Comments on: Continuum of Roleplaying http://arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/21/continuum-of-roleplaying/ art of the game, roleplaying game theory from the brain of ben robbins Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:54:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Ping http://arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/21/continuum-of-roleplaying/comment-page-1/#comment-942 Ping Thu, 21 Dec 2006 08:44:22 +0000 http://www.lamemage.com/proto/wordpress/?p=21#comment-942 If we're talking about Monopoly and MMORGs where does LARP fit in? In my experience, it's seems around a 0.5 degree, give or take. The player is the character in that the character can only run as far as, stay awake as long as and swing a sword as accurately as the player. It's not quite zero-degree because LARPers don't really think they have magic powers in those birdseed sacks or "silver" swords nor that they are really elves, but the characters are certainly unwillingly constrained by or reflections of the players more than in 1st degree roleplaying.<br /><br />On the other hand, having a spectrum might assume that if you are at a lower degree of roleplaying, one can always return to a higher level. That definitely doesn't work for LARP for the same reasons that it's 0.5. In other words, the character and the player are such an amalgam that it's hard to split them up going backwards.<br /><br />Also, especially in LARP when people and things are right in front of you and less-so, but still in tabletop, can players cross into (and out of) the so-called "zero degree zone" without having a mental breakdown or permanently residing there? Is that an intrinsic impossibility? Take the circumstances or misunderstanding when you can't tell if it's the player or the character talking in a heated argument or when in an intense moment a player completely buys into the environment no matter how it looks in reality (a real-world object or a board token). If you've subconsiouly and momentarily lost track of reality for that moment or that argument, is that zero-degree roleplaying or just playing yourself.<br /><br />Finally, I like how you said, "The order is not intended to indicate merit." I would add to this and say that the degrees of roleplaying also do not reflect the level of emotional reaction that a person may or may not have. One can have just a personal or emotional experience to a 5th degree game as a 1st degree game. Is it any less or more emotional if your God character loses a civilization, kills an army or manages to enslave a whole race than if your fighter kills his mother to avenge his father? If we’re talking about Monopoly and MMORGs where does LARP fit in? In my experience, it’s seems around a 0.5 degree, give or take. The player is the character in that the character can only run as far as, stay awake as long as and swing a sword as accurately as the player. It’s not quite zero-degree because LARPers don’t really think they have magic powers in those birdseed sacks or “silver” swords nor that they are really elves, but the characters are certainly unwillingly constrained by or reflections of the players more than in 1st degree roleplaying.

On the other hand, having a spectrum might assume that if you are at a lower degree of roleplaying, one can always return to a higher level. That definitely doesn’t work for LARP for the same reasons that it’s 0.5. In other words, the character and the player are such an amalgam that it’s hard to split them up going backwards.

Also, especially in LARP when people and things are right in front of you and less-so, but still in tabletop, can players cross into (and out of) the so-called “zero degree zone” without having a mental breakdown or permanently residing there? Is that an intrinsic impossibility? Take the circumstances or misunderstanding when you can’t tell if it’s the player or the character talking in a heated argument or when in an intense moment a player completely buys into the environment no matter how it looks in reality (a real-world object or a board token). If you’ve subconsiouly and momentarily lost track of reality for that moment or that argument, is that zero-degree roleplaying or just playing yourself.

Finally, I like how you said, “The order is not intended to indicate merit.” I would add to this and say that the degrees of roleplaying also do not reflect the level of emotional reaction that a person may or may not have. One can have just a personal or emotional experience to a 5th degree game as a 1st degree game. Is it any less or more emotional if your God character loses a civilization, kills an army or manages to enslave a whole race than if your fighter kills his mother to avenge his father?

]]> By: Scholz http://arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/21/continuum-of-roleplaying/comment-page-1/#comment-941 Scholz Thu, 21 Dec 2006 08:44:22 +0000 http://www.lamemage.com/proto/wordpress/?p=21#comment-941 Didn't you see Mazes and Monsters?<br />I think Tom hanks proved that Zero Degree roleplaying is not only possible, but the logical consequences of playing the Devil's Game. <br /><br />"I am the Dungeon Master!!!!" Didn’t you see Mazes and Monsters?
I think Tom hanks proved that Zero Degree roleplaying is not only possible, but the logical consequences of playing the Devil’s Game.

“I am the Dungeon Master!!!!”

]]> By: Ping http://arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/21/continuum-of-roleplaying/comment-page-1/#comment-940 Ping Thu, 21 Dec 2006 08:44:22 +0000 http://www.lamemage.com/proto/wordpress/?p=21#comment-940 Don't you mean, "I am the Maze Controller, God of the universe I have created!"<br /><br />er... or something like that, I would guess, if I had seen the movie just recently with 3 of our gamer friends who would pay me to remain nameless, but only if I had, and only if they pay on time. Don’t you mean, “I am the Maze Controller, God of the universe I have created!”

er… or something like that, I would guess, if I had seen the movie just recently with 3 of our gamer friends who would pay me to remain nameless, but only if I had, and only if they pay on time.

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