This is a split from Classifying By Social Function and is related to some discussions I started a while ago, Technical Play and the one word GNS.

John asked me to clarify what I mean by play as a social function. In this sense Play is a set of behaviors which reflects other social and life behaviors but with a function of learning and building social bonds. While, Play has the overt purpose of fun, it has ultimately a learning-focused function for the players. Since social bonds can be construed as informational in their own right, Play is essentially a social behavior used to learn and experience other social and non-social situations.

This is why Celebration or Competition appear to occur within Play, because these social functions are mirrored in Play, and that Play then allows the players to learn more about these social functions.

It is perhaps extreme, though likely not inaccurate, to describe all RPG behavior as Play, and to distinguish between different types of Play (such as creative agendas or technique patterns) as simply patterns in the content being learned by the players. This content may include references to other social functions, but Play no more falls within them than winning Monopoly makes you rich.

I look forward to comments or criticisms of this viewpoint,

-Mendel S.

Wormwood wrote:
John asked me to clarify what I mean by play as a social function. In this sense Play is a set of behaviors which reflects other social and life behaviors but with a function of learning and building social bonds. While, Play has the overt purpose of fun, it has ultimately a learning-focused function for the players. Since social bonds can be construed as informational in their own right, Play is essentially a social behavior used to learn and experience other social and non-social situations.