Why do you play?

[Uusikartano]

Hey all,

I'm in the process of writing a university paper on tabletop RPGs, creativity, storytelling, and authorship, and I'm wondering if you fine folks would mind answering some questions I've written up to help direct the paper.

I'm interested primarily in the creative aspects of D&D, so answers concerning creativity or storytelling are certainly a plus, but do not feel limited by that. I'm more than aware that not everyone plays for the opportunity to tell stories - some want to fight monsters, some want to hang out with friends, etc.

I know that there are a number of questions, so feel free to answer as many or as few in as much or as little detail as you'd like. Frankly, any and all input will be appreciated.

Note: I use D&D to stand in for tabletop RPGs in general, do not feel limited by the game system in your responses.

1. Why do you play D&D? (DMing or as a player)

2. Would you say that D&D is an outlet for your creativity or are you creative for the sake of playing D&D?

3. Follow-up: Why create through D&D? Why not write a story? Or create through some other outlet? What does D&D offer that appeals to you or is unique to itself?

4. In your opinion, who owns your past campaigns / adventures that you’ve DMed?
follow-up: Would whether or not you ran a published adventure affect your answer?

5. In your opinion, who owns your past PCs?
follow-up: Would whether or not you were run through a published adventure affect your answer?

6. When playing (DM or PC) are you more impressed with originality or familiarity in the story? Why? (something you’ve never seen before or a clever reference to other stories, mythology, popular culture, etc.)

7. Granted that D&D is a game with rules and so on, how do you win? (good storytelling? killing the monsters? getting phat lewt?)

8. In your view, what is the point of a game system’s rules?
9. What is the best moment in a session and (more importantly) why?

10. What is your favourite D&D memory and (more importantly) why? (Though I’m interested in creativity and storytelling, don’t feel limited to that. I’m interested in the reasoning as much as I’m interested in the moment)

If you've gotten this far, I'd like to thank you for your time. It's very much appreciated.

(editted to add numbers to the questions and question 9)

 

[scourger]

Why do you play D&D? (DMing or as a player)

The social aspects are important motivators for me as is the storytelling. Power-gaming is improtant to me, too. I am less apt at tactics and strategy, so those elements appeal less to me.

Would you say that D&D is an outlet for your creativity or are you creative for the sake of playing D&D?

Gaming is a creative outlet for me. I'm sure it also feeds my creativity as well. Painting miniatures is a good example for me.

Follow-up: Why create through D&D? Why not write a story? Or create through some other outlet? What does D&D offer that appeals to you or is unique to itself?

Gaming just satisfies a creative drive that isn't met through other means for me.

In your opinion, who owns your past campaigns / adventures that you’ve DMed?

I own them.

follow-up: Would whether or not you ran a published adventure affect your answer?

No. I usually do use published adventures, but the campaign is mine. So are the changes I make in delivery.

In your opinion, who owns your past PCs?

I own them.

follow-up: Would whether or not you were run through a published adventure affect your answer?

Only if the PC is pre-made.

When playing (DM or PC) are you more impressed with originality or familiarity? (something you’ve never seen before or a clever reference to other stories, mythology, popular culture, etc.)

Tough question. Familiarity, but I like familiar things presented in an original way.

Granted that D&D is a game with rules and so on, how do you win? (good storytelling? killing the monsters? getting phat lewt?)

Everyone wins if everyone has a good time. I personally win if my character does cool things and lives. An heroic sacrifice is acceptable (but rare, unfortunately).

In your view, what is the point of a game system’s rules?

The rules exists to serve the game and the story. But, they also define the shared framework and so are important in their own right.

What is your favourite D&D memory and (more importantly) why? (Though I’m interested in creativity and storytelling, don’t feel limited to that. I’m interested in the reasoning as much as I’m interested in the moment)

My favorite gaming memories are the sound bites--phrases uttered at the table that really capture the action, the mood and the moment. Some advance the game action but some sort of make fun of it. I should really make a list before they are all forgotten.

 

[Celebrim]

You ask very hard questions, that are beyond my ability to answer.

