[Distant Horizon] Rules that support Simulationism

[Anders Larsen]

Nice example.

I have tried to collect my thoughts a bit, and using some of your ideas, I have have made some bullet points that describe how I think Story Elements should work:

* The players and GM should before the game, talk about what are allowed in the fiction of the game, so everyone know what genre-rules they are working with.

* The player should be able to create some story elements that is used in the next part of the story. They should not specify how the story elements should be used, just that these are the things that they want to see in the next "story".

* The GM will also create some story element, both to fill out gaps, but also to have some surprises ready.

* The GM should create situations by connecting these elements to make something interesting. He should be especially careful to get the players' story elements into the mix.

* The players will then explore these elements (and thereby the situation), and in this process add extra aspects to the different elements which makes them more interesting.

* Maybe the player can in some ways make stronger connections between their character and story elements they feel are important to the character, and thereby focus their character's story in on these elements.

* After the situation has been fully explored (or solved), the element used should be kept save, so they can be dragged into future stories in the game. It can both be the GM and the players who pull in old elements (for the players to do it their character should have a strong connection to that element).

* The process where the players create new elements should be repeated periodically throughout the game.

Does this seem right to you?

I am not sure about the specific rules details yet. But in believe that I could get a procedure like this to work in the game, and I also think it will fit to what I want with Distant Horizons.

I will think some more about it, and see if I can come back with some more concrete stuff later.

- Anders

[David Berg]

That strikes me as a good list to generally aim for, and maybe to refer to when making some design decisions. 

It definitely does NOT look like a "do this and play will be great" instructive list.  So I'm curious to see where you go from here.

I can pick through the list and ask "How?" in many places if that would be useful to you.  I'm not sure what the next stage of your process is.

* The player should be able to create some story elements that is used in the next part of the story. They should not specify how the story elements should be used, just that these are the things that they want to see in the next "story".

This makes me wonder whether "the next story" means today's session, or half of today's session, or the next three sessions.

I'd also still like to see some player-made elements out there for cameo or guest use before their time comes to take center stage, but that might just be my personal preference.

* The players and GM should before the game, talk about what are allowed in the fiction of the game, so everyone know what genre-rules they are working with.

Do you intend for (a) Distant Horizons to define what genre it is, and the play group just nees to agree on what that means to them, or (b) leave genre open to the play group?

* The players will then explore these elements (and thereby the situation), and in this process add extra aspects to the different elements which makes them more interesting.

Depending on your answer to my last question, you might want to give them help in the form of genre-appropriate prompts, or guidance in making their own, or some such.