RPGamers are in the business of constructing stories as a part of the game they play.
Consider this question carefully: What's the use in telling stories that aren't even true?
As ever,
ACE
|
For the same reason people enjoy Science-fiction or Fantasy movies (ala StarWars, Lord of the Rings etc). Even most of your drama or action movies aren't "real" stories, unless they're based on a true story, and even then they may be embellished for the big screen.
People can learn from Fantasy stories. Even from the earliest days, religion used parables to communicate their ideas across nations, parents use nursery rhymes to instill values into their children. Stories don't have to be "real" to be useful, they may carry a grain of truth, wrapped in a delivery method easily embraced by the audience.
|
|
Someone once wrote: "Reading is thinking using someone else's brain". Compare with roleplaying, in which you're able to place yourself into the lead role, make an impact on the direction the story runs, etc.
People enjoy storytelling for many varied reasons. For some it is a creative outlet, for others it's escapism, some enjoy the journey, challenging their thinking (particularly when difficult choices come into play), interacting with friends etc.
I enjoy playing half-orc and dark-kin characters, exploring themes of being an outcast, discrimination, striving to be greater than that which fate has dealt you, or striving against your inner-demon.
I have two Half-orcs in a Living Greyhawk campaign. One is a Monk diplomat who has learned to be at peace with his Orcish background, dealing only non-leathal damage against Orc-kind. The other is a Rogue/Ranger (favoured enemy Orc) who blames everything that has gone wrong in his life on his Orcish background. Two very different takes on the Half-orc race, and I am fascinated by exploring their reactions to in-game events, perhaps learning a little more about myself along the way.
Consider this question carefully: What's the use in telling stories that aren't even true?
Quick answer: Tradition.
Through out our existence as a species we have told stories that aren't true. Even some (most?) of history isn't true.
"When the legend becomes fact, print the legend." -- Carleton Young as Maxwell Scott, in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.
Long answer? I don't have the faintest idea right now.
|
Consider this question carefully: What's the use in telling stories that aren't even true?
In the context of role-playing games, there is no 'use.' Recreation, whether it be D&D, football, crossbreeding championship roses or reading Buffy fanfiction isn't meant to be utilitarian, save in the utility of helping a sentient species with a big ol' brain not go quietly insane out of boredom and take up heroin or serial killing or something.
In the context of other types of fiction, the specifics might be false, but the message could be true. Jesus imparted many of his teachings in the form of parables, stories that weren't specifically true or even meaningful textually, but were meant to contain ideals and insights that the listener would discover upon reflection. And the listeners, as opposed to someone who would hear a dogmatic statement and think, 'maybe that's true, maybe that isn't, it's just what he is saying,' is instead *discovering* this information with their own brain, teasing it out of the parable or the riddle or the koan, and since they have discovered it for themselves, it feels much more 'true' to them. It wasn't handed to them, they had to take it out of the package and stare at it for a little bit, which made it theirs, and not just 'some other guys opinion.'
The easiest way to convince someone of something is to convince them that it was their idea all along. Get them invested in it. A good story can do that. A story where the reader (or viewer) ends up figuring something out ends up being more meaningful, more 'convincing,' than a story where the answers are handed to the reader.
But that's colored by my own biases. My definition of 'story' might be different than yours. I'd go so far as to say that a story where the answers are handed out and explained painstakingly to the reader, leaving him nothing to do intellectually other than sit back and scan words, isn't much of a 'story' at all. Tolkein didn't write 'stories.' He wrote up the history of a world that never was, one that many people found greatly entertaining. Poe, or Lovecraft, who left a lot of space for the reader to 'color in the blanks,' were more like old-time storytellers, crouched around the fire.
RPGamers are in the business of constructing stories as a part of the game they play.
Consider this question carefully: What's the use in telling stories that aren't even true?
As ever,
ACE
Simply because it is fun
In the context of role-playing games, there is no 'use.' Recreation, whether it be D&D, football, crossbreeding championship roses or reading Buffy fanfiction isn't meant to be utilitarian, save in the utility of helping a sentient species with a big ol' brain not go quietly insane out of boredom and take up heroin or serial killing or something.
Consider this question carefully: What's the use in telling stories that aren't even true?
I'd say that's very useful. Just like sports is practice for other physical activities (like walking and breathing), roleplaying is practice for social activities and problem solving. Storytelling is mental exercise.
Allow me to pose a counter-question: What's the use in listening to stories that aren't even true?
Because it's fun.
It allows us to revel in the wonder of places we'll never see, engage in combat with no risk of our own death, and explore ideas too dangerous or rare to take on in real terms.
