benlehman: (Default)
benlehman ([personal profile] benlehman) wrote2005-04-21 10:54 am

GNS / Big Model Open House

Hi.

I know that a fair share of RPG theory interested folks read this blog.

I'd like to test my own understanding of GNS / Big Model.

So:

I will answer any questions about the Big Model or GNS that you have, if you ask them in response to this post or in a private e-mail to me.

It would help if you would first read the essays here and here. These other ones won't hurt. Just the top part of the last two is fine.


a few ground rules:

1) I'm going to try to explain a theoretical model to you. I don't want to argue whether it is right or wrong. You can come to your own conclusions about that. If you post, I will assume that you are trying to understand the model, no more, no less.

1a) If you want to destroy the model, may I suggest that understanding it is a good first step?

1b) So no "that's stupid," stupid though it may be. "That doesn't make sense, please explain it a different way" is fine.

2) I will not diagnose GNS goals of games I've never played. I will not discuss any theory applying to LARPs, because they are complicated. I will not discuss books, movies, plays, improv theatre, ballet, or any other artform in the context of GNS, because doing so is stupid. I will discuss games which I have played, as examples, but pretty much only at the request of the GM who ran said game.

2a) If you ask about the GNS of your game, do not take a diagnosis that isn't what you want it to be to be an insult. It isn't.

3) I may add ground rules as things progress.

[identity profile] benlehman.livejournal.com 2005-04-22 12:35 am (UTC)(link)
No idea! Polaris wasn't really designed with the Big Model in mind at all.

I'm dead serious.

Vincent (http://www.indie-rpgs.com/viewtopic.php?t=15176) is convinced that it is strongly Narrativist, and has a lot of other theory stuff going on as well. I believe him.

I imagine that there is a huge amount of subconscious stuff going into the desing. I'd be happy to analyze it in that respect, but only from a distance, once I'm done.

yrs--
--Ben

yrs--
--Ben

[identity profile] adamdray.livejournal.com 2005-04-22 05:31 am (UTC)(link)
I look forward to that time then. =)