GNS and Practicality
Ayyavazi:
Hello again,
Thanks a bunch for all of your responses. It really did help me understand the various ways in which the GNS can be rightfully applied, and misunderstood. And thanks Lumpley for clearing up where different posts should go. I'll keep it all in mind. I don't have the time to start the threads now, but keep an eye out for them if you want, because they'll start eventually.
As for game design that is flexible, I have a bit of a question on that. What I want to design is a game that has plug-and-play rules, where everything is interchangeable and any play style can be focused on merely by choosing to use the right rule-set. I would also hope such a design would ultimately allow hybridized play. However, the GNS seems to be pretty high-minded even if it is intuitive once its understood. How does one explain which rules apply in which way without being overly verbose and losing the audience in boredom from "all that boring theory" Note, I am aware not all people are bored by theory. I am not, and many here aren't either. But I still think we are a subculture of gamers, not THE culture.
Thanks again.
--Norm
Ron Edwards:
Hi Norm,
Welcome, and I appreciate the various questions. I've had to take a back seat in all of this because of a big time-crunch away from the screen. Thanks to everyone who's responded.
Your final question is a good one, but I think it will be a lot easier to discuss after you take some of the ideas for a test-drive using your actual play experiences in the forum of that name. I've been doing this for a while and seen that work so much better than diving right in with that particular ambition.
Best, Ron
Eero Tuovinen:
Agreed with Ron about the best course of action. One other direction of investigation you might consider is to read games that have been written by big GNS fans. They have the same problem that you're pondering, after all - how to explain the creative agenda this game strives to support in a manner that is intelligible to people without theoretical background? I think you'll find that different folks have different ideas about how to approach this, some of which have been more successful than others.
Ayyavazi:
Thanks again everyone for your responses.
I am running into snag on the play experiences front. I've just moved to a new area about two weeks ago, and don't know anyone around. My work schedule is hopelessly erratic, and I am so far unable to put together a gaming group. So, even if I did have rules ready to test, I have no group and no time to do so, at the moment. So, if I can't or don't have any play experiences, how do I discuss these topics?
Thanks,
--Norm
Eero Tuovinen:
Draw on your history of play. It's really not that difficult, even generalities go a long way. Looking at your concerns, you probably should especially write about how you've applied rules in the past games you've played, how those rules have been negotiated and interpreted and so on. Also, your own reactions - what were some particularly memorable and successful or failing experiences in using rules to drive play? I imagine we won't make much headway into your idea of plug-and-play rules before we chart what you understand by "rules" and how you're used to applying them in play. So whatever it is that you've played in the past, that's what I'd like to hear about.
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