Hello,

This forum is no longer available for posting. It has served its purpose: to develop a sensible framework for discussing play, and the children of play, design and publishing. That framework is available as the Big Model.

The development of the Big Model can be tracked through these essays by me:
System Does Matter early 1999, originally posted at the Gaming Outpost
GNS and other matters of role-playing theory October 2001; see as well the contemporary Seven major misconceptions about GNS and GNS: what is it? from a while later
Simulationism: the Right to Dream January 2003
Gamism: Step On Up June 2003
Narrativism: Story Now January 2004
The Provisional Glossary May 2004; see also The whole model - this is it for its prequel discussion, November 2003; see You can't sneak up on mode for influential thread

Like it or not, discourse on a given topic should not go on forever and ever, always skirting and twirling and redefining in a kind of glorious undergraduate haze. The existing framework we've built (yes, even by the opposition) may be wrong, bad, and mistaken. It may even lead to repression, oppression, and exploitation for decades. But at the moment, it seems to hold up better than anything else. Absent any standing arguments to the contrary, I'm done with the need for this forum.

Others may not agree. They are welcome to continue the discussion at other websites, and I'll gladly post links to this thread as they come about.

Also, soon Clinton and I will present a new forum which is intended for newcomers to the ideas here, in hopes of eventually building the friendly document that everyone clamors for.

Websites
M. J. Young Net (Mark, I was confused by the current site - send me specific links for relevant essays)
John Kim's RPG site (esp. theory page)
The 20' by 20' Room

Blogs
Chris Chinn's Deep in the Game
Vincent Baker's anyway., especially Gaming theory hardcore
Ben Lehman's This is My Blog (especially the Theory essays)
Matt Wilson's The Dog Blog
Matt Snyder's Heads or Tales
Ed Heil and Joe's Esoteric Murmurs
Shreyas Sampat's Raven Swallows the Sun
Jason Petrasko's Rainfall
Keith Senkowski's One Angry Polack
Joshua Bishop Roy's Game Foo
Nathan Paoletta's Hamsterprophecy
Meguey Baker's and Emily Care's Fair Game
Robert Mosley's Wild Musings
Attacks of Opportunity
Jay Loomis' Shining Dodecahedron

I need links to Scandinavian stuff - Eero, those great diagrams & slides, Markus Montola's work, etc.

Best,
Ron

this post will receive ongoing editing to update links