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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 8255272" data-attributes="member: 6696971">"Tell an emotionally satisfying narrative" is (a) not as prevalent as you think/claim and (b) where it is elsewhere, its put and operationalized entirely differently.  Story Now play, for instance, isn't about "telling an emotionally satisfying narrative" (its about playing to find out...experience an emergent story as the confluence of participant roles, conversation, and systemization converge to reveal a story to all of the participants).  Further, Story Now play isn't operationalized as such that you have the same kind of volitional arrangement at the table (and within the GM's purview) to make that happen.Finally, "telling an emotionally satisfying narrative" isn't a priority at all in a huge segment of Classic Skilled Play.  Pawn Stance delving/hexcrawling has zero interest in a satisfying narrative.  Its entirely about playing a game and defeating obstacles/challenges.As I expressed above, this is one of the two places (including the Storygaming nomenclature and diagnosis of the apex priority) that I disagree with the essay.  5e and Neo-trad play has ENORMOUS GM latitude/empowerment.  They effectively have a mandate (as I wrote above) to tell an interesting/compelling story, "ensure fun", curate content and tailor play to the aspirations of players (Power Fantasy and Dungeons and Beavers being a significant part of this...more on that below), and deploy GM Force as required to get there (the particular vehicle here is the AP/metaplot...where Force is basically required to keep play centered).Its actually spot on.  Its about enabling Power Fantasy (which is absolutely a HUGE part of the formulation):"...focus on realising player aspirations is what allows both the Wizard 20 casting Meteor Swarm to annihilate a foe."The 2nd part "and the people who are using D&D 5e to play out running their own restaurant to be part of a shared culture of play" is the Dungeons and Beavers aspect of Trad that Classic D&D laments.  This play priority/aesthetic is overlap on the Trad/Neon-Trad Venn Diagram (its a play priority that a player like Lanefan identifies with and feels is seminal to his enjoyment of D&D).If you've missed the vigorous CharOp community of 5e, you're not looking hard enough.  Its absolutely there in spades.</blockquote>

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