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<blockquote data-quote="Lanefan" data-source="post: 9199310" data-attributes="member: 29398">The &quot;role-playing&quot; in role-playing game speaks directly to it being, in part, theatre.&nbsp; Not theatre as in putting on a show to entertain a passive audience (Critical Role et al notwithstanding!) but theatre as in inhabiting a character to whatever extent and framing one's declarations in terms of what that character would do in that moment*.&nbsp; Even if just superficially, you're playing a role; as opposed to playing in purely pawn-stance (or avatar) mode which - while it can be done - defeats much of the purpose.&nbsp; This theatre piece is the Braunstein influence.&nbsp; I'm not sure if you've ever played Braunstein.&nbsp; I have, and honestly it more resembled a non-costumed and almost rules-absent LARP than a TTRPG as we know it: all you can do is think as your character and say (and in some cases do) what it would.&nbsp; The GM describes the setting to everyone and explains the situation, each player gets a short page of notes specific to their character, and after that - other than occasionally announcing that another in-game day has passed - the GM largely stands back and watches the fun.* - the 1e DMG play example demonstrates this fairly well, I think.&nbsp; The oD&amp;D play example you quoted does not, which only goes to show how play within the game had evolved between 1974 and 1979.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Lanefan, post: 9199310, member: 29398"] The "role-playing" in role-playing game speaks directly to it being, in part, theatre. Not theatre as in putting on a show to entertain a passive audience (Critical Role et al notwithstanding!) but theatre as in inhabiting a character to whatever extent and framing one's declarations in terms of what that character would do in that moment*. Even if just superficially, you're playing a role; as opposed to playing in purely pawn-stance (or avatar) mode which - while it can be done - defeats much of the purpose. This theatre piece is the Braunstein influence. I'm not sure if you've ever played Braunstein. I have, and honestly it more resembled a non-costumed and almost rules-absent LARP than a TTRPG as we know it: all you can do is think as your character and say (and in some cases do) what it would. The GM describes the setting to everyone and explains the situation, each player gets a short page of notes specific to their character, and after that - other than occasionally announcing that another in-game day has passed - the GM largely stands back and watches the fun. * - the 1e DMG play example demonstrates this fairly well, I think. The oD&D play example you quoted does not, which only goes to show how play within the game had evolved between 1974 and 1979. [/QUOTE]

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