I keep seeing references to the GNS Theory/Gaming Model. It seems that the relevant forum has been closed, though. Can anyone point me to any sort of definition/description/guide?

Hi,

I wrote most of that stuff, so here you go!

1. The Provisional Glossary - don't be put off  by the name. The first part is written to  be a useful introduction, and it includes a handy diagram too.

2. Check out the sticky post at the top of the closed GNS forum (closed just means you can't post; you can still read anything there). That sticky posts has lots of links in it, and those links include good introductions.

Best, Ron

Hi, Reithan,

If you have any questions regarding the Big model, feel free to send me a PM. I'll be glad to help.

That document provides a lot of good definitions, but it comes short (at a glance) at quickly describing what Gamism, Narrativism and Simulationism are, and how they differ.

Care to explain that? :P

Hi Reithan,

You might find this article helpful for a quick and dirty beginning. My only caveat regarding the article would be GNS should be more focused on games not people although some people tend to like games that push towards a certain agenda. This is mainly based on bad personal experience of when folks take GNS to be some sort of psych profile.

Hi there,

It's pretty worthless to discuss the specific creative agendas until you really have the Big Model down. And the best way to do that is to apply it to your own play-experiences, perhaps through discussion on the Actual Play forum. In that case, you can see Creative Agenda in action or see where it's failing to appear. Only after doing that is discussing diversity among the possible agendas really productive.

Starting with soundbyte definitions of the agendas that have been identified to date has proven to be flatly counter-productive. With that warning given, I direct your attention to the rest of the Glossary.

Also, this thread should end here. Its topic is not suited to this forum, and I can only invite you again, with great hope, to the Actual Play forum to really work through the theory, if that's what you'd like. There's an active thread there right now, in fact, about a Rifts convention game, which is dedicated to understanding and identifying the Creative Agenda in that instance of play.

So, no more posting in this thread, please.

Best, Ron