*Thanks for watching!* What do you think of the real reasons why we roleplay? Did we leave anything out? Let us know by commenting down below! If you want to have this information and more at the tips of your fingers - pre-order your copy of The Practical Guide to Becoming a Great GM now. Find it here: bit.ly/3EDNbmK
> Consistency: we don't want to look at the book Hmm. That's good when everyone already knows the rules or nobody cares, but if your rules are inconsistent with each other or inconsistent with player expectations because your off the cuff ruling contradicts their expectations in some significant way (such as by contradicting rules that they had planned around) - it's going to pull them out of that sublimated state and they're going to need to deal with that (which may be unfun for them). The act of looking things up itself may not be immersive, but it does lead to more consistency of rulings and expectations being met per whatever mechanics everyone agreed upon in advance, and leads to everyone learning the majority of the game rules they agreed upon pretty quickly. Like, within a few sessions (in my experience) - which results in more consistency in the game over time, than the 'no looking stuff up allowed' approach.
something special about the game I'm currently DMing is that it's really allowed me to bond with my younger cousins. they both get anxious at family gatherings and usually stay on their phones/switches for hours because they're uncomfortable/overwhelmed - and starting a DnD game has not only gotten them off their screens, but has also pulled them out of their shells in general!! my youngest cousin, who has a hard time not having a screen as a social crutch, wanted to play a BARD of all things - and is doing an amazing job. it's like they become entirely different people at my table - more confident, more silly, more relaxed, more engaged... it's amazing. it's like I'm meeting them for the first time. I'll always be thankful to this game for forging those connections and giving my family a chance to actually have some fun together - especially after having such a hard year and losing our grandfather - and for helping us bond over good stories & fun/cool character moments. & many thanks to you, Guy, for teaching me how to DM my own homebrew game in the first place! :)
Why do i rp?... 1- i love being in a shared imagination reality with my friends. 2- i love imagining being my character, or when im DMing, the npcs and story plots etc. 3- its my happy place
If you are imagining being your character, then you are already roleplaying. Putting yourself into the character and imagining how they would feel and react to a situation they are in, especially if you can put yourself into whatever imagined reality you are sharing. And especially if you are trying to act out a person and personality that is different from your own. Can be a lot of fun, hope you're enjoying it.
This magic. The core purpose of storytelling together. The reason humans will do this forever. Whether around a fire, at a table, or in a cave. In those moments when the minds eye takes the helm, the real world takes a back seat. And together we tread into the world we both create and share.
Funny, i never asked myself WHY i like to run tabletop rpgs, until i saw this video. I am a DM, GM, Keeper and all of that - and never asked myself why i like to run or play a game, it is just a given somehow. But asking this question can be very valueable when you start losing the interest, and think about why and what you liked about all of that in the first place. Thanks, Guy!
I love breathing life into a world i create for my players. And when i play it's being someone or something i am not, and interacting with a whole new world, creating new memories and experiences
It's kind of therapeutic for me. I can either channel my worst personality traits into a character who suffers consequences and grows from it, or my best personality traits into a character that encourages me to be my best self in real life.
I play because pretend is fun and I like to examine subpersona of my identity. I play mostly healers, and that makes me feel good about others. In real life I like helping my friends in a crisis, I get a mini version of that when a friend is on single digit hp and I give them a second third or fourth chance to rise up and win. Support classes ftw. I get to examine parts of my feelings, like sadness with my cleric Surly the Dwarf or unhinged happiness with my maniac monk Bartholomew. I see roleplay as a way to engage with my subconcious self by pretending to be who and what I am not.
You are great, man! I consider you vids (along with Seth Skorkowsky ones) my GM university. I'm learning soooo much from you, even if I've been a DM/GM for 31 years now. I also wish I could play with you, as a player, one day
For me the primary reason was socialization and reconnect with older friends and meet new ones. A secondary reason was, learning how to better able to act in general, as well as better get into the head of characters who are different than me and roleplay as them successfully.
Very nice video! I would want to add "personal growth" as well. You learn a lot about yourself, about decision-making and tons of things about your personality by how you react. :)
I enjoy trying on other lives. Never worn a suit of armour in my life, not seen a dragon either. And my magical ability is..not great. But it's fun to be a brave magical warrior and have snacks.
