Game Strategy

 

Game Strategy is a lifelong study. 

It relies on:

1 System Of Analysis 

2 Knowledge of Responses 

In storytelling roleplaying games the GameMaster uses these two items to keep the story progressing regardless of the random chaos which players throw at it. 

Best method is to use the Player innovation and weave it together with the Story arc. We use the symbolism of a rail-road to imagine the story arc as it would play out with no players at all (only NPCs) and with the players doing exactly what the perfect textbook responses should be in an ideal world which of course rarely happens. 

The GMs task is railroad the PCs onto the track? Subtly without overt denial of their imaginations and suggestions. 

‘Railroading’ is a GM fail when used as a method of operation. 

Occasionally ‘railroading’ occurs as a necessity to deal with by explaining the Players imagination takes the story outside the scope of the 1-shot capabilities although it is better suited for world-building in a Campaign. This is a lesser of two evils. 

The GMs task is to integrate the Players imaginations into the story to enhance the otherwise basic and boring adventure path. 

This is much preferable because it gives the players validation. It is the validation they are paying you to experience through the medium of fantasy adventure scenario. 

What Is D&D?

“What do you think Dungeons and Dragons is? What defines it for you? Is it the art? The settings? The rules? Besides the name what do you think makes it different than any other fantasy rpg? If you prefer D&D, why?” 

@RogueScholarMDC  (Twitter)

It was what they originally achieved; a feeling of living in a state of wonder captured in The Hobbit, LotR, when discovering it for the first time specifically the part where the Hobbits leave the Shire, as metaphor for going into the world beyond childhood and experiencing anticipatory taste of adulthood before you get there. Prolonging of disbelief. Tolkien connects this symbolically with entering Forests (through the Hedge, into Mirkwood, Fangorn). 

D&D 1st ed does the same with the Moria encodement as Players delve into the game.

The magic evoked by escapist fantasy which we fast become immune and hardened to by dealing with real life hardships and the mundanity of what used to be exciting. 

“Those were simpler times.” Or is it “Those were better times” I can’t recall

But D&D is multi-level. The challenges of overcoming traps and tricks, riddles and battles, getting the gold, defeating the nemesis, saving the world, drinking by a tavern hearth afterward and telling the tale… 2nd edition opens up the world to Arthurian mythologies, the lands…

That was my generation ‘back in the day’ before videogames and Willow. We had books for inspiration to share adventures with our friends. Source mythologies became Dragonlance and soon became Stormbringer. The original passion was lost into derivations and developments.

It became corporate during the 80s, lost its connection to that folk-origin feeling of creative people discovering a new wonderful thing for the first time. For a while it balanced a fine line between catering to a need for living in all the potential worlds, and capitalising (milking the cash cow). Pretty much what D&D became after the 70s energy was wrung dry out of it. 

D&D is now a political tool for pushing woke agendas by using drama to provoke reaction. 

And to charge $ for doing it.

“What do you most look forward to in ttrpgs?”

@SabrinaTeenWitch (Twitter)

That’s a good question. 

Storytelling challenging the Players & GM alike towards critical thinking. 

The feeling of having some amount of control in life (albeit a fictional one). 

Alleviation of boredom. 

Exploring consequences for actions.

It’s not the characters I care about levelling up so much as watching that happen in the players as result of game sessions. 

Being involved with developing an immersive universe.

RPG arena

  

The role-playing games industry has always been a place where two things are happening. 

The most important thing:

It is a place where people can develop their imagination and freethinking skills, emphasising and encouraging our ability to think for ourselves through a diverse range of situations. In many ways it is a safe practice zone for real life, exploring consequence and accountability. 

Older and experienced GamesMasters train people through the traditional ancient devices of storytelling and game mechanics in motivation-based decision-making processes which require and develop clarity of thinking and sometimes morality checks. 

The other thing occurring is: dark triad trait controllers enjoying the power they wield over a group of zombies who they can railroad for the enjoyment of all, some more than others. 

The mechanics of subDom from BDSM culture can be overlaid on the gathering of gamers for sessions exploring scenes. In many cases the same language is used in both cultures.

As ttrpg* is generally associated as a kids game, not so many people are confident (or experienced) to publicly discuss about that. 

Despite which the demographic of post-millennial ttrpg associated sales is exponentially within the 30-50 age range, predominantly white men. I have not the data for pre-millennial sales to compare. It is probable the same individuals buying ttrpg stuff as kids are still the same individuals buying ttrpg stuff as adults. 

*ttrpg ‘table-top role-playing games’, including both pen&paper games and miniature war-games (which often overlap). 

Both involve “the rolling of the dice” indicating and symbolising a risk element involving chance and invoking fate. 

Orcs & Trolls

  

The new copyright owner does not get to tell me I’m wrong for playing the original game how it was originally intended to be played by the original creators. 

An Orc is a monster. Half-Orcs exist only because monsters raped human women. How are they genetically compatible? Orcs used to be Humans before they became monsters. The source material describing Orcs explains that. 

Monsters symbolising the very worst qualities of ourselves gives us an opportunity to eject them. Mythology simultaneously warns and guides us. Our ancestors were wise beyond our insight. 

The world was not as safe as it is now. Forests and caves of Europe hid uncivilised demi-human murderers for countless generations. 

A part of our passion for roleplaying games is epigenetic trauma-healing of collective-consciousness. It’s less than a century since ww1 ww2. Perhaps why guys like #ttrpg battle simulators. 

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The delusion that it is okay for them to abuse somebody so long as the general belief is that person is an abuser who deserves it. Inventing, lying, fabricating evidence and manipulating events to justify the targeted abuse. Group reinforcement from an echo-chamber who use the degradation of their target in attempt to elevate themselves above the very behaviour they are themselves doing but blaming the target for.