Mask play (was Re: [UA] Players screwed over)

[James O'Rance]

sneadj at mindspring.com said:

 >>>Actually, that's exactly how folks in my group play (well, to be
honest, we're likely only doing Mask Play ~ 65-85% of the time,
but it is by far the dominant mode of play).<<<

I think that's unusual - most groups are not like this, and there are even 
folks who claim that people who "mask play" (ie immersion) are actually 
doing the same thing as everybody else, with the delusion that they've added 
something  more intense somehow.

I also believe that immersion is heavily reliant on different factors for 
different people. For me, I need a character whose mentality I can believe 
in, and a suitable environment. Mood-breaking players can destroy that 
environment.

I've begun to immerse in games of CoC when Cap'n Ben (a funny and lovable 
guy) suddenyl quotes the Simpsons, and then it's all over. I believe that he 
does so because he's uncomfortable with the tension. That's not his fault; 
it just means that certain ways of experiencing the game are closed to me 
when he's around.

 >>>It makes for *very* intense and emotional play and is basically
what I'm looking for when I game. Character play can be OK
sometimes, but it really doesn't have much *zing* to it.<<<

I enjoy these intense moments when they come along, but I've realised that 
some players don't want them (and will destroy them), and some players don't 
understand why others occassionally "take it really seriously." Character 
play satisfies my need to depict an actual personality, but I feel more like 
an author (i think "this is how Clarke feels, and this is how he will 
react") than an actor (I think "Goddamn interfering old woman! She should be 
put in a home!").

I tolerate type play as a fellow player, although I do not like it, and as a 
GM it depends on what type of game I'm running. I have no problems with type 
play in The Whispering Vault, as I'm running it as a relaxed, "fun" game at 
a university gaming club. It annoyed me in Planescape, however.
Should I run UA in the future as I intend to, I won't allow type play among 
"core" players. That would make the game not-fun for me to run. As a result, 
I may not be able to run UA until it becomes socially possible for me to not 
include some of the incorrigible type players in a campaign. I am patient, 
fortunately.

I generally assume, when reading an RPG rulebook, that it is written with 
the assumption that the game will focus on character-play. This is what I 
read from the UA book; or was I wrong, and UA is "supposed to" be more 
immersive?

(obviously, "supposed to" has little authority when I could use UA to run 
The Chronicles of Narnia once I shell out for it. But I'm curious as to the 
intent)

 >>>I'e never seen the point of the other two modes.<<<

Token play is zero risk, emotionally, and allows for some happy, relaxed 
power fantasies. It also lends itself to a game-oriented, competitive, or 
strategic style of play. Some people enjoy that, so there's no harm in it.

Type play allows you to explore various roles within a game world, or what 
it would be like to have such-and-such a skillset. Such a player may simply 
not be interested in getting into the head of someone with a different 
personality. There's lots of reasons why that might be so, and I don't think 
that type play is "inferior" to character play; it's just the opposite 
approach to the one I enjoy.

<snip cool PC death story>

 >>>It was shocking, very sudden, and all of the players were in virtual 
shock afterwards.  Almost everyone was somewhat subdued the next day.<<<

I understand where you're coming from, but surely you recognise that this 
would make some players very uncomfortable? Given that I've seen simple 
theatrical improv send someone from the room in tears when it touched on a 
hurtful subject (in this case, we were improv-ing a car crash and court 
case, and really hamming it up), some people are not emotionally prepared 
for that kind of intensity.

This is another reason to have stress checks, or SAN rolls, or whatever; it 
can abstract a response that we could simply feel emotionally if we were 
immersive, but may not be comfortable doing.

 >>>That's what real gaming is for me, and this is why I feel Mask Play is 
really cool.  However, this is also why I *strongly* avoid games where the 
GM gets too into suffering, angst, random death, or
dismal failure.<<<

Obviously you accept that there are many games that you'll never be able to 
play! I prefer Wraith over Vampire, Werewolf, and Mage put together, because 
I love the idea of ghost stories of romance, loss, etc, and Wraith can be a 
depressing game; but I needed to avoid suffering or dismal failure, I could 
never play Call of Cthulhu, one of the all-time best games. That's why I'm 
happy to immerse only occasionally, even though it's a great experience.

That was a long ramble. Hope I didn't bore anybody.

Cheers,

James O’Rance
“Divine being creates petting zoo. It gets out of hand.”
- The Bible (summarised by John W. Mangrum)

http://www.geocities.com/dragon-dreamer/



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