Witchfire trilogy question

[MoogleEmpMog]

Sorry to deflate your attempt at sarcasm, but by definition a precept is implicit, not explicit--a general principle, rather than something that's written down.

But where is it implied? What implies it to be a universal principle, when there is no universal context for tabletop roleplaying (sorry GURPS)?

Is it the words 'role-playing' in 'role-playing game?' Because 'playing a role' certainly doesn't come from, you know, acting? Where there's a script? Not an invisible one?

I was stating something pretty straightforward, despite your attempt to equivocate with this "your playstyle" bit. Once a DM hands a player a script, and starts regarding any attempt to ad lib as a rebellion that must be quashed, he's pretty much neutered the one thing that separates PnP role-playing from any other pasttime: the ability to improvise, to do anything a character in that situation could conceivably do.

True, it's the one thing that separates this type of game from every other pasttime. IE, a stumbling block for people who would have good fun playing a role but are uncomfortable (or really, really bad) at decision making.

It IS a playstyle issue, but it's one that, like the non-competitive nature of the game, has been so ingrained in the experience by decades of assumptions that it is now seen as universal.

As I stated previously, people can have fun with a railroaded adventure, although I certainly do believe they're missing out on a lot more fun by suppressing spontanaeity--particularly the DM. Players can do some pretty creative and surprising things. Why scupper that?

Because a) trying to figure out what to do is a lot more boring than experiencing a (halfway decent) story, b) some players are uncomfortable with decision-making but are good roleplayers/enjoy the gameplay and c) some other players are bloody twits.

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

3. Player choice is completely in the control of the DM. It is always an illusion.

I dunno - my players regularly surprise the hell out of me and quickly wreck the best-laid plans of my villains. Of course, I could just wave their successes away with "the villain got away, and there is nothing you can do about it! Neener, neener!", but that would be really low of me.

In my campaigns, the players always can make important choices about what their characters will do. That doesn't mean that they will succeed - that often depends on dice rolls - but they have always the option to try something different, and I always give them a fair chance of succeeding.

And if that means that my campaigns are plotted out in advance in somewhat less detail than the campaigns of other people, so be it. I consider this to be a small sacrifice.