Absolutely fascinating video Guy. I love the picture of you in the back and have you ever done a video about the board games on your shelf? I think I see some absolute gems up there.
Thank you for reminding me of the fundamentals of why I love these games! I've been running games with my young kids and their friends recently as well and it's been an experiential reminder of these things you're talking about! -Dan
Not detracting from your points, but the idea of finite and infinite games really opened up my understanding of why RPGs are fun. All the elements you mentioned still apply, but it's a missing puzzle piece that I didn't have before. If you're curious, look up finite and infinite games on Wikipedia
I'd add a fifth reason: experience. It can be a part of entertainment and/or escapism, but when I get to play games as a player, I am looking for a sort of special or emotional experience which makes the game memorable for me. This is why I am an immersion junkie when on the player's seat; I dive deep to find something that makes the game unique, even if it is in some small way. This is not the mission of the GM or the other players to provide me, but something for me to discover. Of course, they can help or hinder with this goal, but yeah, if I can remember the game fondly due to an emotional or otherwise special experience, I feel like a winner.
Thinking through a fictional situation, solving a mystery, figuring out a puzzle, or researching and executing a good plan - This is what I find rewarding as a player in roleplaying games. Rolling dice against a target number is not my favorite way to succeed. As GM it is more of a creative outlet as I try to design something that will be interesting, challenging and ultimately rewarding for my players.
Fundamentally, because I enjoy collaborative storytelling, and while that certainly can be done with roleplay outside of the context of a game, with a game that doesn't involve roleplay, or without either a game or roleplay, and I've done all of those, and enjoyed doing them, before, for me the way in an RPG most players are playing a single character while also having a system that defines boundaries of what is and isn't possible works wonders.
Fostering peace amongst players is important to a successful gaming session. Sometimes players come to the table with baggage from the day or what’s going on in their lives. Other times players have difficulty pursuing gameplay in an amicable, friendly manner. Failing to address these issues in a positive way can be game ending.
Really enjoying this series. I’m very new to GMing and it’s very hard to wrap my head around and explain why it sometimes feels like I’m doing something wrong. Those videos help a lot
I think you missed the key aspects of the fundamental nature of rpgs that are integral to why we really play these games. It's not just entertainment or fun... You can get that in much simpler, less vulnerable ways. You can socialize in all manner of ways doing any number of things and activities. RPGs go much deeper than these things you mention. These rpgs allow us a means to Play, Explore, and be Creators while Socializing with other people in a way that everyone is playing by the same social structure and rules. RPGs blend the act of Play, Exploration of Self and Ideas, and being Creators in a Socialized way like nothing else in the world. TTRPGs is our modern day campfire. It's our means of Expression through Play that we can use our Creativity with others at the same time to spontaneously Create Worlds. And through these worlds, Explore things we can't IRL. From all this we then Experience an Emotion we label as Fun. This is the fundamental nature of rpgs that separates it from going to the bar and hanging out with friends, or going to a movie, or reading a book, or going camping, or watching tv, or even painting a picture or writing a novel. But playing a TTRPG is also an act of vulnerability. You are putting yourself out there, in a public way, pretending to be a fictional character that you are not yet you have to still be yourself. You have to open yourself up, and let others see you, even if it's just a little bit. You have to let your guard down just a bit, so you can be silly, or do weird voices, and create a persona that's not you but kinda still is you, in a way. So why We Play these rpgs must supersede all that vulnerability to make it worth the effort. If you just want fun and entertainment, there are way easier ways of having fun.
I wonder if the "entertainment" aspect of it is truly a separate fundamental, or just a description of the feeling when the other fundamentals are done well. the way you talk about this fundamental, I feel like "structure" is the true fundamental you are zeroing in on, and perhaps you just didn't want to commit to an idea that is so narrow, but I personally think that "escapism, success, socialization, and STRUCTURE" makes a much tighter and informative group of fundamentals.
I play D&D because… Wow that is a lot 😄 well as Jim Stafford’s song Wildewood Weed said “We thought it was kind of handy, take a trip and never leave the farm.”
Has anyone started Role-playing to improve their foreign language skills? Or public speaking skills? Or try to use deffirent description techniques and see what works better? So I think there could be more reasons than just these 4.
That last bit, fostering socialization, is why I don't like being a stickler against metagaming. You're at a table to play a game together. Let people do that and socialize rather than awkwardly hoping everyone reads each other's minds.
