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From: ncg@ukc.UUCP (N.C.Gale)
Newsgroups: net.games.frp
Subject: Re: frp as theatre
Message-ID: <5166@ukc.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 25-May-85 16:27:12 EDT
Article-I.D.: ukc.5166
Posted: Sat May 25 16:27:12 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 20-May-85 04:05:51 EDT
References: <5121@ukc.UUCP> <5410@ucla-cs.ARPA> <1334@drusd.UUCP>
Reply-To: ncg@ukc.UUCP (Nige Gale)
Organization: Computing Laboratory, U of Kent at Canterbury, UK
Lines: 29


SO!
An frp is like a play, and the players are like actors.
It's a good analogy, I've always said so.

BUT!
The script-writer only writes the story, he does not
define the characters. Instead, the actors define the characters
that they are portraying.
Some like to play their real-life personalities into the story.
Others like to play a character different from themselves.
Some play to win.
But for any actor who wishes to play a villain, or just an a...hole,
(s)he has the problem that the other actors will not blame the
character, but instead the actor.

Thus, we have Alignments.
They are merely a device for pre-defining the personality of the
character that the actor has to play, so that the blame for his/her
behaviour is directed away from them. This is good.

The 3X3 alignment-matrix is perhaps precise enough for minor NPCs.
My next campaign, each player is going to have to write a short
family history, with a section on how this relates to his
character's behaviour.
("My mother was too domineering, so I like to torture small mammals" etc)

-Nige Gale
belch