Here is an excellent piece on the various styles of play — both for players and gamemasters — ranging from the freeform “sandbox” to the rigid “sit and listen to the GM tell you a story all night” style.

There will be a follow up post from myself to this presently…

Casting Shadows

As has been mentioned on this blog in a few places, such as posts and videos on developing a language for describing play, there are times when speaking about the hobby of roleplay with other roleplayers of different experience can end up in an utter failure to communicate. People enjoy the conversation, but can sometimes not even realize that they were misunderstanding each other all along.

Player: What’s the next story going to be about?

GM: I don’t have a story.

Player: We are still playing, right?

GM: Of course…

Player: Oh good!  So, you are just going to wing something, then?

GM: No… I am prepared for the session…

Player: I thought you said you didn’t have a story!

GM: I don’t

Player: Why do I feel like Abbott and Costello are about to yell, “Third Base!”?

In an effort to establish a collection of concepts, terms, and points of…

View original post 1,370 more words