Comments on: The Past is Never Closed, and other data storage problems http://arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/121/the-past-is-never-closed-and-other-data-storage-problems/ art of the game, roleplaying game theory from the brain of ben robbins Fri, 03 Sep 2010 11:33:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: lame mage » Playtest Update: Wider Events http://arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/121/the-past-is-never-closed-and-other-data-storage-problems/comment-page-1/#comment-19225 lame mage » Playtest Update: Wider Events Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:25:07 +0000 http://arsludi.lamemage.com/?p=121#comment-19225 [...] would just blank. Information overload. In your mind you still had a picture of what happened, but the cards were not helping, at least not at a glance. This never happened in short games, but if you kept coming back to a [...] [...] would just blank. Information overload. In your mind you still had a picture of what happened, but the cards were not helping, at least not at a glance. This never happened in short games, but if you kept coming back to a [...]

]]> By: Callan S. http://arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/121/the-past-is-never-closed-and-other-data-storage-problems/comment-page-1/#comment-16054 Callan S. Mon, 21 Sep 2009 21:31:41 +0000 http://arsludi.lamemage.com/?p=121#comment-16054 It seems to go against the way human memory works, as you outlined yourself? No, all that history isn't on offer - because it isn't there in the heads of the group to be on offer. The only thing that would be there is a truncated, tidied up version, again as you said yourself. If you wrote down things as you played - well, even the written down stuff is truncated, as you mention, but atleast when you write it down, it doesn't further truncate like it does in the mind. If you were working from written material, it'd seem more viable? And a rule that you can't contradict what has been established? That seems a very humanocentric rule? It seems to preserve historical events based on a very meta game quality of whether it was established amongst the group? That if the group establishes when the king dies, it cannot be changed, but where an inn is built, if it wasn't established, is up for grabs. It's less an established thing and more "Things we don't want changing" isn't it? Which seems fine, but that seems the practical outcome? It seems to go against the way human memory works, as you outlined yourself? No, all that history isn’t on offer – because it isn’t there in the heads of the group to be on offer. The only thing that would be there is a truncated, tidied up version, again as you said yourself. If you wrote down things as you played – well, even the written down stuff is truncated, as you mention, but atleast when you write it down, it doesn’t further truncate like it does in the mind. If you were working from written material, it’d seem more viable?

And a rule that you can’t contradict what has been established? That seems a very humanocentric rule? It seems to preserve historical events based on a very meta game quality of whether it was established amongst the group? That if the group establishes when the king dies, it cannot be changed, but where an inn is built, if it wasn’t established, is up for grabs. It’s less an established thing and more “Things we don’t want changing” isn’t it? Which seems fine, but that seems the practical outcome?

]]> By: Twitted by del_rpg http://arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/121/the-past-is-never-closed-and-other-data-storage-problems/comment-page-1/#comment-15455 Twitted by del_rpg Tue, 04 Aug 2009 08:38:54 +0000 http://arsludi.lamemage.com/?p=121#comment-15455 [...] This post was Twitted by del_rpg [...] [...] This post was Twitted by del_rpg [...]

]]> By: ben robbins http://arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/121/the-past-is-never-closed-and-other-data-storage-problems/comment-page-1/#comment-14103 ben robbins Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:30:45 +0000 http://arsludi.lamemage.com/?p=121#comment-14103 <p class="ars-commentquote">If you know how events end, can the players change that? And, if so, wouldn't that invalidate sessions you played in the future?</p> It's a <a href="http://www.lamemage.com/blog/index.php/category/microscope/" rel="nofollow">microscope</a> rule that you can never contradict what has been established, regardless of what order events are played. So if you know the king dies in his sleep, and you are playing out an assassination attempt a few years earlier, you know he can't die then. It's impossible. So what's the point of playing that scene? You might be trying to find out who tried to assassinate the king, or why there was an attempt on his life at all. Were there traitors in the court? A foreign plot? A crime of passion? Learning <i>why</i> or <i>how</i> may give new meaning to what we may already know happens in the future. It's a deep, deep well ;) If you know how events end, can the players change that? And, if so, wouldn’t that invalidate sessions you played in the future?

It’s a microscope rule that you can never contradict what has been established, regardless of what order events are played. So if you know the king dies in his sleep, and you are playing out an assassination attempt a few years earlier, you know he can’t die then. It’s impossible.

So what’s the point of playing that scene? You might be trying to find out who tried to assassinate the king, or why there was an attempt on his life at all. Were there traitors in the court? A foreign plot? A crime of passion? Learning why or how may give new meaning to what we may already know happens in the future.

It’s a deep, deep well ;)

]]> By: The Seven-Sided Die » microscope http://arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/121/the-past-is-never-closed-and-other-data-storage-problems/comment-page-1/#comment-14033 The Seven-Sided Die » microscope Sun, 31 May 2009 19:25:42 +0000 http://arsludi.lamemage.com/?p=121#comment-14033 [...] but the capsule explanation of play that caught my imagination is in an ars ludi post about the implications of microscope for record keeping: Once you do decide where in the history you’re looking, you focus there and it does become [...] [...] but the capsule explanation of play that caught my imagination is in an ars ludi post about the implications of microscope for record keeping: Once you do decide where in the history you’re looking, you focus there and it does become [...]

]]> By: rekenner http://arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/121/the-past-is-never-closed-and-other-data-storage-problems/comment-page-1/#comment-13590 rekenner Fri, 15 May 2009 06:42:48 +0000 http://arsludi.lamemage.com/?p=121#comment-13590 This sounds both amazing and horrifying. Horrifying in the good way, though. I just wonder one thing: If you know how events end, can the players change that? And, if so, wouldn't that invalidate sessions you played in the future? This sounds both amazing and horrifying. Horrifying in the good way, though.
I just wonder one thing:
If you know how events end, can the players change that? And, if so, wouldn’t that invalidate sessions you played in the future?

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