Therefore, I'll let The Good Professor answer that question for me:

“And the voice of Illúvatar said to him: “Why hast thou done this? Why hast thou attempted a thing which is beyond your authority? For thou has from me as a gift thy own being only, and no more; and therefore the creatures of thy hand and mind can live only from that being, moving when thou thinkest to move them, and if thy thought be elsewhere, standing idle. Is that thy desire?
Then Aulë answered: “I did not desire such lordship. I desired things other than I am, to love and to teach them, that they might perceive the beauty of Eä, which though hast caused to be. For it seemed to me that there is yet great room in Arda for things that might rejoice in it, yet it is for the most part empty still, and dumb. And in my impatience I have fallen into folly. Yet the making of these things is in my own heart from my own making by thee; and the child of little understanding that makes a play of deeds of his father may do so without thought of mockery, but because he is the son of the father. But what shall I do now, that you should not be angry with me forever? As a child to his father, I offer to thee these things, the work of the hands which thou hast made. Do with them as thou wilt.
…And the voice of Illúvator said unto Aulë: “Thy offer was accepted even as it was made. Dost thou not see that these things now have a life of their own, and speak with their own voices?” - JRR Tolkien, "The Silmarillion"

In your opinion, who owns your past campaigns / adventures that you’ve DMed?

I do. I consider that I own them in a legal as well as ethical sense. Former DM's that I've had, hold the same opinion. That said, any particular character, the character's characterization, the character's memorable lines, and so forth are the property of the player who created the character. Former DMs who are working their material into other forms of art (such as novels) have approached me to ask if I'd consent to the use of my character.

follow-up: Would whether or not you ran a published adventure affect your answer

Obviously, if your story is based on some prior work, any part of the story which is largely derived from the prior work without substantial transformation belongs to the original copyright holder.

Granted that D&D is a game with rules and so on, how do you win? (good storytelling? killing the monsters? getting phat lewt?)

You win all the time in the since that every time you overcome some challenge, you've 'won'. But since the game is open ended, you obviously never 'win' in the sense usually associated with that term of the game being 'over'. I guess some people would say that you've won if you've just had 'fun', but I think that's stretching the definition of 'winning' past the breaking point. You don't always win a game with a traditional victor, but whether you won or not is not necessarily tied to how much enjoyment you derived from playing.

In your view, what is the point of a game system’s rules?

Remember how you used to play 'Cops and Robbers' or 'Cowboys and Indians' or 'Spacemen and Aliens', but at some point you stopped playing it? Role playing is one of the earliest games to manifest itself in humans, and is I think to some extent the foundational play experience behind all games. Typically you stopped playing it not because it ceased to be fun, but because you reached a point where one party to the game said, "I shot you.", and the other party to the game said, "No, you missed. I shot you." At that point, most role playing games collapse because they are unable to arbitrate conflicts like that, and young gamers move on to different sorts of games that are capable of arbitrating the conflicts that come up in them. Role Playing Games allow you to continue the primal play experience within a framework that allows you to arbitrate the conflicting perceptions of reality that emerge within the shared imaginary space.

Thus, you never have to stop playing 'Cops and Robbers'.

 

[Dice4Hire]

Why do you play D&D? (DMing or as a player)

Well, it is a good break form reality. In reality I have to put up with annoying people and situations that I can avoid or react ... violently.... in a game to. Also, it is a good outlet for my creative energies. I can do different things and think different ways in the game,

Would you say that D&D is an outlet for your creativity or are you creative for the sake of playing D&D?

Iti s definitely an outlet. I mostly DM, and I enjoy making up situations and adventures for players. And then seeing how the players deal with the problems I have faced them with. That is very enjoyable.

Follow-up: Why create through D&D? Why not write a story? Or create through some other outlet? What does D&D offer that appeals to you or is unique to itself?

I find writing for the sake of writing, or for readers who I will never meet to be a very boring and lonely process. If I am writing something that will be read and reacted to, it is interesting, but if you wee in any of my games, you will know I do not write reams of information in every psot. I write wheat needs to be tehre, but it is not very flowery.

