Discussion of Social Contract theories at the Forge
The Magus:
As a relative newbie to the Forge I am aware that the RPG Theory forum is now closed. I've read a number of articles on the GNS model and feel that this describes my experience of RPGs recently. However, having looked at a number of posts I feel that there are some issues that do not get addressed using a theoretical framework, mainly around the social contract and gaming groups.
I'd find it helpful to know where I might find posts related to this issue as I see it mentioned a great deal but not actually examined. I'd like to discuss my theories about it somewhere with other interested parties but need some clarification:
Is the Forge specifically for analysis and reification of the GNS theory or are other concepts welcome?Would I be better off posting on other websites and if so which ones?
Thanks for reading
Piers
Eero Tuovinen:
Seems to me like you're in the right place with this. There is no official theoretical program here; you can discuss whatever you want, social contract included. In practice you do it nowadays in the Actual Play forum: start a thread therein, describe your thesis and illustrate it with some of your own experiences in actual roleplaying. This might seem a bit weird, but the purpose is to enforce communication: with practical experience as the basis of discussion we can always draw on those facts as the basis of discussion instead of getting lost in speculation. It also helps if others know what sort of games have concretely brought a given theory topic to your mind.
M. J. Young:
Piers, I have spotted social contract related threads scattered about from time to time. Eero is correct that there is not "official" theory, and also that Actual Play is the forum (and the foundation) for theory discussions here at present. If you can relate your ideas to gaming experiences specifically, you're good.
I'm interested in your thoughts. I posted an article related to social contract development over at Gaming Outpost (perhaps aptly entitled Social Contract Development in Gaming, and you're certainly welcome to discuss theory there--but the audience is not what it once was over there even if the posting rules are not so strict.
--M. J. Young
Sindyr:
Quote from: The Magus on April 03, 2009, 03:09:05 PM
As a relative newbie to the Forge I am aware that the RPG Theory forum is now closed. I've read a number of articles on the GNS model and feel that this describes my experience of RPGs recently. However, having looked at a number of posts I feel that there are some issues that do not get addressed using a theoretical framework, mainly around the social contract and gaming groups.
I'd find it helpful to know where I might find posts related to this issue as I see it mentioned a great deal but not actually examined. I'd like to discuss my theories about it somewhere with other interested parties but need some clarification:
Is the Forge specifically for analysis and reification of the GNS theory or are other concepts welcome?Would I be better off posting on other websites and if so which ones?
Thanks for reading
Piers
I too am intensely interested in the answer to these questions, specifically where Actual Play is entirely inapplicable (i.e., because there is none and will not be any in the short term)
Sindyr:
Quote from: M. J. Young on April 03, 2009, 05:04:41 PM
Piers, I have spotted social contract related threads scattered about from time to time. Eero is correct that there is not "official" theory, and also that Actual Play is the forum (and the foundation) for theory discussions here at present. If you can relate your ideas to gaming experiences specifically, you're good.
I know this is shouting into the wind, but it is incredible that the oxymoron/contradiction of theory discussions being relegated to an "actual play" forum is not blindingly obvious.
It would also probably be more honest to simply tell the poor man (and any others) that ultimately discussions of rpg theory are no longer welcome here at the Forge - that why they closed down the Theory forum. The only theory discussion that is permitted is the bits related to past experiences - but none that relate to future ones.
It still boggles my mind. And the irony is that if the Theory forum hadn't been of use to many people, they wouldn't have *had* to shut it down.
Quite coercive.
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