thread: 2005-06-02 : Immersion
On 2005-06-02, Chris wrote:
Hi,
Probably a better analogy than commercials vs. tv show would be medium vs. content- that is, you don't find a problem immersing into a tv show even though it's just a 2 dimensional image being presented to you through cruddy stereo sound... That is, you become used to the medium and its no longer a distraction, but simply something you no longer are aware of- just as the medium of literature is the written word- yet it can still evoke imagery in a person's head without requiring illustration.
I'd say that the social interactions and the rules are the medium of roleplaying. They offer some constraints, but they're also the structure that makes the whole thing go. I mean, if rules screw up your immersion, then you might as well just stick to hardcore LARPS, because sitting around a table talking about things isn't very real either.
I think overall, there are two reasons people in general have gotten "caught" on Immersion as the Golden Goose-
First- the content is the neat stuff, and the assumption is that all the background stuff isn't necessary- it's like wanting the tv show without having to deal with a television set, or electricity.
Second, many people have been dealing with rules that have poorly fit what they wanted to get in their Immersion. Having to fight the rules, or work through them for something that doesn't matter to you naturally breaks Immersion... sort of like how some people can't stand subtitles on foreign films while other people can't stand dubbed voices that don't match the actor's faces... It's a matter of whether having to read or hear different voices is more of a pet peeve for you- in the same sense, some folks find going through 20 pages of combat tables to be very immersive, while other folks find having to do so in a political game when someone shanks Ceasar is complete garbage.
When you have rules that do what you want, get as crunchy as you want, where you need them to- you don't notice them anymore than you notice the fact that Jim really isn't an elven princess.
