game theory link

[RogerBW]

Originally Posted by whswhs

A jam session is a different type of musical experience than a concert, too. And it remains different even if the musicians allow a few people to sit in the room and listen.

It's an interesting point. Early RPG recording releases were clearly a side activity: we're playing the game anyway, but we have this recording which someone might be interested in listening to. That's the way I still play with Whartson Hall. But since the massive success of Critical Role, it's clear that some people are doing this with providing entertainment as a primary concern, and enjoying the game secondary; there was a panel at Dragonmeet 2019 about how to start an actual play podcast, and the panelists were largely focused on picking the right players and game to maximise the paying audience.

Does having an audience focus promote a different style of play? I'd be amazed if it didn't.

[LokRobster]

Originally Posted by Agemegos

That this ancient thread has been revived is perhaps an accident, but it is a happy accident, since for some reason I had not read whswhs’ essay before, and I like the essay. Though the title points out only the participatory character of RPGs as a storytelling form, the text does explicitly deal with the other distinguishing features of RP: its extemporaneous or improvisational nature, its collaborative character, and its ephemeral form, done for the joy of doing it in the time in which it is done, and not for the sake of a product or result.

If I were to add anything it would be a little more explanation of and emphasis on the character-players’ role as co-creators and collaborators with the GM, as fellow entertainers of each other and the GM. With that, perhaps, goes a stronger hint the the GM can share the character-players’ joy of discovering what happens only when it does happen, and with the satisfaction that what happened was what would happen.

I didn’t realize it was a necro until seeing Bill’s copyright date after finishing the read!
Explains why my initial look at the link under “Recent Updates” and “New items only” led me back to the forum to look for the “Participatory Fiction” article under Essays M-Z.

It is a fun sort of arty artness that we are into, for sure.