> "that's narrative, that's not" as debating tactic in what's a "good"
> or a "correct" rule or rules interpretation in HW "because it's a
> narrative game".
Well, it would appear to me that a decision should be made in accordance with the design principles of the system in question, yes.
> Of course not. But equally, you can't have a narrative without a
> story, or without a setting, and your "definition" ignores those.
No, it does not ignore them. All of those are necessary for "a story" to exist; but the idea is that setting and situation are themselves merely descriptive. When you introduce characters, their interaction "produces" story. Most systems allow this to happen "by accident" in that they are not mehcnaically designed to enhance or support such interpersonal stuff, habdling instead the "dumb world". But HW expressly uses mechanical rules for relationships, supports a free flowing style of character creation, uses a method of hanging concrete numbers off nebulous statements - all designed to support the kind of interaction between characters via the players.
> By your definition, the ultimate "Narritivist" game would be
> HKAT!, rather than HW (or Champions), despite being chock-filled
> with rules elements of the sort I've seen freely derided as
> "simulationist" in other such threads.
Well, perhaps you could explain which parts of HKAT! you think meets the criteria. Its quite possible that is is narratively constructed, although I'd be midly surprised. But I assert again that there is nothing about a narrative design the requires that it be elegant, or low mechanics, or any of that stuff - those pressures arise from other concerns. But in the HW case, there is a specific sense in which Wealth operates - this is not a statement about "right or wrong" ways to make the game, but that happens to be how it was done. I mean, its pretty explicit, says openly that it is designed to abstract wealth so that you don't have to deal with it much. My instinct is to be VERY simulationist, but the mechanics are simply not arranged to support that.
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