this too shall pass

[reverancepavane]

Change. Change is important in role-playing games. Both change in the characters and the universe. It's what drives a fulfilling story. And an important part of change, especially in RPGs, is the reversal of circumstance. For example, if a gamemaster introduces an escape-proof prison then they are almost guaranteeing that the players will be escaping from it or rescuing someone from it, negating the nature of the prison. Think of how unfulfilling the story would be if the prison really was escape-proof. "Nope. It's no use. Let's get a beer." But this technique also applies to characters as well. If a player has a powerful character then they are just asking to be humbled, to be brought down low, to be inconvenienced. That's where the good story is. [Of course, they can then get to change their status again, and regain their power. That too is change, and excellent storytelling.] It's when a player is unwilling to relinquish their power that they start to disengage with the game. The objective of the game changes from "continuing play" to "winning." And how exactly do you win a role-playing game?

Comments

[enkorvaks.livejournal.com]

One "wins" a role-playing game by beating the other characters (preferably into unconsciousness).

You can "win" a tabletop by successfully getting to the end of the campaign, but that's about it. Of course, the players "win" by having fun. Unless the player trying to "win" is the sort of person that has the most fun messing it up for other people. In which case, resort to the first statement, but substitute "character" with "player".

[reverancepavane.livejournal.com]

Mumble mumble. Rhetorical questions... I agree that the only way to win an RPG is to have fun doing it. When it's not fun, you should stop or leave. But it really wasn't the definition of win I was using when I posed the question. <grin> Mea culpae. Although you do raise an interesting point in that it is possible to end a game by succeeding at all your objectives. Which is why, if I may borrow an example from a different genre, there are almost no stories about Conan whilst he is King of Aquilonia (except when he gets tired of it all and renounces the throne for one last adventure). It is possible for games to reach a natural end. Now the question is whether this is a "win" (since playing the game after this point becomes unsatisfying and therefore the game is likely to end there). And in your last example the player is still having fun. It's just that the other players aren't.

[maelorin]

in larp, you win when you have finished lighting everyone else on fire ... :p

[freyaw.livejournal.com]

That sounds like fun! :D

[maelorin]

oh, it is.

sadly, you only get to do it once O.o

[freyaw.livejournal.com]

Light a man a fire, he's warm for the night.
SET a man on fire, he's warm for the rest of his life :D

[maelorin]

^_^