thread: 2008-09-29 : Creative Tension
On 2008-09-30, Valamir wrote:
I'm not sure which comments are commenting on something I wrote and which are independent observations. But I will note for clarity that when I speak of a framework...or a text base system...I'm specifically not talking about a specific kind of framework designed to build consensus or ensure everyone is satisfied with everyone elses contributions. Its perfectly fine for the framework to be designed to specify who exactly has the authority and to tell everyone else to shut up and trust that person's judgement. As long as its not just left to wonder.
Frex:
You say
I really think that's silly and damages my fun.
I now think "ok...I really don't like that...what can I do about it? What are my options within the spirit of the game?
Is this the sort of game where I interrupt you and say "whoa whoa...I'm not feeling that, how about this?" and we resolve via kibbitzing until we're both happy?
Is this the sort of game where I say "whoa whoa...I'm not feeling that, how about this?" and we resolve with a vote or spending of resources.
Is this the sort of game where I say "you know...you could do that...but then I'm totally going to make you regret it on my turn..."?
Is this the sort of game where I should just shut the hell up because it isn't my turn and I don't get a say.
or any other such thing.
I don't really care what the answer IS (as long as its appropriate to the game)...but I do care that there is an answer. Even if that answer is nothing more than the textural record of how the game designer handles it...because that's what his group likes.
Having a well playtested game is great. But unless I know how the playtesters answered the above, I'm going to have difficulty recreating the success. Its going to LOOK like poorly playtested game that just doesn't work right...because my answer may well turn out to be incompatible with the designers answer.
I think, Ron, that this issue was at the core of our failed attempt to play Poison'd. We got to a point in the game that required judgement, there was no textural indication of how to render that judgement...so we came up with our own system for how to decide...that was so far off base that the game screeched to a flaming halt.
For me, this all ties into procedures of play...and what I think RPG designers can learn from board game designers in terms of making those precedures crystal clear.
