Wise in the ways of the Force

[Dotan Dimet]

Sorry this is a new post, it should actualy be a response to http://www.indie-rpgs.com/viewtopic.php?t=5529">Co-GMing.

My players call this The Jedi Mind Trick, for obvious reasons...

From last night's session:

GM (Me): well, we've got about two hours so it should be time for a fight scene. As you're talking to Irene, you hear some noise from the foyer of the house, the Butler goes to see what it is...
Player 1: Someone break down the door!
GM: Someone breaks down the door.
Player 2 (to player 1): How did you do that??? (to GM): Why when I say to you "I have superpowers and can fly" it doesn't work?

Then player 1 proceeded to educate player 2 on the techniques of GM mind control, and how it needs to be done with subtlety and style. Basically, give the GM the straw he's grasping for, and he'll reflexively grab it (at least when the GM is moi, the most un-prepped GM in the eastern hemisphere: my philosophy is to do no more preperation than a player would).

This wasn't something new, of course: we've been playing for over a year, and we play like this all the time. But it was entertaining to hear the players discuss it, and for me (and Player 2, who follows my blog) it tied into an old forum discussion (April 2002) we had about how games are like jam sessions (I was obviously describing my take on Ron's "Gaming is like playing in a Band" analogy, and Player 2, who actually plays music, was digging it and happily elaborating, while other participants kept chiming in about Sheet Music and preperation).

And yes, we meta all the time. Immersion is pretty rare, and for us works more as dramatic highlighting than as the default mode of play.

- Dotan