Also, there are sometimes naked elf girls.
It's odd that even today, with a massive international entertainment industry smothering us in stories that aren't true, with fiction outnumbering fact books maybe a thousand times to one, when people use several hours a day watching TV for stories that are not true, when nobel prizes go to fiction books, and so on and on and on...
... that people still ask what the point is of telling stories that are not true. The answer is simple: we humans like stories, and truth is not even relevant to whether we tell them. Plus, there may be naked elf girls.
Sometimes stories are more true than reality...they discuss human condition in general while those events which actually happen happen only to individuals and are not applicable to any other situation...unless they get turned into stories.
heeh have you studies the Puritains much; may have misspelled that. We all use story telling as a tool to discover truths about ourselves by trying differing solutions to common or repetative problems; hence, in gaming the storytelling requires that the players become flexible and adapt to whatever stimulus the gm provides; the players can then take this flexibility and there newly strengthened creativity and apply it the to world outside the game. Some players are able to use their gaming experiences to help themselves in social interactions that they rarely get a chance to apply themselves; hence, D&D helps you whoo women so has to be a good thing. Lot of girls are looking for a creative guy who can have a good converstation; what better place for guys to learn such skills than in the comfort of a D&D game surrounded by friends critical suggestions; all you need is a good gm and this game can turn out the guys girls are looking for; well, bright, creative, social people are the best gamers and probably the best dates.
Also, if you dont like the "we play to get girls premise" then consider that this game of false storytelling is a great venue for breaking down predjudice; as gamer groups are varied and eclectic; in any gaming group you are likely to find a crosscut of the culture of that city; in my game we have/had american Indians; Jamacians or Islanders in general, Orientals, Blacks, so called Whites, Indians from India, Slavs, Mexicans, Poles, Jews, Christians; Pagans, Agnostics, Protestants, Scandanavians; heck, even a Canadian :)
What other venue brings such cross cultured and cross racial interplay on such a grand scale; and we are better off for it. Tell a false story for enjoyment if you want, but walking away from a game table able to see people for the people they are rather than purely physical or spiritual shells, then we are a world community are far better off.
On the Puritains; they though hard about plays; acting, and storytelling and banned it for this reason; they were not sure if the actor on the stage who pretended to be the murderer in the story; was actually guilty of the sin/crime as to play the murderer one had to think of murder and that would be a crime; so, as they could not reach a concensus they just banned all that stuff as nobody knew who should be confessing what or if it was a sin or crime.
<= gets off his soapbox and puts it back in his pocket.
RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16
|
It allows us to revel in the wonder of places we'll never see, engage in combat with no risk of our own death, and explore ideas too dangerous or rare to take on in real terms.
Also, there are sometimes naked elf girls.
DG, you add a ... ah ...
I wanted to say "breath of fresh air to these boards." But that's not quite right.
But you definitely add something!
Bewbies? ;-) Or, to quote Erin Brockovich, "They're called boobs, Ed."
Oh, and sometimes naked elf girls... also with bewbies.
To paraphrase some french guy whose name I don't recall: "I write fiction so I can tell the truth... I write dialogue so I can contradict myself."
By the by...it's an excellent question to ask anyone. It tells you a little about how they think. Some of the folks responding above considered the question very well. It asks the responder to consider the non-absolutes: what components of storytelling are useful? and what components are truth(ful)? I don't think there are right or wrong answers to the question (BTW).
Haroun asks his father this very question in Rushdie's: Haroun and the Sea of Stories in a fit of anger and sorrow after his mother leaves his father. Haroun's father is a storyteller by trade - that's his only job and he is the only storyteller in an otherwise gloomy and mechanized city. Rushdie explores this question throughout the text (as well as several others) and I highly recommend the read to anyone who is interested.
As ever,
ACE
10 PRINT "Because it is fun."
20 PRINT "...and sometimes there are naked elf chicks."
30 GOTO 20
hehe really just a fire-infernal thing; burning skulls I think as it felt a bit squishy....
Wow. That's a small soap-box. Is it one of those travel sized, water-proof things?
|
|
Think of children's stories. They're made to instill morals into the young and impressionable. Stories can make us feel wonder, like a child waiting for Santa to bring presents on Christmas, or can be used to make us fearful, like telling us that we will go to hell if we lie. Stories are a way to make who ever is listening feel a certain way. Some are used to teach lessons to people, and some are just fun, and some still are meant to be used as a tool to control others through fear. It all depends on what your reason for telling a story is.
|
RPGamers are in the business of constructing stories as a part of the game they play.
