this is why I commit to running games that aren't finished at conventions lol it forces me to get it out the door

fuego look so good 👀

haha I am the exact opposite, this is my fav part, sometimes I make character sheets for other games for fun 😅

yes!

I've often read ttrpgs that make me think, "is this still a ttrpg?" and I see how arguing they "must" be about storytelling invalidates some amazing work. my reaction was much more like, "hey my games ARE about storytelling, and that's bad now maybe?"

also take this with a grain of salt. I witnessed some "ttrpgs aren't stories and should not be considered as such" kind of posts. I don't think they "must" be stories, but I think they very well "can" be.

this is lots to chew on! I remember I loved esoteric enough that I printed it and stitched it into a physical book when I got it haha. I think I have a better idea of why the argument is being made now, too. context is everything.

haha I'm not one that takes pride in having unchanging opinions. I'm no expert.

I think I've read "ttrpgs aren't about storytelling" when it's more "ttrpgs don't have to be about storytelling" if that makes sense. and I'm sure there's people that are using this argument to say "if your ttrpg isn't about storytelling it's not an rpg".

I love this! I often see myself as responsible for setting the vibe and structure to produce cool stories, but it's not my job to decide what stories are told. and to come full circle on it, I loved reading esoteric and it was one of the first things that really challenged what ttrpgs are for me.

honestly thanks for laying it out a bit, I'm not a big discourse person and just saw a post or two that confused me that were probably reacting to this notion.

I'm genuinely interested in hearing more about this! especially along the lines of how the "ttrpgs are not stories" argument helps change how I design games.

hey this is cool that you feel so strongly, but I actually don't have a huge stake in this and this is so aggressive for reasons I don't fully understand. truly didn't mean to cause an upset!

some things tell stories incidentally and some intentionally. some help you tell specific stories and explore life through them. what meaningful implication does believing ttrpgs aren't storytelling have when I'm designing/playing them?

I think the fundamental misinterpretation is that a storytelling medium and a story are not the same? I don't argue this because I think I'm the authority on this, but I think the definitions you choose change the art you make. how does your definition serve you or restrict you?

stories don't require editing, proofreading, or structure; marvel movies do. I've told stories through a composition, through painting, through living life and sharing it with others. storytelling is the basis of communication. stories can have many authors. stories can be unfinished.