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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 6559083" data-attributes="member: 6696971">Absolutely.  Great post.  The edition wars were extremely valuable for clarifying how very specific components of game design (especially the aesthetic/presentation component) negatively or positively affects folks of various mental frameworks.  You got some xp for those last 7 words (bolded mine)!I'll ditto everything in this post as well.  The transparency is a huge one!Transparency again.  I'm going to piggy-back on this.  Transparency is kryptonite for my most disliked GMing technique; illusionism (by way of GM force).  The abridgement or suspension of the formula of GM framed situation + player action declaration + the action resolution mechanics as the primary driver of play is never good.  It is especially not good when it is done so that the primary driver of play then becomes GM inclination (either arbitrarily or even in the interest of their metaplot).  When GMs are enabled to willfully keep that subordination a secret due to there being an opaque/fuzzy curtain between the players and the game's machinery (until the GM clumsily and inevitably goes a bridge too far and continuously does things clearly out of line, thus showing their hand), that is illusionism.  It comes in multiple shapes and sizes, but illusionism's best friend is unclear/incoherent/hand-wavey rules, vague GMing principles/guidance, and a stout invocation that the GM is always right/can do what they want for the sake of story/"its the GM's game"; see White Wolf's "Golden Rule" and D&D's historical "Rule 0".  4e's transparency kicked that approach in its teeth and took its lunch money.  Though it would never be readily admitted, I have absolutely no doubt that much gnashing of teeth and wringing of hands was had in the edition wars because many GMs had their precious illusionism taken from their toolbox.</blockquote>

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