In your opinion, who owns your past campaigns / adventures that you’ve DMed?
follow-up: Would whether or not you ran a published adventure affect your answer?

I own all my campaigns. Not that they are worth anything in any monetary value, and indeed I do not value past campaigns all that much emotionally either. I'm ready for the next, not for the last. As for published things, the developers own their IP and such, but I own waht my characters and I did in the game, not that it is worth anything.

In your opinion, who owns your past PCs?
follow-up: Would whether or not you were run through a published adventure affect your answer?

I do, of course. Published, non-published, does not matter. But again, they are worth nothing.

When playing (DM or PC) are you more impressed with originality or familiarity in the story? Why? (something you’ve never seen before or a clever reference to other stories, mythology, popular culture, etc.)

I rather intensely dislike games that try to recreate novels, or TV shows or the like. With or without canon characters. I prefer to see a variation on the standards of the genre. But not radical changes to a genre that effectively make it a thinly disguised other genre. One reason I do not like Ebberon is that it is steampunk. It pretends to be fantasy, but it really is not.

Granted that D&D is a game with rules and so on, how do you win? (good storytelling? killing the monsters? getting phat lewt?)

Survival and advancement. You never truly win D&D.

In your view, what is the point of a game system’s rules?

To provide a balanced way to resolve actions in a given game. I also intensely dislike freeform gaming of any sort.

What is your favourite D&D memory and (more importantly) why? (Though I’m interested in creativity and storytelling, don’t feel limited to that. I’m interested in the reasoning as much as I’m interested in the moment)

For me it is when players figure out what I am talking about and the hints and such come together for them, and they see what the whole story is.

 

[Dice4Hire]

double post

 

[Nagol]

Hey all,

<snip>

Why do you play D&D? (DMing or as a player)

I generally DM. I play because it's fun.

Would you say that D&D is an outlet for your creativity or are you creative for the sake of playing D&D?

I'm more synergistic than creative in D&D. It is something of an outlet creatively though I have others.

Follow-up: Why create through D&D? Why not write a story? Or create through some other outlet? What does D&D offer that appeals to you or is unique to itself?

D&D offers the advantage of participating in a shared creation. As the DM I design the situation. The players choose its resolution.

In your opinion, who owns your past campaigns / adventures that you’ve DMed?

As unrecorded performance art, the sessions are "owned" by those who participated. I doubt I would participate if there were recordings. As for the notes of the scenarios, the DM owns the ones he purchases/creates and the players own the ones they create.

follow-up: Would whether or not you ran a published adventure affect your answer?

No.

In your opinion, who owns your past PCs?
follow-up: Would whether or not you were run through a published adventure affect your answer?

The player owns the PC for as long as he plays it, but he assigns some rights to the DM. If the Pc is retired but the campaign continues, the DM has the right to run the PC as an NPC as necessary.

Where the campaign came from has no bearing.

When playing (DM or PC) are you more impressed with originality or familiarity in the story? Why? (something you’ve never seen before or a clever reference to other stories, mythology, popular culture, etc.)

Neither. I'm impressed by integity both in campaign design and character development. By campaign integrity, I mean campaigns where consequences of design decisions and plot actions are considered and logically extrapolated such that the world has a feeling of versimilitude. Character development is similar though the scale is different.

Granted that D&D is a game with rules and so on, how do you win? (good storytelling? killing the monsters? getting phat lewt?)

As a cooperative rather than competitive game, D&D is won when the campaign ends due to mutual agreement and the group agrees it was enjoyable. Double points if the group has one or more new iconic stories for future tables.

In your view, what is the point of a game system’s rules?

Game rules have two main purposes: to provide a method of resolution for actions important enough to be tracked as success/failure and to shape player choice to the expected tropes and conceits of the campaign.

 

[Aus_Snow]

Note: I use D&D to stand in for tabletop RPGs in general, do not feel limited by the game system in your responses.

