thread: 2011-05-18 : Ben Lehman: Rules and their Functions
On 2011-05-23, Josh W wrote:
Oh I helpfully said exactly the wrong one for continuous vs immediate in my last post, I can't see handeling time for continuous rules. Classic cases of immediate rules are where the idea of handeling time comes from.
Continuous rules; principles, turn structures and so on, are more learnt than referred to (ie it's about learning to do it right rather than checking a table). Wheras mechanics are more referred to than learnt, except that part of them that sticks in your mental model as "This class of situations will lead to this kind of thing via that mechanic", or however detailed you make it.
Structuring of play by content would be mostly continuous as well by that characterisation, unless it's obscure setting history/metaplot stuff you go through to get an answer to a question.
That's basically a form of outside resolution like a dice roll; no-one can remember what the setting book says, and it could go either way, but you can stop the flow of fictional events to check.
Then bang, you have your answer, so you carry on.
