Thoughts on immersion
Oct 21, 2016 18:06:45 GMT -8
Post by Gilded Phoenix on Oct 21, 2016 18:06:45 GMT -8
Oct 21, 2016 3:37:23 GMT -8 @stevensw said:
You see, checking a rule only breaks immersion for the person doing it. Its the fight that follows that breaks immersion. That fight is also a lack of trust from the GM to the player. But sometimes it's not clear that a mistake has been made. Sometimes the rules allow for multiple completely valid ways of mechanically handling a situation. And if a GM senses that he made a call that upsets one or more players, then he owes it to himself, the players, and the game to examine that decision and see if it was fair or not.
At the end of the day though, it is the GM's job, more than any other player, to serve as the adjudicator between the game, the players, and the mechanics. For the GM to do his job effectively, I think he deserves a little more slack than the other players to forgive all of the extra things he has to juggle. If a GM abuses the players' assumption of fairness, or is combative with players who disagree with him, then he doesn't have far to look when it comes to finding problems in his game.
When you're in a game of mutual trust, it's an amazing thing. The game flows and everybody is supporting everybody else. All the players are listening to each other and contributing to an exciting, collaborative experience. Minor mistakes are brushed past because everybody is more concerned about having a good time. Players keep the focus on the game, even during big disagreements. The inevitable breaks in immersion are recovered from more quickly.