GNS / Big Model Open House

[benlehman]

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.

Comments

[benlehman.livejournal.com]

Hey, I call foul.

You might not like the theory but, frankly, you haven't even played the games it produces, with the exception of FATE.

Now, I understand that it is difficult to hold back your scathing British wit for so long as to actually play the games that you are criticizing. But you might, just might, want to consider it.

yrs--
--Ben

[evilmagnus]

As I said, I think the GNS/DFK paradigm is useful and contains many truths. It codified many things that I felt in my gut about gaming, but couldn't eloquently describe. But it also contains a hell of a lot of intellectual wanking, which both raises my suspicions and my hackles.

I'm not (specifically *not*) criticising any game, and I'm sorry if I gave that impression. The ones I've seen that have been made in light of GNS/DFK stuff have been at the very least interesting, and no worse than any other system. I long, with a burning passion, to actually play DitV rather than just reading it. I wish anyone who can publish a commercial system that doesn't use the bleeding d20 ruleset the very best of luck.

That said, it isn't fair for me to come into your journal and trash-talk something you're interested in (heck, I'm interested in it, too ... just not in the same way). For that, I apologise.

[keirgreeneyes.livejournal.com]

Really, the best testiment to the theory is the games it has informed. Better to get some real play in and pitch the theory if it gets your hackles up.

Hope you find folks to play with soon!

[adamdray.livejournal.com]

From my discussions with Fred, I seriously doubt FATE influenced them much when they created FATE.