[PTA] MCU: Gotham
Christoph Boeckle:
Hello Kevin and Ron
Could you please explain to a non-native speaker why the term "breech-loading" is particularly adapted? It could come in handy if this term gets used a lot and I start using it in French. Also, I am under the impression (from the Story Now essay) that "front-loading" is a term referring to pre-play generation of premise, whereas this one refers to conflict resolution set-up. Might this not become confusing?
Just to make sure we're on the same page, the definition of breech I found is:
Quote from: Wordreference.com
1 breech, rear of barrel, rear of tube
opening in the rear of the barrel of a gun where bullets can be loaded
Ron Edwards:
Hi Christoph,
The original method to load a long-barreled gun (musket, later rifle) was to put the bullet in through the front opening, then ramming it all the way to the back with a special rod for that purpose. The gunpowder was sometimes stuffed in there with it or was inserted through a different opening depending on the gun.
The later method was to "break" the gun (i.e. open it) at the "breech" (a slightly archaic term for crack or opening, also often used for the human buttocks, as in "breech birth," so with the connotation of "back end"), and insert the whole apparatus of bullet, powder, et cetera into it, then close the gun. This led to the invention of cartridges and later the modern bullet which is technically still a cartridge, but that's getting off-topic.
It fits rather well for me in terms of our current discussion jargon, which relies heavily on English slang as you know. Either you go to where the story is "supposed to come out," and put what you want into it in a kind of reverse direction, expecting it to come out "there" again, which is what I've been calling Story Before, or you put everything you need for the story to happen (in the sense of potential components, not a finished product), and proceed, eventually experiencing the result where it "comes out," and only being at that end at that time, never prior to that point.
It's not a perfect analogy because for guns, either way, the eventual result is the same, which is not the case for role-playing. But the imagery is striking and if I'm not mistaken, immediately accessible to American readers.*
Let me know if that makes sense.
Best, Ron
* It is sad that so many of the Forge discussion analogies that have worked for me over the years concern firearms and various war-time things. Possibly related anecdote: in Sweden, we were talking about the law which permits people to walk on or otherwise visit private land as long as they stay away from residences, and I said, "Geez, do that in the States and you'd be shot," and they thought I was kidding. Then I told them about the joke I learned in Florida, that if you kill someone, be sure to drag them onto your lawn, and they thought I was merely being gross. I didn't have the heart to explain that each statement was accurate. But now I"m off-topic again.
KevinH:
Hi guys,
Christoph, Ron has pretty well summed up my thinking behind the term Breech-loading as it relates to RPGs. Yes, it is based on military terminology and, unfortunately due to RPGs' war-gaming roots, a lot of RPG terms DO derive from such.
Ron, I'd like to expand somewhat upon your explanation, but I keep ending up with long essays. I think, if you're OK with it, that I'd like to take that response and start another thread with it. Coining and discussing a new piece of jargon is somewhat beyond my original wish to share how cool this game of PTA was (not that I wouldn't be happy to continue THAT discussion).
Thanks guys,
Kevin
Ron Edwards:
Hi Kevin,
A new thread is always welcome, but obviously, make sure it's rooted in actual play accounts as well.
Please do continue the discussion of this PTA game here, too.
Best, Ron
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[*] Previous page