Phrases in dialogues

[Noutaja]

I was reading Polaris on my spare time and found myself thinking about the different ways to run dialogues for two or more persons in Polaris. So this is just an idea which pumped into my head.

As we all know, Polaris is a game where key to storytelling is different type of phrases. I find this phrases as a best way to play storybased, freeformed roleplaying games. They work in every situation, they never leave players without any hook to hang on or to continue the story. It's needless to say that they also help to create a great atmosphere and lead you straight away to the epic gaming.

I dont want to leave this post without idea so let's go to the business.

As I said, the phrases of Polaris are maybe my favourite way to create a good story, but as the subject says, I would want to hear your opinions about different types of Polaris dialogues.

In this case, I would divide the dialogues in two sections:

1) Dialogues which are run from the base of phrases. Basicly, in this way we solve the dialogues between two or more persons by using the phrases as a normal way (as usually, we dont use the "I" form at all, we create a story by "he" or "she" forms.)

2) Dialogues which are based on old fashioned, so called "normal" roleplaying games. In this way to solve dialogues, we would use the "I" form as we are used to use it nonindie games. I would only add a little plus flavour into this, of course. The Idea is here:

* It takes two to tango, dialogues take at least two persons to work. In a nutshell; the heart player talks in "I" form, as he would be the protagonist himself. Of course, the another player whom the protogonist is in conversation with, talks in "I" form too.
So, another side of dialogue is always the heart, and the another side(s) is defined by the role that the character is presenting. In a hostile dialogue the sides would be the heart and the mistaken, and oppositely in happy dialogue they would be the heart and the new moon.
Here's example:

A knight, from the order of the stars, called Maleus and the beast of the sunrise, called Misthyoki are standing in a highest hill that the sun havent melted yet...They gaze in each others eyes, they both know that only one will see the wonders of this world again. Suddenly, Malaus moves his lips and talks:

(So, the player of the heart talks in I form now)
- Your eyes are resting this melted, aligned land.... This used to be so beautiful place that even a thought of an ugly creature like you would had been imbossible. Once this land will be as beautiful as the garden of the stars.

(Now, the player of the mistaken talks in I form)
- Your dreams are childish, so is your old armor. You kinights used to rule these icy towers and windy lands, but as you know, the new day has risen, hasnt it?

Okay. When the dialogue has ended, the players who didnt play any role in dialogue will decide that does the just played dialogue take place in protogonist's story. They can make a decision by using the phrases, if they will.

Dialogue between heart and the opposite gamer ---> The result ----> Players without a role in dialogue make a decision with phrases= the dialogue was ok and it will take a place in the story, or the dialogue didnt give anything new for this story, so, let's abandon it.

Please tell your opinion about this idea.

- Ossi Seppälä

[Ben Lehman]

Hi, Ossi --

Uhm, I'm not totally sure how to respond to this, because I don't think I understand completely what you're saying.

First, it seems like you're under the impression that I/he is a big division in terms of Polaris play, but it really isn't.  I generally use I/me for my characters any time except for during the introduction and ending of scenes, talk in character, and so on and so forth.

Second, I really can't figure out what you're proposing in the alternate method.  Could you go over it again a little more slowly?

yrs--
--Ben

[Noutaja]

Sorry about my indistinct post, I guess I was a bit tired or something.

Yes, you're right. I have always got a vision that I/he is a big division in terms of Polaris terms. I've thinked that using /he is the 'only' way to play in a correct way. My idea was to mix some I/me playing to the game, along with the normal /he playing as a new spice, if I could say so.

The basic idea that I wanted to talk about in a shorten way; How could a Polaris session where everyone plays in /he forms exept the dialogues with the I/me forms work? (My idea was to bring using I/me as a new method for the dialogues, to intensify personal dialogues by using the I form instead of using /he form.

Sorry again about my last post, it is a mess.

- Ossi