Alexis, I am surprised that it is a professional writer, a person who makes such wonderful and efficient use of language, that sees the ability of language to convey as the weakest aspect of the game. Do you see authorship as limited as DMing in this sense? That is, this thing you describe... should it also replace books?
Here you have the hidden reality behind all my posturing of arrogance, James. Behind this visage is someone who recognizes everyone is entitled to have a chance to play this game as well as people who are gifted with language or imagination. Regardless of your 'goal,' isn't it better if people experience your world on the same level in which they experience THE world - not through your vision or my writing, but through their own particular mastery of experience as they've learned it from infancy. If we can add vision to that experience, we have really done something - no matter what hackneyed methodologies existed before.
As for whether or not I find authorship limiting, I profess to having read my material aloud in public to audiences. It is vastly superior to having them read my material. If I could read aloud to every person in the world, and see their faces and experience their reactions, yes, I think I would find that most satisfying.
But alas, you're there and I'm here, and we do what we can. At any rate, writing can be applied to a lot of things; I don't worry that it will ever be replaced. But for the record, words too are just labels we hang to tell stories; if I could conjure the story without needing to use words, and conjure it as well, don't be sure I wouldn't make the change.
I want to make sure I'm getting this, and may unwittingly be your straight man for the next post (thanks folks, we're here all wekk, please tip your waitress).
So Beedo and his commenters are willing to accept that the DM makes or breaks the game. You seem to agree that's the current state of things, but are unwilling to accept that. Is your premise then that there are more great DMs out there who simply lack the tools of conveyenace or rather, there always has been and always will be a limited number of capable DMs... we need to make them available to the entire world.
It has somehow been interpreted that when I ask that the tool not be automated, I am asking for a videogame.
No, I am saying the DM will manipulate the world as the DM always does - but with more world to automate than just miniatures on a paper map. The imagination will still be there, because players will still interpret their surroundings and respond to them. I'm only suggesting the surroundings could be a LOT more involved.
Alexis, I am surprised that it is a professional writer, a person who makes such wonderful and efficient use of language, that sees the ability of language to convey as the weakest aspect of the game. Do you see authorship as limited as DMing in this sense? That is, this thing you describe... should it also replace books?
ReplyDeleteHere you have the hidden reality behind all my posturing of arrogance, James. Behind this visage is someone who recognizes everyone is entitled to have a chance to play this game as well as people who are gifted with language or imagination. Regardless of your 'goal,' isn't it better if people experience your world on the same level in which they experience THE world - not through your vision or my writing, but through their own particular mastery of experience as they've learned it from infancy. If we can add vision to that experience, we have really done something - no matter what hackneyed methodologies existed before.
ReplyDeleteAs for whether or not I find authorship limiting, I profess to having read my material aloud in public to audiences. It is vastly superior to having them read my material. If I could read aloud to every person in the world, and see their faces and experience their reactions, yes, I think I would find that most satisfying.
But alas, you're there and I'm here, and we do what we can. At any rate, writing can be applied to a lot of things; I don't worry that it will ever be replaced. But for the record, words too are just labels we hang to tell stories; if I could conjure the story without needing to use words, and conjure it as well, don't be sure I wouldn't make the change.
I want to make sure I'm getting this, and may unwittingly be your straight man for the next post (thanks folks, we're here all wekk, please tip your waitress).
ReplyDeleteSo Beedo and his commenters are willing to accept that the DM makes or breaks the game. You seem to agree that's the current state of things, but are unwilling to accept that. Is your premise then that there are more great DMs out there who simply lack the tools of conveyenace or rather, there always has been and always will be a limited number of capable DMs... we need to make them available to the entire world.
?
It has somehow been interpreted that when I ask that the tool not be automated, I am asking for a videogame.
ReplyDeleteNo, I am saying the DM will manipulate the world as the DM always does - but with more world to automate than just miniatures on a paper map. The imagination will still be there, because players will still interpret their surroundings and respond to them. I'm only suggesting the surroundings could be a LOT more involved.