Author: Pyske (---.aol.com)
Date: 03-20-2002 18:31
R. Sean:
One think that I missed hearing in this explanation was what you gained from the philosophies. What were your goals in putting them in the game in the first place? To give clear enemies / morality? To foster intra-group rivalry / competition & reinforce the use of nettling? To make people think about their characters guiding philosophy from the beginning, so as to facilitate philosophical / thematic thinking during play?
Second, why suicide? Did it spring out of an opposition force for light's preservation of life? Do you feel suicide is a theme that should be present in most Nobilis games?
Now, for my own thoughts and comments:
Were I attempting to make the Dark and Hell more playable, I would first focus on the half-human nature of the Nobilis. I would emphasize the fact that people generally don't fall at the extremes of advocacy for the dark or the light, and while enNoblement might pull them to a human extreme, it should not make them a caricatured extreme.
I would also expand the scope of the light & the dark: life and death are the ultimate expresions of light and dark, but posessions, ideals, emotions, free will,... all are expressions of essential aspects of "humanity" and human self-image, and all have negative aspects, particularly when exaggerated, against which a character can rebel or take a stand.
Then perhaps I'd talk about what causes people to follow these codes in real life and in literature. The biggest of examples: Satan chooses Hell in rebellion against free will. People do evil things because they feel they have no choice, or it is the only reasonable choice. People harm others as defense against being harmed themselves. People attack what they fear. People also do harm when they think no-one will be hurt by it, or it is not enough to make a difference (i.e. "everyone is doing it"). Convenience or laziness -- unwillingness to put for the effort to be good. "For their own good" -- hard heartedness to toughen people up and protect them from the other harshness that is sure to come their way. Zero-sum: people only deserve what they can take and hold, and anything I take from another does me just as much good as them.
And heck, I seem to be rambling, so I'll wander off now, and see if my thoughts are more organized when I come back.
. . . . . . . -- Eric
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