I get way too philosophical about this stuff. I'd say of the 4 points, they all still break down into the unending search for truth. 1. We're "entertained" by the confrontation or affirmation of the patterns we experience in life, having those patterns challenged or endorsed is really engaging. We like it - a lot - and it's responsible for the survival of our species on an intellectual, emotional, and logical level. 2. Escapism is just 'truth simulation' where a micro cross-section of our experiences allows us to play with varying interconnected elements and determine what works. We have to draw from what we know, and create what can be recognized, but escapism is more about creating a self-contained "world" where things can happen and we can collectively test the truths and patterns we're working through (as from point 1). To do that, we have to minimise select elements of what we believe to be reality, so the unique parts can be tested and toyed with and the results assessed. 3. Success would be arriving at new patterns, good or bad, happy or sad, order or chaos - the "success" we're looking for is either a new hopefully 'better' pattern, or the same pattern and truth we had before - now re-enforced with more evidence. 4. And finally, the truest affirmation of any pattern or anecdotal experience of meaning is that of sharing it with one or more other observers. The collective confrontation, reassessment, and reemergence of patterns of truth increases the likelihood that it is - in fact - true. Anthropologically, we know this. Everything feels more powerful and 'real' when it's shared. This is literally where stories came from - teaching and analysing our individual and collective experiences to help us navigate forward through our lives. So - I'd say the reason we roleplay is the unending, unrelenting, search for Truth. Which is what I try to provide and facilitate as a player - whether I'm DM'ing or one of the adventurers. GREAT video - gave me lots to the think about. It was entertaining, and affirmed some beliefs I have as well as challenged some views I hold. Thank you for putting the time, effort, thought, and heart into it... and for all you do!
4:40 "They all have a beginning, a middle and an End. If you are looking at it from a western perspective." What would be alternatives from different cultures?
I really really love your videos and you helped me so much with getting a better GM. But ... I don't like those slooooow zooms you recently put in your videos. They really give me a headache and I don't know why. I'm sure you do them for a reason, but for me they don't make the videos any better. Keep up the great work and I'm really looking forward for the new book! :)
So if there are multiple "gain this much XP" but also it says you can only gain once per video, is it like... You can gain each individual amount, so that you have the total videos worth, you just can't rewatch it?
My god these are perfect for me being a new GM i was questioning my slef today how do i make this entertaining and you've answered all the questions i had thanks for the great advice. from a playerGM
Well, mostly because we're a bunch of broke introverts. If we had money and real social skills, we'd be out sky diving, street racing, and all manner of other hobbies that only the rich can afford, followed by picking up chicks in bars for nights of sex as opposed to nights around a table with a bunch of other dudes and a bag of Doritos. I love D&D but i'd give it up for real sex in a heartbeat.
"We are a simple species" Definitely not at all the point of the video, but I still felt I had to humbly and adamantly disagree with that, lol. Probably the least simple species on Earth, as long as we're not talking biology/anatomy.
![Blox Fruits Dragon Rework Update [Full Stream]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EqDAp8udhm0/mqdefault.jpg)
*Thanks for watching!* What do you think of the real reasons why we roleplay? Did we leave anything out? Let us know by commenting down below!
If you want to have this information and more at the tips of your fingers - pre-order your copy of The Practical Guide to Becoming a Great GM now.
Find it here: bit.ly/3EDNbmK
> Consistency: we don't want to look at the book
Hmm.
That's good when everyone already knows the rules or nobody cares, but if your rules are inconsistent with each other or inconsistent with player expectations because your off the cuff ruling contradicts their expectations in some significant way (such as by contradicting rules that they had planned around) - it's going to pull them out of that sublimated state and they're going to need to deal with that (which may be unfun for them).
