[Gaming] RPG as Movie Experience -- Illusionism in Action

[adamdray]

This is my discussion of something called "illusionism," closely associated with "railroading," and how some gamers just want to be told a story.

If you haven't yet listened to Theory from the Closet #44: Interview with Mike Mearls, you should. This is a really well-crafted interview with the lead developer of D&D 4th Edition

Comments

[adamdray]

Why is this? Tell me.

I am pretty sure I don't agree.

[adamdray]

Yeah, I need to gather up their emails and shove them messily onto the list; I doubt they read my LJ post telling them to get on, or they read it and nodded and forgot.

I'm hoping your level of commitment is contagious and spreads to them.

If anything, they are in the wrong game. You are definitely in the right one.

I am not interested in making movies for them to watch. I did that as a DM for about twenty years already. It was fun. Now I want to share in the creation process.

This post is about how their preference is no less valid than mine, even if I'm not interested in doing that thing.

[adamdray]

I agree with you. I want them all to step up and come up with cool shit. I plan to make that very clear in the email I'll send out after I conscript them onto the mailing list.

If they hate that kind of game, they can drop out and I'll find players who love that kind of game.

[adamdray]

Maybe.

I tried to be pretty clear that this was an indie shared creativity thing from the start, including the shared setting creation that we spent eight hours doing together.

And I don't plan to be a huge dick about it or anything. It won't be my way or the highway. I'm just saying that I'm gonna push to run things a certain way so I don't get totally bored.