I might just replace 'D&D' with 'RPGs' or 'roleplaying' as appropriate, in that case. Also, 'DM' with 'GM'.

Why do you play RPGs? (GMing or as a player)

To have awesome fun with your friends, to explore other worlds and realities, to take on another persona entirely and immerse yourself in it and the world(s) they travel (or, when GMing, many personas [NPCs]), and to co-create - in real time - an epic tale (or whatever other sort comes about as a result of play). There's nothing else like it.

Would you say that roleplaying is an outlet for your creativity or are you creative for the sake of playing RPGs?

Well, both. I have other outlets, such as writing, but roleplaying is unique, and it does spur me on to be more creative than I otherwise would. Character creation, world building, campaign setup, creative play - all these things (and more) are inspiring in that way.

Follow-up: Why create through roleplaying? Why not write a story? Or create through some other outlet? What does roleplaying offer that appeals to you or is unique to itself?

See above. Mainly, it's the thrill of co-creating, of mutually exploring and discovering. Nothing else, that I'm aware of, can provide anything like the same opportunities for these things.

In your opinion, who owns your past campaigns / adventures that you’ve GMed?
follow-up: Would whether or not you ran a published adventure affect your answer?

Me, and no.

In your opinion, who owns your past PCs?
follow-up: Would whether or not you were run through a published adventure affect your answer?

Same again.

When playing (GM or PC) are you more impressed with originality or familiarity in the story? Why? (something you’ve never seen before or a clever reference to other stories, mythology, popular culture, etc.)

Originality. Mind you, 'both' is the inevitable reality, and also happens to be a good thing. But yeah, the former has the edge, for my money.

Granted that RPGs are games with rules and so on, how do you win? (good storytelling? killing the monsters? getting phat lewt?)

When the experience is thoroughly enjoyable for all involved, you've [all] won.

In your view, what is the point of a game system’s rules?

To help define characters' abilities and other traits, to objectively arbitrate various situations that might otherwise come down to endless debate (e.g., yes, no, yes, no. . . ) or alternatively, I suppose, the decree of one 'all-knowing', 'all-powerful' player (GM?) - either way, not a scenario I or my fellow players would be happy with.

What is your favourite roleplaying memory and (more importantly) why? (Though I’m interested in creativity and storytelling, don’t feel limited to that. I’m interested in the reasoning as much as I’m interested in the moment)

I can't really limit it to just one. Well, I won't, anyhow. But I'd have to say, the times I've introduced new players to roleplaying, and in doing so helped to persuade them to continue with the hobby. I guess the reason being, I view roleplaying as an amazing thing, that more people should - if they're even slightly interested - try, even just the once. Of all the hobbies out there, I think it has a lot going for it.

Um, I'm raving, OK. Yes, I'm a fanboy.

If you've gotten this far, I'd like to thank you for your time. It's very much appreciated.

No worries, mate. Hope my response proves useful in some way.

 

[Hereticus]

"Tell me about yourself" posts are always popular...

Why do you play D&D? (DMing or as a player)

It is a social outlet with friends. Sometimes it is fun to escape from the real world and kill things.

Would you say that D&D is an outlet for your creativity or are you creative for the sake of playing D&D?

An outlet, work life requires a different kind of creativity. It would be nearly impossible to play an interactive game with other people if you were not creative.

Follow-up: Why create through D&D? Why not write a story? Or create through some other outlet? What does D&D offer that appeals to you or is unique to itself?

I do chronicle my games now, and I wish I started earlier. As a DM I encourage others to chronicle. I played in a Vampire/Dark Ages campaign that ran for five years. I have over 100 pages in 8 point font. Other players have done similar, from our own point of view. It is very interesting to compare perspectives after the fact.

In your opinion, who owns your past campaigns / adventures that you’ve DMed?

They belong to the group, not the DM. As DM, i insist that most of my players write backgrounds for their characters. The campaign is then built around those backgrounds. Even canned modules can be tweeked to do that.

follow-up: Would whether or not you ran a published adventure affect your answer?

No, see above.

In your opinion, who owns your past PCs?

