I'll probably actually write about this more on my other blog because of the directions I'll take it.
That said, go read an excellent post on packaged and delivered experiences and the post that inspired it.
One of the best discussions on why DIY is so important and so valuable.
? Nothing on the other blog yet ?
ReplyDeleteAlso, have you interacted with these folks? http://ptgptb.org
Btw, this kind of discussion is where I begin to realize just how radical and unique the group of gamers in Brown University's "FGS" club were during the late 90's. The most popular games in that club were a hybrid on almost all levels; not enough paper, pencil and dice to be tabletop, but not enough costuming to be LARP; no apparent genre, no apparent mechanics... and yet nothing ever seemed like an arbitrary storyteller decision and players rarely floundered from option paralysis from the apparent lack of structure.
ReplyDeleteI guess this is why I react so strongly to both the desire to market RPG's to the vido game/TV audience who want something in which they are largely passive participant but also the desire to market RPG's to those who want largely a tactical combat infrastructure. I want to tell stories! Some of the best games I've ever been involved in had almost no armed conflict of any kind!
While I acknowledge that the war gaming roots of RPG's is both formative and important, I think that the parallel to model railroading and computer hardware is quite apt.
On the first: working on it but had a busy early week.
ReplyDeleteThe original ptgptb I was not involved with and, to the best of my knoweldge, I'd never seen before this blog.
There is an discussion here that the tactical focus is NOT a step back to D&D's roots and, to be honest, one that squares with my memories. High tactical simulation is a product of the 80s, not the 70s. To find it scroll down to the part about playing as a strategic challenge.