balcony, or whatever minor prop is in question). I am not suggesting that everyone needs to run things this way but it does index greater player agency. This is exactly how my games run btw, so I'm not just spitballing a possibility. Both of these are excellent examples of how player agency is about far more than just being able to declare actions. In both cases you are, I feel, conflating [I]who[/I] is deciding for [I]how[/I] they are deciding when it comes to what's actually important vis a vis agency. In both cases the GM is, in essence, devolving some authority onto the player, or more accurately in the first case, adjudicating success with greater impact on the narrative, and in the second devolving a portion of authorial control. [/QUOTE]
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