The act of looking things up itself may not be immersive, but it does lead to more consistency of rulings and expectations being met per whatever mechanics everyone agreed upon in advance, and leads to everyone learning the majority of the game rules they agreed upon pretty quickly. Like, within a few sessions (in my experience) - which results in more consistency in the game over time, than the 'no looking stuff up allowed' approach.
something special about the game I'm currently DMing is that it's really allowed me to bond with my younger cousins. they both get anxious at family gatherings and usually stay on their phones/switches for hours because they're uncomfortable/overwhelmed - and starting a DnD game has not only gotten them off their screens, but has also pulled them out of their shells in general!! my youngest cousin, who has a hard time not having a screen as a social crutch, wanted to play a BARD of all things - and is doing an amazing job. it's like they become entirely different people at my table - more confident, more silly, more relaxed, more engaged... it's amazing. it's like I'm meeting them for the first time. I'll always be thankful to this game for forging those connections and giving my family a chance to actually have some fun together - especially after having such a hard year and losing our grandfather - and for helping us bond over good stories & fun/cool character moments. & many thanks to you, Guy, for teaching me how to DM my own homebrew game in the first place! :)
I'm tearin up a little..
Why do i rp?... 1- i love being in a shared imagination reality with my friends. 2- i love imagining being my character, or when im DMing, the npcs and story plots etc. 3- its my happy place
If you are imagining being your character, then you are already roleplaying. Putting yourself into the character and imagining how they would feel and react to a situation they are in, especially if you can put yourself into whatever imagined reality you are sharing. And especially if you are trying to act out a person and personality that is different from your own. Can be a lot of fun, hope you're enjoying it.
@@joshgoodall9228 i love it dude, i prefer to DM for sure
This magic. The core purpose of storytelling together. The reason humans will do this forever. Whether around a fire, at a table, or in a cave. In those moments when the minds eye takes the helm, the real world takes a back seat. And together we tread into the world we both create and share.
I like to see my friends become their most creative selves. The stories we make together go places I could never dream of alone.
Funny, i never asked myself WHY i like to run tabletop rpgs, until i saw this video. I am a DM, GM, Keeper and all of that - and never asked myself why i like to run or play a game, it is just a given somehow. But asking this question can be very valueable when you start losing the interest, and think about why and what you liked about all of that in the first place. Thanks, Guy!
I love breathing life into a world i create for my players. And when i play it's being someone or something i am not, and interacting with a whole new world, creating new memories and experiences
RP games for me include Entertainment, Escapism, and as an outlet for creativity. This was a fun listen. Great video Guy!
This is a question I've never thought about in great detail, it makes my head hurt if I think about it for too long!
It's kind of therapeutic for me. I can either channel my worst personality traits into a character who suffers consequences and grows from it, or my best personality traits into a character that encourages me to be my best self in real life.
I play because pretend is fun and I like to examine subpersona of my identity.
I play mostly healers, and that makes me feel good about others.
In real life I like helping my friends in a crisis, I get a mini version of that when a friend is on single digit hp and I give them a second third or fourth chance to rise up and win. Support classes ftw.
I get to examine parts of my feelings, like sadness with my cleric Surly the Dwarf or unhinged happiness with my maniac monk Bartholomew.
I see roleplay as a way to engage with my subconcious self by pretending to be who and what I am not.
You are great, man! I consider you vids (along with Seth Skorkowsky ones) my GM university. I'm learning soooo much from you, even if I've been a DM/GM for 31 years now. I also wish I could play with you, as a player, one day
For me the primary reason was socialization and reconnect with older friends and meet new ones.
A secondary reason was, learning how to better able to act in general, as well as better get into the head of characters who are different than me and roleplay as them successfully.
Very nice video!
I would want to add "personal growth" as well. You learn a lot about yourself, about decision-making and tons of things about your personality by how you react. :)
I enjoy trying on other lives. Never worn a suit of armour in my life, not seen a dragon either. And my magical ability is..not great. But it's fun to be a brave magical warrior and have snacks.
Message with "gain 50 XP", hilarious :)
By far the best RUclips videos on DND anywhere
Definitely the social aspect and escapism, then entertainment and humor blossoms organically out of that.
Absolutely fascinating video Guy. I love the picture of you in the back and have you ever done a video about the board games on your shelf? I think I see some absolute gems up there.
Thank you for reminding me of the fundamentals of why I love these games! I've been running games with my young kids and their friends recently as well and it's been an experiential reminder of these things you're talking about!
