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<blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 7416664" data-attributes="member: 42582">But if the Phantom of the Opera was a RPG, then we know what happened, and we know exactly how much setting was required - namely, the opera house and the subterranean lair beneath it.That is - at least as I understand it - [MENTION=22779]Hussar[/MENTION] (i) is pointing out that a story can proceed without worldbuilding beyond the immediate setting/situation in which the action unfolds, and (ii) is asserting that this is possible for RPGing.His point is that he does not author any more setting in advance than he anticipates will be needed for the situations that will be the focus of play. Now because even [MENTION=22779]Hussar[/MENTION] is only human, perhaps he sometimes misjudges - he authors something but it turns out it never gets used in play (eg the PCs never actually venture into the Phantom's lair); or he hasn't authored something but it turns out that he needs it (eg one of the PCs visits a theatrical agent, and so Hussar has to ad lib an account of the streets of Paris and the agent's wood-panelled office).That doesn't change the fact that (i) he is not engaging in worldbuilding as he characterises it, namely, the authoring of fictional details with no intention that they be part of play and even knowledge that they won't be, and (ii) in virtue of (i), is proving by doing that worldbuilding as he characterises it is not, per se, needed for RPGing.For what it's worth, I agree with him.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="pemerton, post: 7416664, member: 42582"] But if the Phantom of the Opera was a RPG, then we [I]know[/I] what happened, and we [I]know[/I] exactly how much setting was required - namely, the opera house and the subterranean lair beneath it. That is - at least as I understand it - [MENTION=22779]Hussar[/MENTION] (i) is pointing out that a story can proceed without worldbuilding beyond the immediate setting/situation in which the action unfolds, and (ii) is asserting that this is possible for RPGing. His point is that [I]he does not author any more setting in advance than he anticipates will be needed for the situations that will be the focus of play[/I]. Now because even [MENTION=22779]Hussar[/MENTION] is only human, perhaps he sometimes misjudges - he authors something but it turns out it never gets used in play (eg the PCs never actually venture into the Phantom's lair); or he hasn't authored something but it turns out that he needs it (eg one of the PCs visits a theatrical agent, and so Hussar has to ad lib an account of the streets of Paris and the agent's wood-panelled office). That doesn't change the fact that (i) he is not engaging in worldbuilding as he characterises it, namely, the authoring of fictional details with no intention that they be part of play and even knowledge that they won't be, and (ii) in virtue of (i), is [I]proving by doing[/I] that worldbuilding as he characterises it is not, per se, needed for RPGing. For what it's worth, I agree with him. [/QUOTE]

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