thread: 2013-09-03 : Ordering the Conversation: How do you choose?
On 2013-09-03, E. Torner wrote:
I look at what the genre demands, think about how past human players have encountered said incentives, and try to find a meeting point between the two.
Possibility 1 emphasizes individual player creativity, and is limited only by the extent to which the player decides to limit themselves (thanks to the social situation or otherwise). Magic becomes a direct extension of human will.
Possibility 2 encourages the idea of magic's inherent unreliability, and makes the game designer the ultimate arbiter as to what is and isn't permissible in the game world.
Possibility 3 offers the decision up to other group members, who will likely "decide" that magic is cool, but comes at a cost which may or may not rope in the rest of the PCs (depending on whether or not they're playing to lose).
So you've got 3 different types of structured conversations here: 1) player-centered, 2) game-book-centered, and 3) group-centered.
Each one directly impacts how magic works in the diegesis: 1) magic expresses will, 2) magic expresses almost-scientific formula, 3) magic expresses value and sacrifice.
This makes VB go "+1"
This makes BL go "+1"
What a lovefest in these comments, yeah?
