Every title I came up with sounded sappy.

And believe me, it gets sappy enough on the inside.

Something I just posted in AP is inspiring me to indulge in a little hero worship.

See, I was introduced to the Theory through Vincent Baker's Roleplaying Theory, Hardcore, which I found Googling around one day. It all sounded really effing amazing and mindblowing, but comprehension barriers kept coming up, like "what the fuck is 'GNS'?!" So I found the Forge, and read Ron's essays. And I was never the same.

But Ron ain't the hero I'm worshipin'. See, no offense to Ron, but through a pile of meaty essays and a series of long (and in my case rambling) email exchanges, I still struggled. I knew there was something here that I desperately wanted, that I could just fucking taste, but I couldn't put my finger on what it was or how to get it, except that it seemed to be in the box marked "Narrativism." There was just something in Ron's and my communication styles that short-circuiting the connection for me.

Then I remembered Vincent.

I went back to his blog. I hunted around a little deeper than the "Hardcore" page. There were many cool things. And then I found this. This is what clicked premise/theme-wise roe me. This is what showed me what it was I thirsted for in gaming. This is what I look to when I'm all confused and don't know whether I prefer Sim or Narr or what and don't know what it all means. I keep coming back to this one essay.

In fact, I think that any concept in Forge theory that I've seen articulated by multiple folks, I pretty much find Vincent says it best. Says it in a way that I like, that i get, that I fucking grok. He has a passionate, infectious, crap-cutting way of getting these ideas to really sing for me.

So thanks, Vincent Baker. It means a lot. I know this is getting all maudlin and wierd. But I just had to say it and the birthday forum seems like the place.

Peace,