Travel Preparation Velba

The crux of the realism II - plausibility of the setting

Actually this journal should be a section of the next article. Now it seems but fitting to outsource it and preferable. In addition, because to me the possibility to continue the series started almost a year ago.

When I talk about the setting, the term "realistic" for nothing, because it is ambiguous: He once called the degree of how much a setting of an era of our real Past and present is similar. to talk about it is probably futile. Therefore, I reject the ambiguous setting for the term "realism" and now only use the second meaning: plausibility, that is an acceptable, plausible and logical cause-effect relationship.

I distinguish two forms of plausibility:

First there are those plausibility that only involve the fictitious background. Cause and effect are both understandable in itself justified, they are setting immanent. You have nothing to do with the hard core rule of role-playing system with which the setting is played. It is the same shape of plausibility, which is also expected from a movie or book and is not role-play specific. Since it has nothing to do with the hard rules of an RPG, it is permitted me to call her Fluffplausibilität .

An example of Fluffplausibilität would supply a fantasy city: a city of millions in a desert of ice is not conceivable, if not achieve every day massive caravans the city (and even then would the city due to exorbitant food prices, fuel, et cetera difficult plausible Report). The city must be much smaller then, so that the few inhabitants of seal hunting or can eat like, or are surrounded by undulating fields of wheat. Both are not (usually) shown in the rules and thus independent of the rules. The plausibility is not concerned whether I examples of the setting with D & D, GURPS or Savage Worlds. (It is only potentially important for certain styles of play - see below). Understandable reactions to events of the NPC, economic and social influences, basic laws of science - all this is to include Fluffplausibilität.

Crunch plausibility is the opportunities provided by the rules, in the game world from - there lies the cause, while the action continues in the context of the setting remains. Expected from a rule that its understandable consequence in the game world exists as such. Crunch plausibility can be combined with high-Magic systems best explain: If it's on low levels of the spell "fireball" is (Crunch), are not armies marching in close formation - an enemy mage sight range and the unit is grilled. Powerful and popular magic replaces modern artillery, modern air reconnaissance, transport, the total of modern warfare. Therefore, it plausible to accept that modern wars as a model or a classic antique medieval. This of course applies not only to fantasy settings: In science-fiction role-playing games such as the space combat rules and shipping costs, the plausibility of the setting will determine much.

fresh read and good example: When will the Pathfinder Paizos Imps and pseudo dragons fight each other over the roofs Korvosas and thus serve the atmosphere of the setting ( journal and translation). From Crunch ago that was problematic: Pseudo Dragon can not hurt Imps. Rather than ignore the rules simply Paizos designers have thought about and devised a solution - here on the rules page, not on the Settings page. The talent "Imptöter" was introduced, which have the pseudo-dragon. A beautiful example of successful efforts to Crunch plausibility. close

To bridge to the Fluffplausibilität again: The example given city in the desert of ice would be perfectly viable, if the control system would permit easy enough spells that you could create food, clothing and heat. Crunch may replace missing Fluffplausibilität plausibility. But more than that: The choice of a control system such Crunch plausibility is to Fluffplausibilität, since then, provided that such magic in the background itself even exists (possibly as a defining retroactive). This distinction is necessary for the following reason: I have created a setting and attention to the plausibility, and I now consider first with which I control system examples, the setting, I have to take a new plausibility.

last few notes for plausibility :

1. Check whether the setting should be at all plausible. If the setting is used as background for a Pulp RPG, you may have completely Fluffplausibilität care. . Crunch plausibility is not important for narrative games for ARS contrast, the more important (at least when the characters are present are they not there may well the Crunch plausibility are violated, eg by the stormtroopers effect is that the perpetrators of evil are much stronger than they should be, if it goes against simple NPCs).
   
   
2. have conflicting plausibility and fun, you should always keep the game fun to prevail. You just have to make clear whether plausibility is important for personal fun or not. A large portion of suspension of disbelief many tastes better, and it is nonsense, for better or noted deterioration of Uncle plausibility.
   
   
3. plausibility is not always clear. Everyone knows that, straightened in his round of even theologians, scientists, historians and physicians have the glasses and raised his index finger instructive. The gayest game round can be the most ardent scientific discourse or an argument over half-truths. Let's not it! Questionable plausibility should always be resolved quickly and fairly with the usual intra-group conflict resolution strategies.

It greets

Grimnir