Excellent question. I have always borrowed concepts from past charaters of mine and other players for NPCs. For the latest campaign that I will be running this summer (hopefully), I've asked my players for old characters to include as NPCs. Most were too powerful to start play, but they love the idea of keeping them alive in a game.

follow-up: Would whether or not you were run through a published adventure affect your answer?

As a DM, I never run a canned module as is, I awlays add color. Once I caught a player who read the module make choices that were too right. The "that's not suppose to happen" reaction was precious to watch.

When playing (DM or PC) are you more impressed with originality or familiarity in the story? Why? (something you’ve never seen before or a clever reference to other stories, mythology, popular culture, etc.)

Familiary is a basis to start at, established fictional races, mythology, settings, recreating historical events, current events, etc. A year or so a DM ran a campaign called "Emerald City", and it had nothing to do with Oz.

Granted that D&D is a game with rules and so on, how do you win? (good storytelling? killing the monsters? getting phat lewt?)

Your character wins by surviving. Players win by enjoying themselves.

In your view, what is the point of a game system’s rules?

Establish guidelines so the story flows.

What is your favourite D&D memory and (more importantly) why? (Though I’m interested in creativity and storytelling, don’t feel limited to that. I’m interested in the reasoning as much as I’m interested in the moment)

There are so many, but some events (you'd have to have been there) are so memorable that friends remember them 10 or 20 years later. They have nothing to do with what you killed or how much loot you raked in, they are all about creative role play.

 

[Hussar]

/snipping the intro

Why do you play D&D? (DMing or as a player)

I play D&D because it's an enjoyable passtime that has become my hobby. In other words, I do it because I like to do it.

Would you say that D&D is an outlet for your creativity or are you creative for the sake of playing D&D?

Hrm, would I do something else creative if I wasn't doing RPG's? That's a tough question really. I've been gaming for most of my life, so, I really don't know what would happen if I stopped. I'm going to waffle here and choose a little of column A and a little of column B. Gaming is an outlet for my creativity, but, the pressure of running a good game also forces me to be creative.

Follow-up: Why create through D&D? Why not write a story? Or create through some other outlet? What does D&D offer that appeals to you or is unique to itself?

I'm going to take that last question first. About the only thing gaming offers that is unique to itself is the group aspect. If I write a story, that's all on me and, other than letting someone read it, there is no interaction with other people involved in actually writing (researching maybe) typically.

By creating through gaming, I can get a pretty much immediate response to what I create (good or bad ) and I can use those responses to guide further creation.

In your opinion, who owns your past campaigns / adventures that you’ve DMed?

I'm not sure I understand the question. "Own"? You mean in the legal sense? I suppose that I do. "Own" as in whose campaign is it? I would say that each campaign belongs to the group that plays it. Even if were to run the exact same campaign for a different group of people (which I have done - I've run modules for more than one group for example) I would still consider the campaign to belong to the group. At least I would consider my most successful campaigns as belonging to the group.

follow-up: Would whether or not you ran a published adventure affect your answer?

I often run published adventures, particularly in 3e DND. I also run homebrews as well. And I've been a player in both. No, I don't think it affects my position very much.

In your opinion, who owns your past PCs?
follow-up: Would whether or not you were run through a published adventure affect your answer?

My characters? Oh, those are mine. Totally and completely. If they weren't, I would consider it a failure in gameplay.

When playing (DM or PC) are you more impressed with originality or familiarity in the story? Why? (something you’ve never seen before or a clever reference to other stories, mythology, popular culture, etc.)

Neither really. I'm impressed by a game which manages to draw me as the player into the story. There are so many methods for doing that, coming both from being original and playing on established tropes, that I don't think I could make that distinction. So long as the game is pulling the players into the campaign, making them actually care what happens and how it happens, that's what impresses me. The how is less important than the result.

Granted that D&D is a game with rules and so on, how do you win? (good storytelling? killing the monsters? getting phat lewt?)

None of the above. You win when everyone is having a good time. End of story as far as I'm concerned. If that means you are doing PnP Diablo, more power to you, if that means you're Furry LARPing, go right ahead.

