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General Tabletop Discussion
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The Most Important Design Aspect of Hobby RPGs Is The Pure Humanoid Avatar
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<blockquote data-quote="Benji" data-source="post: 7728784" data-attributes="member: 6793743"><p>I'd suggest that the border between these definitions (especially the first two) is often audience defined though: The players can dictate the level of association between the avatar and the self. My family and friends play Game Of Life as an RPG even though my family don't play RPGs. (To define - it becomes a story a about a group of people moving through life where details of the game are embellished upon. It also has progression into a field of specialisation.)</p><p></p><p>If you think about games considered 'old' and 'passe', even in monopoly, someone rarely says 'Oh, my dog is losing'. They say 'I am losing'. That the dog in monopoly despite not even resembling a humanoid, is somehow an avatar of the player is understood - they equate themselves with the figure. The human ability to anthropomorphise any and all things means that quite a lot of things end up as an 'avatar'. I'm not sure it defines a 'hobby rpg'. While I was one holiday this year, we placed ourselves inside a giant lawn version of snakes and ladders. No more realistic avatar could be present. But I'd hesitate to say we were undertaking a hobby rpg activity. </p><p></p><p>I understand that perhaps I am misundstanding or moving the goalpost for some games. But I think we have to factor in that a) people don't play games as written and b) that the equation of playing piece and player is often dictated by player-audience. Therefore, perhaps the definition of what constitutes a hobby rpg</p><p> is fluid.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Benji, post: 7728784, member: 6793743"] I'd suggest that the border between these definitions (especially the first two) is often audience defined though: The players can dictate the level of association between the avatar and the self. My family and friends play Game Of Life as an RPG even though my family don't play RPGs. (To define - it becomes a story a about a group of people moving through life where details of the game are embellished upon. It also has progression into a field of specialisation.) If you think about games considered 'old' and 'passe', even in monopoly, someone rarely says 'Oh, my dog is losing'. They say 'I am losing'. That the dog in monopoly despite not even resembling a humanoid, is somehow an avatar of the player is understood - they equate themselves with the figure. The human ability to anthropomorphise any and all things means that quite a lot of things end up as an 'avatar'. I'm not sure it defines a 'hobby rpg'. While I was one holiday this year, we placed ourselves inside a giant lawn version of snakes and ladders. No more realistic avatar could be present. But I'd hesitate to say we were undertaking a hobby rpg activity. I understand that perhaps I am misundstanding or moving the goalpost for some games. But I think we have to factor in that a) people don't play games as written and b) that the equation of playing piece and player is often dictated by player-audience. Therefore, perhaps the definition of what constitutes a hobby rpg is fluid. [/QUOTE]
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