thread: 2009-07-15 : Abstract Actions in Rock of Tahamaat
On 2009-07-16, Bwian wrote:
Very clear, Vincent. Thanks.
So when the player says 'I climb the social ladder', this turns out to be more of a first draft statement of 'intent' than it is an action. Then you use questioning to make it more specific and concrete. Which is pretty much how I would run things most of the time, I guess.
A couple of things about this especially interest me.
First:
It seems to imply that (in Rocko'T), every time a player says something like 'I do X', the game function of that statement is unknown until the GM responds (or otherwise indicates assent). It might pass directly into the world as accomplished 'fiction', OR it might become a statement of intent (or a draft statement of intent, or the beginning of a discussion of intent) in a formal resolution process, depending on whether the GM detects a need for resolution.
Second:
How do you handle the case where the player doesn't really know how specifically to go about carrying out his intent, but you imagine the character would know exactly what to do?
E.g. I personally have never been very good at climbing the social ladder, but I could imagine playing a character that was. So if I said 'I climb the social ladder' and the GM said 'OK, what does your character do about that here and now?' I'd be tempted to say: 'Beats me!'
Or closely related: how would you handle a case where neither the GM nor the player knew how to break down a particular abstract action, but it is established that the character IS very good at this? I often have this problem in sci-fi games, and with magic-use generally.
More Terminology Help Please
In the rules for SCENES at your link above, it says '...make like a GM and play free.'
I think I know what 'play free' means, but I'm not sure.
I'm guessing it refers to something like 'make up things and events that seem to make interesting sense in response to the players, without recourse to formal resolution mechanisms'. How does that sound? What have I missed?
One could play entire sessions like this, I guess.
RE: Functional
...as in every functional fictional form, nothing happens outside of a scene
I can hear Hemmingway spinning in his grave... ;o
But I strongly agree that most scenes are more effective when the language is kept concrete, specific, visceral.
Cheers
Bwian