Consider this question carefully: What's the use in telling stories that aren't even true?
As ever,
ACE
It might be argued that to state anything truly it must be placed in context. To tell THE TRUTH you would have to give absolute context; that is, you'd have to tell the entire story of everything.
Given that none of us knows enough, nor has enough time, to tell the complete truth we are always lying, truth is always relative.
So your question can be paraphrased acurately, with the help of Occam's Razor, as; "What's the use in telling stories?"
On a personal and less pedantic note (hey, you asked us to consider the question with care) I have found that fiction explores deeper truths that the messy reality of non-fiction struggles with.
There are also some theories that telling stories, especially starting as children, help our brains develop and help us distinguish fact from fiction. There may well be a biological imperaive to tell stories, with a species benefit not yet fully resolved.
Or I could just be telling a story...
DG, you add a ... ah ...
I wanted to say "breath of fresh air to these boards." But that's not quite right.
But you definitely add something!
A shameless willingness to admit rpg players sometimes enjoy skirting (or crossing) the line into intellectual porn?
I have never understood the objection to admitting some groups include sex in their rpg sessions as pointless or unfullfilling exercise. In the 60s and 70s, porn novels were quite the rage, and a big industry. Porn prose is still big on the internet. Why wouldnt the people who enjoy that enjoy adding those elements to their rpg sessions, just like elements from other novels?
In my opinion, "mature" is how you handle subjkect matter, not the subject matter itself.
elves are hot. Tolkien knew that. And people like to think of hot people nekkid.
so, yeah. Elf boobs, only available in fiction. If you like 'em, include 'em.
|
RPG Superstar 2011 Top 32
|
I have never understood the objection to admitting some groups include sex in their rpg sessions as pointless or unfullfilling exercise.
You've seen the movie The Gamers? You know the gaming group in that movie? That's pretty representative of my group; you try mature subjects with them.
so, yeah. Elf boobs, only available in fiction. If you like 'em, include 'em.
That's cool, we got all kinds of other boobs in the non-fiction side, too. Not as exciting, but it'll do.
|
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 8
|
RPGamers are in the business of constructing stories as a part of the game they play.
Consider this question carefully: What's the use in telling stories that aren't even true?
As ever,
ACE
Use? Why does everything have to be useful. We get bogged down with the function of things in this society and ignore the pleasure they give us.
You've seen the movie The Gamers? You know the gaming group in that movie? That's pretty representative of my group; you try mature subjects with them.
Actually, I haven't. It looked... needless for my life. do you recommend it?
|
RPG Superstar 2011 Top 32
|
Actually, I haven't. It looked... needless for my life. do you recommend it?You've seen the movie The Gamers? You know the gaming group in that movie? That's pretty representative of my group; you try mature subjects with them.
Maybe. It's kinda dorky gaming humor, but it's good fun. If you have cash to spare, I'd say go for it.
Anyways, point is, my group ain't exactly the most mature of players. The one time I tried playing a female character, the others ended up spending two hours determining her three sizes before the DM said that I wasn't allowed to play her, because he wasn't comfortable with the transvirtual playing. >_<*
I once went to hear Neil Gaiman read from his newest (at the time) book. He also did questions and answers, etc. One thing he said has always resonated with me, and he was quoting someone else:
"I like fantasy. Not because it tells us that dragons exist, but because it tells us that dragons can be defeated."
I once read The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. Its about a company of soldiers in Vietnam, written by a Vietnam vet. As I started reading, I assumed that the stories were all true and the book affected me deeply. About halfway through the book I discovered that it was a work of fiction and I felt betrayed. But after I thought about it awhile, I decided that it didn't need to be true to be a great book. It didn't need to be true to give me more respect for the people who had the dirtiest job of all.
Have you read Michael Herr's Dispatches? If not it sounds like you might really enjoy it. I highly recommend it if interesting stories from Vietnam are your thing - these ones are more or less true, or at least Michael Herr believes them to be true.
A shameless willingness to admit rpg players sometimes enjoy skirting (or crossing) the line into intellectual porn?
I have never understood the objection to admitting some groups include sex in their rpg sessions as pointless or unfullfilling exercise. In the 60s and 70s, porn novels were quite the rage, and a big industry. Porn prose is still big on the internet. Why wouldnt the people who enjoy that enjoy adding those elements to their rpg sessions, just like elements from other novels?
That's because we all live in America, as intellectual stepchildren of the Puritans, where we are taught to be confused and conflicted about sex, but where violence is given its rightful place. ;)