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

Re: CRISIS ON INFINITE AGENDA

[yeloson.livejournal.com]

My personal way of describing the infinite possibilities is like looking at play as a Dart board, and GNS representing large areas of it. What a group specifically is looking for, is a "Creative Target"(this is my own name, not part of the model in any sense). Although everything can be covered in large swaths, that's like saying "You like either meat, veggies, or fruits", and while you may like something in every category, you definitely wouldn't like ALL of everything in any given category. This is why you can have a group get together, everyone wants Gamism, but still not work well- because each person wants a different, specific, sort of gamism.

Re: CRISIS ON INFINITE AGENDA

[benlehman.livejournal.com]

You might want to take a look at this old thread:

http://www.indie-rpgs.com/viewtopic.php?t=11317

And the recent post on anyway about technical agenda.