In your view, what is the point of a game system’s rules?

The rules provide a framework for determining the result of actions that matter; when the results of an action are in question and those results, good or bad, have an impact on the game.

What is your favourite D&D memory and (more importantly) why? (Though I’m interested in creativity and storytelling, don’t feel limited to that. I’m interested in the reasoning as much as I’m interested in the moment)

I'm not sure if this is my favourite memory, but, this one sticks out in my mind as probably having the greatest impact on my playstyle attitudes. ((BTW, appologies for the gaming story - ))

Several years ago I was involved in a 2e DND game set in the Keep on the Borderlands. As I recall, there were 4 players plus the DM. We'd all met through the local FLGS and were playing together for the first time. Several sessions in, we'd settled down and started working together.

One player, not myself, is playing a thief and decides that he wants to rob the gem merchant in the Keep. He spends a session or two getting the rest of the players on board with this plan and we all agree that this would be fun. He then spends the next session or two (I believe this was three sessions in total - not the only thing we did for these sessions, but, it did get significant air time in each session) working out a very good plan for robbing the merchant, getting the lay of the land, following the merchant to find out his routine, that sort of thing.

Finally, he sets up the plan, and we get ready. Unfortunately the DM decides, a few hours of in-game time before we are to put our plan into action, that the merchant, whom we'd dealt with quite profitably numerous times before, would leave town with no warning and take everything with him, completely closing up shop.

We were stunned. The players were so disappointed. We had spent so much time building up to this, to be so let down by the DM was crushing.

It was the last session we played with that DM. The entire group revolted on the spot and quit the campaign.

I learned more about gaming in those three or four sessions than I think I had learned in many years gaming previously. I learned very clearly, that there are absolutely piss poor DM's out there, that widdling on your players like that is a VERY bad thing, and that you should always, ALWAYS as a DM, think before you act.

If you've gotten this far, I'd like to thank you for your time. It's very much appreciated.

You are very welcome.

 

[Wormwood]

1. Why do you play D&D? (DMing or as a player)

RPGs are one of the games my friends an I play together (+ board games, Xbox and MMOs), so it's primarily a social exercise.

2. Would you say that D&D is an outlet for your creativity or are you creative for the sake of playing D&D?

When I run D&D, my creativity is bent toward crafting an entertaining play experience at the table.

3. Follow-up: Why create through D&D? Why not write a story? Or create through some other outlet? What does D&D offer that appeals to you or is unique to itself?

I don;t want to write a story, I want to have a good time with my friends. If I do my job as DM correctly, my labor will result in an entertaining afternoon game.

4. In your opinion, who owns your past campaigns / adventures that you’ve DMed?
follow-up: Would whether or not you ran a published adventure affect your answer?

You mean my campaign notes and bits of graph paper? I suppose I own them.

The published adventures I run may be the intellectual property of their authors, I suppose.

5. In your opinion, who owns your past PCs?
follow-up: Would whether or not you were run through a published adventure affect your answer?

They're just a collection of stats and some notes. I suppose I could defend their authorship if I had a reason to, but I can't think of one.

6. When playing (DM or PC) are you more impressed with originality or familiarity in the story? Why? (something you’ve never seen before or a clever reference to other stories, mythology, popular culture, etc.)

Originality is good, but D&D by its very nature depends on generic fantasy tropes. Ignore too many of those and you are playing a different game (which is cool, of course)

7. Granted that D&D is a game with rules and so on, how do you win? (good storytelling? killing the monsters? getting phat lewt?)

If everyone enjoys themselves, we win.

8. In your view, what is the point of a game system’s rules?

To facilitate entertaining play.

9. What is the best moment in a session and (more importantly) why?

Whenever the players are invested in the outcome of a die or the result of their choices.

10. What is your favourite D&D memory and (more importantly) why? (Though I’m interested in creativity and storytelling, don’t feel limited to that. I’m interested in the reasoning as much as I’m interested in the moment)

[To be edited in later]