Claim OwnershipPrimæval Fantasy
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© Daniel
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I'm Daniel, and these are my musings on RPGs, focusing on my own game, "Primæval Fantasy".
39 Episodes
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"Better with Bacon" had me on his pod to chat about my methods.
Was interviewed on AoW about my RPG philosophy/goals/tools.
The goal is for the players to feel immersed in theSecondary World as real people. The primary tool is by playing in a simulationist fashion, but how do we accomplish that? It’s not by being buried in charts and Wiki pages, butprimarily using our most powerful tool: Informed common sense, the power of Intuitive GMing. The secondary title is a play on Dr. Iain McGilchrist’s powerful book, ‘The Master & His Emissary’. https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300245929/the-master-and-his-emissary/
Attention & focus guide our outcomes. The conventional RPG methods we inherited have players constantly toggling between the Meta & Make Believe.
For those gamers who truly want an immersive Role Playing experience, we must be willing to change that method.
Mechanics are vital for the game, but this does not mean the players need to any attention to them whatsoever. By freeing players from all mechanics considerations, they can then flourish in their imaginations, focusing on role playing their characters & exploring the Secondary World.
"There's no wrong way to play RPGs," is a common retort against all RPG discourse about methods, mechanics, etc.. I decided to briefly shine some light on these confusions, & the fallaciousness of the undergirding dynamics generating such assertions.
Continuing from part 1, I delve into the players' task of crafting their characters who are consistent with the Secondary worlds/settings of their games.
I peruse the topic of player free will in RPGs.
I examine the issue of GMs sometimes transcending cause/effect (mechanics or sometimes purely logic) in the game (aka, ‘fudging’). What motivates it? Numerous things, but while I believe their intentions are generally good (“help the players’ enjoyment”), it’s at best a Pyrrhic victory, one which can not only destroy your sessions going forward, but retroactively as well.
After a conversation on Che Webster's, Role Play Rescue podcast last week, I wanted to share some follow-up thoughts on worlds.
One of the vital elements of enjoyment we get from RPGs is the ability for players to explore the Secondary Worlds. This requires GMs to craft rich, detailed worlds, and to avoid cookie-cutter, generic backdrops.
But this exploration also requires that the players be on the same page of the world. The need to understand the substance of the world, to be in tune with the zeitgeist of that setting, not wandering around as intrusive aliens.
The recent episode of Role Play Rescue:
https://shows.acast.com/roleplayrescue/episodes/primaeval-fantasy-with-daniel-jones
Today I share a conversation with Tablerunner (‘Crispy’) about
how his RPG appetites changed through the years into a strong desire for the group to feel immersed into their characters & worlds. Chris then shares the changes he’s made in gaming methods to strengthen that role playing goal.
Please visit Chris’ channel at https://www.youtube.com/@Tablerunner
Thanks for listening.
Continuing from part 1, I explain that identifying the Eudaimonia of RPGs is what allows us to begin the actual journey of moving
towards that ideal state of the game, but this requires employing the notion of ‘Arete’- excellence.
We must employ a host of tools to bring about the changes in
our games. Only through this process will be actually transform our Role Paying Games into something that we earnestly want.
I muse about how we can discern the Eudaimonia – optimal flourishing – of our RPGs. What can RPGs do that no other similar activity can do? Is there something unique about the activity?
I believe so, and I believe that once we discern it, we can maximize this strength to create fantastic experiences in gaming.
22. Interview with Che Webster of Roleplay Rescue, Part 2.
-This is part 2 of my interview with Che Webster, the creator of the Roleplay Rescue (RPR) podcast & blog.
-In part 2, he discusses the problem of gamers not getting on the same page about what they want (& don't want) in their RPG sessions, what his own gaming goals/appetites are, & his future goals with his RPR website & podcast.
-The RPR website: https://anchor.fm/rpgrescue // https://roleplayrescue.com
-Che's Twitter account: @ubiquitousrat
21. Interview with Che Webster of Roleplay Rescue, Part 1.
-Special introduction by Tesla, my cat!
-Today I talk with Che Webster, the creator of the Roleplay Rescue (RPR) podcast & blog. Che talks about many topics, & so I split this interview into 2 parts.
-In part 1, he muses on the motivation behind RPR, encouraging gamers to return to the hobby, the psychological difference between online vs in-person gaming, and teaching RPGs to the kids at his school.
-The RPR website: https://anchor.fm/rpgrescue // https://roleplayrescue.com
-Che's Twitter account: @ubiquitousrat
-Part 2 to follow soon.
20. Jordan’s Journey into Game Design Madness.
Here I have a casual conversation with 2 old friends, Eric & his son, Jordan, who has been gaming since he was in utero. We talk about their gaming preferences, D&D 3.5, & Jordan’s own game-in-development, “Ultra-Real”.
Another fun group-conversation with John & Nate, and another old friend, Eric. (Bonus-amounts of banter!)
Our main topic: PC Fear, fury, and self-control. My desire in RPGs is to escape a miniature wargaming mindset, to encourage the feeling that the characters are people, not 2-D caricatures. In this case we address the question of PC fear, rage, or even laziness overwhelming their cold, rational sides.
Episode 18.
A short essay about the role of realism in RPGs, focusing on the clarification of terms, the belief-generating power of realism, and the dangers of "detailism".
All Tolkien quotes are from, "On Fairy Stories".
17. Hooking Up, Breaking Up with Gamers
This was a tangent from another conversation, which I decided to edit into a stand-alone episode. We discuss the problems with gamers in our groups who have conflicting appetites & expectations, the importance of doing what you can to get on the same page before you ever try gaming together, and of breaking up if you are gaming with people who have conflicting gaming goals.
Continuing our conversation about magic in Primæval Fantasy, discussing the tools we've used through the years to keep casters in harmony with the kind of Fantasy setting we want.
"Less is more!"
Part I: My friend & co-magic-system designer, Drew, talk about our decades of work on this magic system, discussing the task of allowing players to possess magic while preserving the kind of Fantasy world we want, where magic remains special, mysterious, & restrained.
Part II to follow.
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