Reply to thread

Message

<blockquote data-quote="CharlesRyan" data-source="post: 4992783" data-attributes="member: 5265">I don't agree. I have enjoyed many films and novels even though I didn't really think utter defeat was something the writer even considered for the ending. Utter defeat is very rare in fiction, and when it occurs the expectation is usually set up well in advance. (In the RPG arena, this happens as well, CoC and Paranoia being two examples.)What makes movies and novels and comic books and plays and so on engaging isn't the actual possibility of defeat, but the perception of that possibility. Combine that with challenges and plenty of twists and turns along the way, and doubt about the outcome becomes part of the experience.In my experience, RPGs really aren't any different. Like fiction and movies, they rely on the suspension of disbelief, and part of that suspension is ignoring the fact that the protagonists almost alway prevail.And when you get right down to is, the RPG experience usually isn't about whether you're going to win or lose in the end anyway--it's about what you're going to do next to get out of the current sticky situation. The perceived possibility of defeat adds to the tension that makes those decisions interesting. I suppose the real possibility of defeat supports that perception, but I don't think it's necessary for most people.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="CharlesRyan, post: 4992783, member: 5265"] I don't agree. I have enjoyed many films and novels even though I didn't really think utter defeat was something the writer even considered for the ending. Utter defeat is very rare in fiction, and when it occurs the expectation is usually set up well in advance. (In the RPG arena, this happens as well, CoC and Paranoia being two examples.) What makes movies and novels and comic books and plays and so on engaging isn't the actual possibility of defeat, but the perception of that possibility. Combine that with challenges and plenty of twists and turns along the way, and doubt about the outcome becomes part of the experience. In my experience, RPGs really aren't any different. Like fiction and movies, they rely on the suspension of disbelief, and part of that suspension is ignoring the fact that the protagonists almost alway prevail. And when you get right down to is, the RPG experience usually isn't about whether you're going to win or lose in the end anyway--it's about [I]what you're going to do next[/I] to get out of the current sticky situation. The perceived possibility of defeat adds to the tension that makes those decisions interesting. I suppose the real possibility of defeat supports that perception, but I don't think it's necessary for most people. [/QUOTE]

Verification