-Dan
Not detracting from your points, but the idea of finite and infinite games really opened up my understanding of why RPGs are fun. All the elements you mentioned still apply, but it's a missing puzzle piece that I didn't have before. If you're curious, look up finite and infinite games on Wikipedia
I'd add a fifth reason: experience. It can be a part of entertainment and/or escapism, but when I get to play games as a player, I am looking for a sort of special or emotional experience which makes the game memorable for me. This is why I am an immersion junkie when on the player's seat; I dive deep to find something that makes the game unique, even if it is in some small way. This is not the mission of the GM or the other players to provide me, but something for me to discover. Of course, they can help or hinder with this goal, but yeah, if I can remember the game fondly due to an emotional or otherwise special experience, I feel like a winner.
Thinking through a fictional situation, solving a mystery, figuring out a puzzle, or researching and executing a good plan - This is what I find rewarding as a player in roleplaying games. Rolling dice against a target number is not my favorite way to succeed.
As GM it is more of a creative outlet as I try to design something that will be interesting, challenging and ultimately rewarding for my players.
Entertainment
Escapism
Fun
Gotta have FUN!!!!
Fundamentally, because I enjoy collaborative storytelling, and while that certainly can be done with roleplay outside of the context of a game, with a game that doesn't involve roleplay, or without either a game or roleplay, and I've done all of those, and enjoyed doing them, before, for me the way in an RPG most players are playing a single character while also having a system that defines boundaries of what is and isn't possible works wonders.
It’s not decaffeinated pizza. It’s a boneless pizza.
I like the creativity and adventure. Like you said in an earlier video, I love the world I live in but it’s fun to get away.
Fostering peace amongst players is important to a successful gaming session. Sometimes players come to the table with baggage from the day or what’s going on in their lives. Other times players have difficulty pursuing gameplay in an amicable, friendly manner. Failing to address these issues in a positive way can be game ending.
Thank you very much for your content! You've inspired me to become a GM and continue to guide along the way.
Really enjoying this series. I’m very new to GMing and it’s very hard to wrap my head around and explain why it sometimes feels like I’m doing something wrong. Those videos help a lot
I think you missed the key aspects of the fundamental nature of rpgs that are integral to why we really play these games. It's not just entertainment or fun... You can get that in much simpler, less vulnerable ways. You can socialize in all manner of ways doing any number of things and activities.
RPGs go much deeper than these things you mention. These rpgs allow us a means to Play, Explore, and be Creators while Socializing with other people in a way that everyone is playing by the same social structure and rules.
RPGs blend the act of Play, Exploration of Self and Ideas, and being Creators in a Socialized way like nothing else in the world. TTRPGs is our modern day campfire. It's our means of Expression through Play that we can use our Creativity with others at the same time to spontaneously Create Worlds. And through these worlds, Explore things we can't IRL. From all this we then Experience an Emotion we label as Fun.
This is the fundamental nature of rpgs that separates it from going to the bar and hanging out with friends, or going to a movie, or reading a book, or going camping, or watching tv, or even painting a picture or writing a novel.
But playing a TTRPG is also an act of vulnerability. You are putting yourself out there, in a public way, pretending to be a fictional character that you are not yet you have to still be yourself. You have to open yourself up, and let others see you, even if it's just a little bit. You have to let your guard down just a bit, so you can be silly, or do weird voices, and create a persona that's not you but kinda still is you, in a way.
So why We Play these rpgs must supersede all that vulnerability to make it worth the effort. If you just want fun and entertainment, there are way easier ways of having fun.
Your videos are so well thought out. You're an amazing content creator and I really look forward to every new alert. Thank you for your vids
Learning quite a lot with these videos thus far. Thanks!👍🏻
Why I Role Play?
It turns down my stress, and you can't really run an elaborate pipeweed operation anywhere else with your homies.
I wonder if the "entertainment" aspect of it is truly a separate fundamental, or just a description of the feeling when the other fundamentals are done well. the way you talk about this fundamental, I feel like "structure" is the true fundamental you are zeroing in on, and perhaps you just didn't want to commit to an idea that is so narrow, but I personally think that "escapism, success, socialization, and STRUCTURE" makes a much tighter and informative group of fundamentals.
Don't know about decaf pizza, but I like keto pizza now that I can't have any kind of bread. lol.
I play D&D because… Wow that is a lot 😄 well as Jim Stafford’s song Wildewood Weed said “We thought it was kind of handy, take a trip and never leave the farm.”
Minds think alike. I remember making a podcast about this very thing last year lol.
Now I want decaf pizza.
