Re: Raaterovian definition

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From: Alex Ferguson <abf_at_cs.ucc.ie>
Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2000 15:10:10 GMT

George W. Harris:
> A game system is only prescriptive if the GM wants it to be; most GMs
take
> the results of the system as suggestions only. It never makes for more
> work for the GM if the system makes detailed, concrete suggestions, and it
> frequently makes for a lot less. The best way to encourage GMs to give
> detailed descriptions is to give them lots of help.

I think we're meandering from the original point here: the issue was not the copiousness of the examples of play, it's the 'authorial tone' with which they're delivered. For example, few wpould trouble to deny that AD&D 1st ed. was written in an exceedingly prescriptive voice; however, since EGG neglected to make himself omnipotent, said prescriptiveness merely got him widely mocked, as much as it got him slavishly adhered to.

Cheers,
Alex.