thread: 2012-06-25 : "Conflict" "Resolution"
On 2012-07-13, David Berg wrote:
My two cents on terminology:
Resolution
"Resolution" sounds good to me as a description of "implement game procedure and receive output", as distinct from moving the game forward just by talking. Some version of "game use" or "rules use" could also work—"activation", "implementation", "consultation"...
As for finding out what comes next in the fiction, I prefer "evolution" as a catch-all. "How does the situation evolve?" is the most natural phrasing, for me. "Resolution" sounds to me like the situation ends, rather than possibly escalating or complexifying or whatever. That said, Vincent, by "Resolution (1)" above, did you intend anything more specific than "any sort of change that's in any way relevant to what's currently going on?" Maybe "evolve" isn't specific enough.
Uncertainty
I dig "uncertainty". That said, if an active phrasing is needed, I think "Challenge" works well. Challenging a belief, challenging an intent, etc.
Interests
I guess "interests" is as good a large, encapsulating term as any. When it comes down to the nitty-gritty in RPG play and design, it seems helpful to me to distinguish between the following:
Pursuits - Goals and active attempts to achieve them. "I'll kill That Guy by stabbing him with my sword. I reach for my scabbard..."
Desires - A certain result someone wants, independent of any plan to get it. "I never want to see That Guy again."
Values - Why I care, beyond the specific case. "That Guy shouldn't have ratted me out, that's just wrong," might reflect a value of Loyalty.
In play, different situations create different types of player choices by introducing uncertainty at these different levels. For example, "ethical choice vs not" could be seen as a product of whether multiple Values are opposed, and we could look at how the system of resolving Desires or Pursuits works to create that opposition.
