Interview with Clinton R. Nixon

[Clinton R. Nixon]

I got interviewed over at Primeval Press. If you're interested it's at:

http://www.primevalpress.com/articles/interviews/nixon.html

Feel free to discuss here.

[GaryTP]

Very nice interview. You also convinced me to pick up DitV.

Gary

[Keith Senkowski]

I have to say I am flattered.  Thanks for the kind words.

I am in total agreement about an RPG needing a GM.  Otherwise it is a different kind of animal, in the same way that a Poodle is a different from a Great Dane.

Keith

[Matt Snyder]

I'm going to to disagree with the notion that an RPG requires a GM, and especially that a "good" game requires one.

This is, obviously, not to say that I think a GM can't be a crucial factor in a great game.

If I understand the generally supported (if loose) definition of RPG 'round these parts, it's that we require Color, Setting, Character, System and Situation. We, the players, explore, and negotiate events in a shared imaginary space. I don't think that requires a GM.

I'm going to put my money where my mouth is on Dreamspire. We'll see how it turns out. The question then will be "is it an RPG?" Dunno. Don't are. It's something. I'm interested in the game, not the label.

[Clinton R. Nixon]

Matt,

If you squint at my answer, you'll see that I'm really saying "Someone needs to be forced to break the ice" and "conflict and resolution should not initiate from the same person." Follow those two, and whether you ever use the term GM doesn't matter. Capes is a great game, and it says it doesn't have a GM. (In actuality, the GM role flits from person to person, but...)

Anyway.

[Bankuei]

Hi,

I was thinking of Ron's term "helmsman" fit perfectly.  Sort of a leader to the whole affair, though that role might shift around the table during play.  I tried inadequately to explain that idea under the concept of a ball being passed.

Chris

[Matt Snyder]

Right, I hear you. But it's couched in language like this:

Is there some key element that you feel is necessary for an enjoyable session of role-playing?

A GM. This response is really here to irritate some friends I've been having this discussion with: is a GM necessary?

and

I am in total agreement about an RPG needing a GM.

You answer (and Keith's) was, superficially, yes. GM's are necessary. But, looking past that, you're really saying that we need, as you say, icebreakers and conflict introduction/resolution.

So you're saying one thing, meaning another. And I'm hearing you across the board. It's cool.

Any info. on these discussions you've been having with friends about GMs being required or not?

[Keith Senkowski]

Matt I would like to clarify my response.  I believe that there needs to be an Alpha.  He is the individual in the group that starts shit up and keeps shit in line.  Call him GM, pack leader or mother, I don't care.  Every game needs someone to drive the car, even though he may be taking all his directions from that asshole playing his game boy instead of looking for that street you are supposed to turn on in the passanger seat.

Keith

[sirogit]

I don't think he's "Saying one thing and meaning another." He's defined GM as "A person providing conflict, who is different than the person providing its resoloution." instead of the traditional "This specific guy that runs the game."

I don't think its stretching the terminology of "GM" to say that in Universalis, everyone is a GM when they provide conflicts, and it is better if another person provides the soloution.

[Jonathan Walton]

Clinton, reading your pro-GM propoganda, my first thought was "he obviously needs to play some Polaris like nobody's business."  Show up in indie_netgaming sometime and we'll be glad to give you a schooling. *cracks knuckles*  Ben certainly schooled me.

[GaryTP]

I really think in the games where there is no GM, that there is still a GM. That role is just spread out over all the players, a "collective" GM, as it were.

Gary

[Bankuei]

Hi guys,

It might be worthwhile to note that traditionally, the GM was basically in charge of a collection of duties- which can be easily passed around.  But, going from what Clinton is talking about, being sort of an initiator/facilitator, is also a seperate thing.

Clinton, did you mean all the above, or was "GM" shorthand for the facilitator idea given that you probably didn't want or have time to explain the whole Big Model on the website?

Chris

[Clinton R. Nixon]

I meant two things:

a) The facilitator idea. This is usually one person.
b) The separation of conflict and resolution. These duties can be passed around.

Before anyone gets too up in arms over (b) I mean this:

- One person makes up what's wrong.
- Another person says how it turns out.

[Matt Snyder]

Yeah, Clinton, I'd agree with that.

I'm literally, right now, working through the design of Dreamspire. The process I've got outlined loosely involves players taking turns. Each player has a shot at doing something to increase his primary character's influence in the gameworld.

So, during a given player's turn, he announces what he wants to do. Something like "I want to control the constable of Beggar's Hall. Anybody gonna stop me?" Other players can help or hinder. If anyone opposes, conflict resolution enuse. If no one opposes, the player explains how he does it, and maybe spends some currency to do so.

Each player is introducing a conflict, and others may act against him to resolve it. So, it's a bit fuzzy, but I think that's the same as what you're saying.

[Mike Holmes]

Matt I would like to clarify my response.  I believe that there needs to be an Alpha.

Interestingly, and perhaps surprisingly, I agree with Keith here.

I think that we're all in agreement with Clinton that there basically has to be a final arbiter of things, and that this can pass around. But, even early on in designing Universalis, we were going to put in rules for a "first player." Because, I actually do believe that someone needs to push everyone, and a game really can benefit from a vision that comes largely from one person. So that the vision is coherent and followable. Even in a game like Universalis, it's important to have this, because some players will just be in more of a "follower" mode sometimes, and can't do anything without someone in the lead.

So why doesn't Universalis have a "first player" rule? Well, what we discovered, is that it happens automatically. You don't need a rule for this position. Somebody will just always step forward and take this position. Humans, being the social animals that we are, always take up stations in a pecking order, or in terms of leaders and followers. It's almost tautological - if you have followers, that implies leaders, too. If a player can be a follower, then others can be leaders. And these situations adjust themselves to the group present.

If someone has the gumption to even suggest playing Universalis in the first place, they've got at least enough gumption to be the leader. So they, or somebody with more leadership ability will be there to step in to fill this role. So I do not believe that you need to put in rules for this sort of thing in an RPG. Just like Ron always points out that the "Points of Contact" in a game like Universalis are probably higher than they have to be in regards to who resolves what, when, etc, I think one can have a facilitator role, but that in many cases it's just not neccessary to appoint one.

So, as with anything, I think it depends on the specific design. I can get behind either concept. Specified facilitator, unspecified...as long as it's all part of the overall system and well considered, I'm sure it's the right decidsion for he game.

Mike