This week Justin and I talked about Exploring the Premise, taking time out of the game for exposition about the setting, the characters and their place in the story.  This episode continues a conversation we found on Rob Donoghue LiveJournal post of the same name here: http://rob-donoghue.livejournal.com/328884.html

Hosts: Sean Nittner and Justin Evans

Length: 26:45

Show Notes

[00:28] Intro to the show – a response to Rob’s LiveJournal entry.
[00:55] Definition of the Premise in a story.
[01:18] Super Intelligent Hamsters!
[01:41] Justin reads the first paragraph of Rob’s entry.
[02:55] What we imagine Rob sounds like.
[03:12] Sean’s argument with a friend about exploring the premise vs. facing conflicts.
[08:55] Exploring the premise is there to give the audience (the players in this case) a chance to learn about the characters and settings and begin to care about them.
[10:02] A unique situation in a role-playing game.  Each player is contributing to the premise, which requires it to stay flexible.
[11:54] Another reading from the book of Rob.
[12:25] Games with nothing but conflict make you wonder what the conflicts are about. 
[13:05] A recount of “The Sword”
[13:48] A system that leans toward constant conflicts: In a Wicked Age. (http://www.lumpley.com/wicked.html)
[15:50] An opposite end of the spectrum: Gumshoe (http://www.pelgranepress.com/gumshoe/index.html)
[19:14] Somewhere in the middle of that spectrum: Dungeons and Dragons 4E (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/welcome)
[21:59] Another method of weaving action and exploration in the extended skill challenges in Spirit of the Century (http://www.evilhat.com/home/sotc/)
[23:00] Transitioning between exploration and conflict scenes.  Sean’s example, with Scalagrim the Barbarian Prince of course.

Direct Download: NC_Episode_037.mp3

Great show, as usual guys! I always appreciate you doing them.

I've a couple comments on this episode.

One is that it's important to distinguish premise as you use it in this show, and premise in how a lot of authors use the term. Since RPG players are partly authors, and the two terms have a lot of overlap, it's something that can be confusing. The other definition of premise, from http://www.storyispromise.com/wpremise.htm is "sets out a story's core dramatic issue, the movement of that issue toward resolution, and the fulfillment that resolution sets up for the story's audience."

A variant on the definition I pointed towards is pretty central to groups playing with narrativist agendas, while the one you're talking about is much more universal. Both are pretty interesting subjects to me.

As to your comments on IAWA, if folks are playing it "all conflict, all the time", then perhaps they missed the author's note up at the top of page 11. "Like a movie with only action sequences, it's a poor game - a one-tone game - that drives relentlessly from one conflict to the next."

You said that IAWA "nothing said is uncontested". This is only true in the context of a conflict, however, and only mostly true even then. Huge amounts happen outside of a conflict. Conflicts only happen when you get to a point when you physically try to do something against someone else, and the person playing that character objects to that action happening. Talking with others, arguing with others, making friends, exploring the place, sitting down for a nice cup of tea... these are all very much encouraged in a good game of IAWA, and all of them can be pretty detailed scenes that happen outside of any conflict.

Check out Vincent Baker's notes on breaking bad habits while playing IAWA. It's seriously cool advice on playing the game, even if you're not a player with bad habits. Bad habit #5 follows what you describe, of setting the pace too hard and having nothing but conflict. http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=26103.0

As to your comments on SOTC, weaving action and exploration, I love it!I want to see that happen in my SOTC game now. Or heck, pretty much in any game. :-)

Posted By: DSchmittGreat show, as usual guys! I always appreciate you doing them.

Thanks David.

Posted By: DSchmittThe other definition of premise, from http://www.storyispromise.com/wpremise.htm is "sets out a story's core dramatic issue, the movement of that issue toward resolution, and the fulfillment that resolution sets up for the story's audience."

Excellent resource, wish I had read this before recording the show. My breakdown is that exploring the premise covers setting out a story's core dramatic issue (as well as defining the setting and characters as discussed in the show) but stops before movement towards resolution, that is the conflict and "body" of the story.

Posted By: DSchmittCheck out Vincent Baker's notes on breaking bad habits while playing IAWA. It's seriously cool advice on playing the game, even if you're not a player with bad habits. Bad habit #5 follows what you describe, of setting the pace too hard and having nothing but conflict. http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=26103.0

I haven't played enough IAWA to be certain but my feeling is that Vincent wanted to make a game where it was safe to "go for the throat" and so many players picked it up and feel like that is all you are supposed to do. I think worded from more positive stance (i.e. here are some good habits and/or things you should do) this post would have made a great addition to the game when he was setting players expectations of how the game should be played.