Has anyone started Role-playing to improve their foreign language skills? Or public speaking skills? Or try to use deffirent description techniques and see what works better? So I think there could be more reasons than just these 4.
The most amount of Olympic medals per country is the us and second place
That last bit, fostering socialization, is why I don't like being a stickler against metagaming. You're at a table to play a game together. Let people do that and socialize rather than awkwardly hoping everyone reads each other's minds.
I get way too philosophical about this stuff.
I'd say of the 4 points, they all still break down into the unending search for truth.
1. We're "entertained" by the confrontation or affirmation of the patterns we experience in life, having those patterns challenged or endorsed is really engaging. We like it - a lot - and it's responsible for the survival of our species on an intellectual, emotional, and logical level.
2. Escapism is just 'truth simulation' where a micro cross-section of our experiences allows us to play with varying interconnected elements and determine what works. We have to draw from what we know, and create what can be recognized, but escapism is more about creating a self-contained "world" where things can happen and we can collectively test the truths and patterns we're working through (as from point 1). To do that, we have to minimise select elements of what we believe to be reality, so the unique parts can be tested and toyed with and the results assessed.
3. Success would be arriving at new patterns, good or bad, happy or sad, order or chaos - the "success" we're looking for is either a new hopefully 'better' pattern, or the same pattern and truth we had before - now re-enforced with more evidence.
4. And finally, the truest affirmation of any pattern or anecdotal experience of meaning is that of sharing it with one or more other observers. The collective confrontation, reassessment, and reemergence of patterns of truth increases the likelihood that it is - in fact - true. Anthropologically, we know this. Everything feels more powerful and 'real' when it's shared. This is literally where stories came from - teaching and analysing our individual and collective experiences to help us navigate forward through our lives.
So - I'd say the reason we roleplay is the unending, unrelenting, search for Truth.
Which is what I try to provide and facilitate as a player - whether I'm DM'ing or one of the adventurers.
GREAT video - gave me lots to the think about.
It was entertaining, and affirmed some beliefs I have as well as challenged some views I hold. Thank you for putting the time, effort, thought, and heart into it... and for all you do!
I always thought that it was a fundamental lack of self-esteem. Imagine my surprise.
I would suggest a 5th reason to roleplay... Discovery... This is why I play.
4:40 "They all have a beginning, a middle and an End. If you are looking at it from a western perspective."
What would be alternatives from different cultures?
Cyclical - there is no beginning and no end, merely continuation in a cycle.
@@HowtobeaGreatGM Thank you for the answer. :)
That expands my view of things.
I just like rolling dice.
I really really love your videos and you helped me so much with getting a better GM.
But ... I don't like those slooooow zooms you recently put in your videos. They really give me a headache and I don't know why. I'm sure you do them for a reason, but for me they don't make the videos any better.
Keep up the great work and I'm really looking forward for the new book! :)
Noted! And removed :)
@@HowtobeaGreatGM Thank you! :)
role playing in DnD is like playing charades but you get to talk
Nice haircut Sir!
Anyone know of some good Cypher system communities? Looking to get a super hero game going soon.
9:02 If you really believe that players always have to win to achieve a good role playing experience, you obviously never played Call of Cthulhu...
So if there are multiple "gain this much XP" but also it says you can only gain once per video, is it like... You can gain each individual amount, so that you have the total videos worth, you just can't rewatch it?
Gain all the XP in the video, but you only gain the XP once, ie if you watch the video 10 times, you don't gain 10 times the XP.
*immersion
My god these are perfect for me being a new GM i was questioning my slef today how do i make this entertaining and you've answered all the questions i had thanks for the great advice. from a playerGM
"We're quite a simple species", in comparison to what... lol???
I love these but. Immersion not submersion.
Well, mostly because we're a bunch of broke introverts. If we had money and real social skills, we'd be out sky diving, street racing, and all manner of other hobbies that only the rich can afford, followed by picking up chicks in bars for nights of sex as opposed to nights around a table with a bunch of other dudes and a bag of Doritos. I love D&D but i'd give it up for real sex in a heartbeat.
Can't argue with this.
"We are a simple species" Definitely not at all the point of the video, but I still felt I had to humbly and adamantly disagree with that, lol. Probably the least simple species on Earth, as long as we're not talking biology/anatomy.
I've lost my why