thread: 2005-06-02 : Immersion
On 2005-06-03, Some other Dane wrote:
I have to agree with GB Steve. In Denmark we also have no adds channels; Channels with adds between shows and channels with adds throughout the show (US style).
It got me thinking.
It is clear to me that you immerse yourself just as much in a show with commercials as in one without... eventualy. There is always a period of transition when going from commecial to show "Now, what was I watching again?" and when going from show to commecials "Wow, when did we go to commecials? I missed that" (You often do, right?)
Now, if we apply this to immesion in general, then it would be fair to say that immersion always comes after a period of transition, however long that transition period might be.
It goes to shows then that in a roleplaying session jumping in and out of immersion will also create periods of transitions. In these periods the players will be confused on the when, where and what of the scene. Sometimes maybe just for half a second, sometimes for as much as half a minute and sometimes the GM has to set the scene again to get all up to speed.
Now here is my claim. I am claiming that all players who like immersion have a breaking point when they go "
prevented my immersion".
These players might take it out on the reasons for the breakoffs. Dierolls or whatever. But in reality it is the sum of time spent in transition during a session that gets to them.
Breakoffs for meaningfull reasons are just that: meaningfull. But time spent i transition are meaningless and wasted.
What does all this build into?
While I agree with the original poster that breakoffs for whatever reasons don?t ruin immersion, I feel that the frequency off breakoffs does.
So in designing systems based on this you might think on which breakoffs are relevant and which will just add to "transition-jetlag"
Less is more.
