Why do you play?

[Mallus]

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

I like making shi stuff up. This applies to both me-as-DM and me-as-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?

It's a outlet for my (unfortunately) bounded creativity.

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 is a social, collaborative creative experience, which also posses game-like qualities not found in strictly artistic forms.

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

Anyone who remembers them.

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

No.

5. In your opinion, who owns your past PCs?

Anyone who remembers them.

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

No.

6. When playing (DM or PC) are you more impressed with originality or familiarity in the story?

I'm more interested in a new take on familiar material. I'm also partial to genre mash-ups.

Why? (something you’ve never seen before or a clever reference to other stories, mythology, popular culture, etc.)

Genre fiction, and by extension, the games rooted in genre fiction, require a certain fidelity to conventions. The conventions are both defining and desired by the audience.

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?)

You don't. At least, the core game rules have no ultimate victory condition. Individual groups are free to be as competitive as they like and establish their own set of victory conditions ('whoever makes it to the highest level wins', 'who makes the most entertaining character as determined by group vote' wins, etc.).

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

Providing a framework for task resolutions and a descriptive language for the elements inside the fictional space of the game.

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

The best moments are when everyone around the table is laughing out of a mixture of delight, incredulity, and horror. Why? Because.

10. What is your favourite D&D memory and (more importantly) why?

I'll have to think on this one...

 

[francisca]

1. Why do you play D&D? (DMing or as a player)
For fun. Pure relaxation and goofing off. Sometimes, I've DM'd to facilitate the fun, but either as a player or DM, it's for the fun of it.

2. Would you say that D&D is an outlet for your creativity or are you creative for the sake of playing D&D?
Mmmm....well I have my guitars for a creative outlet, so it's not like I have this stuff that "has to get out". So, I'd say the game has driven my creativity, though I was already prone to being creative, I believe.


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?
A story is a story and D&D is a game. For me and my crew, the story is only in hindsight. As a DM, I setup the sketches of the background, and the players spin it, I react, wash, rinse, repeat. I cannot stand RPGs in the form of "scenes" or DM as a narrator. I dislike railroading to a very high degree. If I want to write a story, I'll do just that (and have).

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?
Well, I guess I own any material I prepared.
follow-up: no.

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?
Uh, me, I guess.
and no, to the follow-up.

4 and 5 are very strange questions.

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. Why? See above, I don't have a "story". Now, if I reference mythology, I expect the guys I hang with to have an inkling.

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?)
I win when my players come back for the next game session. That means they are having fun.

8. In your view, what is the point of a game system’s rules?
Provide a basic framework of guidelines for resolution of tasks/conflicts/whatever.

9. What is the best moment in a session and (more importantly) why?
Probably when I was a player in a game and the group was on the same page and took out the big bad evil guy in about 45 minutes of real time. We were on top of our game that day, strategically and tactically.

10. What is your favourite D&D memory and (more importantly) why?
Popping open the Moldvay basic set and actually getting a set of rules of my own. It was then I realized just how much fun i was going to have.


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


Glad to help. if you take anything from my responses, I hope that this it: not everyone plays so they can be some sort of fantasy fiction author.