thread: 2005-05-10 : How Do You Design a Mechanic?
On 2005-05-10, Ron Edwards wrote:
Hiya,
Christian, it's way more important than that. Maybe I can clarify by showing the counter-example, which unfortunately happens to be the norm.
It has always puzzled me (and lately disturbed me) that most RPG text examples use the *character's* name but refer to *real-game* actions.
"Tamara the Swordchick is battling a troll! They roll initiative, [details] and Tamara wins! She then rolls a 14 for her attack, which given her +2 sword and the troll's Defensive Target Number of 15, hits! Then the trolls rolls his Resistance against the damage ..."
See what I mean? Examples of game mechanics using the character names. The people are bizarrely absent.
I don't think this is mere convention. I certainly don't think it's "for convenience." I think it's strange, fucked-up, wrong, and so on. I think it's about hiding behind Incoherent play as a shield to protect one's fragile psyche. I think it's about pretending, in the sense of dishonesty. And I think it's about huddling together and rattling fetishes rather than actually socializing and sharing imaginations.
Ron
