thread: 2005-06-02 : Immersion
On 2005-06-05, bob the fighter wrote:
after re-reading Sorcerer and Sword, this discussion feels like a red-herring: folks didn't really touch on stances other than Actor stance.
i think that immersion is only part of the process: when players aren't at ALL invested in the game, and are reluctant to engage in ANY stance of play, the game suffers. i think that there is a time and a place for Actor stance, and that good stories benefit greatly from Director and Author stance alongside Actor.
further down my re-reading list was 3rd ed. D&D, and i chuckled at the dire warnings about activities that would push people "out of character". in the Dungeon Master's Guide, there's a bit about a puzzle involving a lever that's rusted out of use. the writer argues against thinking "the GM would never make an impossible puzzle!", arguing in favor of "the architects of this castle would never make an impossible puzzle!" approach to thinkin' about it.
i think that almost every game i've been in would benefit hugely from a Director/Author stance shot in the arm. historical gaming wisdom has always told me that i should focus on getting into character as much as possible. my own experience teaches me that that's fun, and it's ok, but i should really "come up for air" (props to Valamir) and make sure my single-mindedness isn't decreasing other folks' fun.
hearing vincent bellow "MOST ROLEPLAYERS HAVE NEVER HAD RULES THAT WORK." rings like a churchbell for me. pretty much any argument i've gotten into about "Rules: How Often to Use Them?" boils down to rules systems that i consider highly dysfunctional, or (to be fair) games that really don't suit my style of play. when rules increase the tension that action creates, the rules are doing their job. Sven Holmstrom's example of a crying player supports this: if the rules are doing what they should do, they'll be like the ritual drums, the candles, and the chanting.
if the rules are doing their job, then they won't screw up the whole caring-about-the-game process.
