Reflecting Reality of the Game is Not Always Usually Our Reality

From Unepic

Recently I was drawn into a conversation concerning the accuracy of events in a role-playing game (RPG) session. The conflict was presented with concern to a disagreement of rules, and I was being asked to give an opinion to help settle the dispute. Unfortunately it was not about the rules, instead it was about the inaccuracies of the game within the confines of reality.

I have heard this argument again and again from my early days of gaming, in other words almost 40 years. I was not immune from being involved in these arguments either.  Every time, though, I have been confused on why there is even argument comes up. I understand there is a basis of reality in every fictional setting, it is what we as a player are about to ground ourselves on and to build from. From that grounding point we take a leap over the gap of known reality to create something new—the willing suspension of disbelief. What I have come to understand this is not the argument, but is one aspect of argument for something else.

The person on the side of greater physical accuracy was certain the game could be enhanced if physical properties of things, like volume, (in this case a fireball) were portrayed within the game. In simple terms, they had calculated how much volume a 20 foot spherical fireball should have, and then determined that if the area was constricted due to structures how the fireball would expand until the volume had been placed. This seems like a very logical argument. He had his numbers worked up and was able to present everything logically.

From Fantasy-Faction.com

He then continued his explanation on how he had tried to implement the change into the game they were playing during an encounter. And, how the change would have effected outcome. This, he explained, would had made the party "more" victorious in the situation. And with that conclusion, determined it should be done.

The game master (GM) defending his action simply said I don't want to do that every time some casts a fireball, or any other similar spell. His believes doing that level of calculation took the fun out of playing the game turning it into a math class assignment that would bog everything down to a crawl. More importantly there was only one person in their group that cared about figuring it out and wanted to use it.

My first response after hearing the arguments from the two sides was it sounded like the group had already made a decision on how they wanted to play their game. And, to me, the group should be the deciding factor since it is their game. The GM was backing up the group's decision. They didn't need me to tell them one side was right. Neither, was wrong, depending on how they wanted to play it.

The advice I gave them in the end was to come to a decision as a group of how they want to handle it. It would be a rule for the entire group. I even told them how over the years I have been involved in groups who have had to deal with numerous unclear rules that needed clarification during play, I was even chuckling to myself because this very same scenario was an issue our group had dealt with. We still bring up rules clarifications. There is also the aspect that during game play the GM has final ruling to be able to maintain continuity, which would have been my second point of advice.

During play they did go with the GM's ruling and then started arguing afterwards, but it was admitted the rest of the session was tense and eventually cut short.

I have always argued that playing a game is for the fun of the game for everyone involved. The issue at hand in this conflict was one person's self interest in making his character look meaner and smarter (he admitted it, so I can say it). They still defeated the encounter, and the change to create a more "physically accurate" manifestation of his magic would not have changed anything in the long run.

He also started to understand how he was wanting to change the interpretation the group had been playing under for some time. They had played and advanced his character to the point he could use a fireball spell. If this applied to that spell, why not to the spells he and other could cast at earlier times?

Characters are a part of their environment, just like we are part of our environment. If you are pulling a character into a new environment they don't know and understand, like in the Thomas Covenant Series of books, then I would think throwing this sort of change into play could work, but it would have to come from the GM as a surprise twist the characters would have to learn to deal with. If you want to have this in an environment the characters grew up in, then those are aspects of the world the characters would have known about before ever becoming adventures.

This applies not just to fantasy settings, but to every setting. If you are running a Star Trek campaign, characters are going to know the basics of the universe they are living in. If you are running a present day spy thriller set of adventures, you are dealing with the current day. If you are running a modern day Cthulhu setting, then you have the current day with a lot of nasty creatures and cultists. No matter which way you go the setting is something the characters have a level of understanding about. The skills they grew and the effects they are familiar with stay the same. Yes, unless a twist is introduced by the GM.

I have known a number of GMs who like running their own creations, I like running my own creations. And, when you need to make a twist to the overarching setting, the best thing to do is let the players know before you start. Then the players know, and thus the characters know, about their world. This allows the players to create characters who are familiar with the world they live in, they grew up in, where they will be exploring. There is always something new to discover, however, just read the adventures of any of the historical explorers of our world.

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