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Message: <blockquote data-quote="innerdude" data-source="post: 9315184" data-attributes="member: 85870">I've written a few times before that I find it easiest to understand neotrad using the "Player-wants-to-be-Batman (and only Batman)" paradigm.Neotrad assumes that players come to the game with a highly realized vision of what they want the character to be (i.e., Batman), both mechanically and in view of the character's place within the game world. The game should support the character's traits and in-fiction positioning from the start. If the character progression rules make it such that the character is not fully realized out of the gate (e.g., at level 1), then the game and/or GM should plan a rapid-scale escalation of progression to get the character to a state where the player gets to fully realize the concept.Challenges should be grounded in the interests and proclivities and built-in narrative hooks of the character. This is where neotrad differs significantly from vanilla "Story Now" / narrative-driven play. In Story Now / narrative play, challenges are not grounded in the character interests and proclivities. They're grounded in an assumed premise of exploration -- "We're exploring what it means to try to find human connection in a shattered apocalyptic world" (i.e., Apocalypse World), or "We're exploring what it means to test the will and drive and personal honor of an individual committed to improving the plight of the hardship-stricken" (i.e., Ironsworn). Whereas in neotrad the GM would say, "We're exploring Batman's relationship to Raz Al Ghul, and maybe exploring how being an orphan made him lonely, and testing how kick-ass his combat training is." There may be thematic premises in the mix here, but they're entirely grounded on and viewed through the character's persona.In both cases there's a strong sense of character, but in neotrad the GM's focus is specifically on the character as envisioned by the player, whereas in vanilla Story Now narrative play, the focus is on the character as a vehicle for exploring the stated premise.Neotrad play will fall down if the GM's focus shifts from character as envisioned by the player.Neotrad does expect challenges to arise, but at no point should the result of those challenges end up with the player's vision for the character derailed. Fail states can include death, if agreed upon by the players and GM, but cannot include things like level drain, stat reductions, mind control, loss of gear, etc. The character can fail at his or her objective, but it is paramount that the GM not remove the player's ability to "be Batman."*Edit: What neotrad has in common with vanilla Story Now narrative play is that the GM's mindset is expected move away from the gameworld-as-a-place-to-explore-for-the-sake-of-exploration.In neotrad, the gameworld exists as a vehicle for the characters to display their most important traits and sensibilities in relationship to the shared fiction. Players expect the GM to put their characters into situations where their innate traits and qualities will be highlighted and pronounced.Situations or encounters that happen "just because the simulated game world tells us this is so" are okay in small doses in neotrad play, but should not be the main focus. Focus is on the characters, what they're doing, and how what they're doing brings the character into full realization of concept.</blockquote>

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