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What is "gamist"?
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<blockquote data-quote="Mishihari Lord" data-source="post: 5962439" data-attributes="member: 128"><p>"Gamist" is just RPG play/rules/mechanics/whatever divorced from game fiction. An example I just saw today is the idea that in some edition big monsters have a higher reflex save because because they're supposed to be a challenge for higher level PCs even though it doesn't make much sense that a hill giant can dodge quicker than an orc. Any mechanic that is used because it's mechanically simple or fun rather than because it makes sense in the game universe can reasonably be called gamist. Hit points are a prime example.</p><p></p><p>Some folks have a hate on for the term because Ron Howard used it in GNS theory. It actually predates GNS by quite a bit (search for "GDS Theory" to see where), and IIRC the original meaning was a bit different than Ron's.</p><p></p><p>I find the term highly useful both for thinking about RPGs and discussing them. You just have to keep in mind that "gamist" is a value-neutral word. All RPGs have gamist mechanics to a certain extent just because reality (and fantasy) is impossible to model with a high degree of fidelity and still have play be easy and fun. Most of the time I see someone unhappy about the term it's because they think a rule they like has been insulted.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Mishihari Lord, post: 5962439, member: 128"] "Gamist" is just RPG play/rules/mechanics/whatever divorced from game fiction. An example I just saw today is the idea that in some edition big monsters have a higher reflex save because because they're supposed to be a challenge for higher level PCs even though it doesn't make much sense that a hill giant can dodge quicker than an orc. Any mechanic that is used because it's mechanically simple or fun rather than because it makes sense in the game universe can reasonably be called gamist. Hit points are a prime example. Some folks have a hate on for the term because Ron Howard used it in GNS theory. It actually predates GNS by quite a bit (search for "GDS Theory" to see where), and IIRC the original meaning was a bit different than Ron's. I find the term highly useful both for thinking about RPGs and discussing them. You just have to keep in mind that "gamist" is a value-neutral word. All RPGs have gamist mechanics to a certain extent just because reality (and fantasy) is impossible to model with a high degree of fidelity and still have play be easy and fun. Most of the time I see someone unhappy about the term it's because they think a rule they like has been insulted. [/QUOTE]
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