Core Engagements 5: Fantasy

Part 1 Submission/hobbyist 

Part 2 Narrative

Part 3 Discovery

Part 4 Expression

Note that this is the player version to identify themselves. The GM gets more tips on how to cater to these core engagements.

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Fantasy

The fantasy seeking player wants to feel immersed in the fantasy world described by the GM. They want to feel immersed and almost as if the world could really exist. There are generally two forms of immersions which are often relevant to medieval fantasy role-playing games: Immersion in Detail and Immersion in Simulation. Players who crave immersion in detail feel the world coming alive when there are realistic details in the world that feel right to the player. Players who crave immersion in simulation feel the world coming alive when the world reacts to their actions in ways which are consistent and mirrors the real world, or at least what they would expect to happen if fantasy elements existed in the real world.

How do I know if I’m a fantasy-seeking player?

Fantasy seeking players are dreamers at heart. They dream of doing things that they cannot do yet and living in a life of adventure. Most of us have a bit of a fantasy streak, otherwise we wouldn’t be into role-playing games at all. For those who really want to get into the fantasy though, those would be the players who craves more in-depth descriptions of the world and people in the game, and find themselves enjoying the fact that the world does not in fact revolve around them like a fabricated theatre.

It's worth mentioning which goes DON'T feature fantasy as an attraction: abstract games such as chess, checkers, go and the like.

Certain open world games like the Elder scroll series and Witcher 3: Wild Hunt also deliver fantasy through the little details in the world which make it feel more alive. Certain games have an enormous amount of atmosphere, which unfortunately are difficult for a GM to match in a table top role-playing game. In particular, This War of Mine, Darkest Dungeon, Dark Souls, Bioshock, Alien: Isolation and a huge number of horror games deliver on atmosphere which enforces the fantasy.

There may not be any medium other than role-playing games which cater very well to players who crave immersion in simulation. Not really. Even in role-playing games, the needs of the player who craves immersion in simulation can be challenging to meet because the rules in a role-playing game system need to be detailed enough in order to resolve actions in a realistic manner. There are not many role-playing game systems which successfully cater to players who crave simulation, and it can be daunting to GM to arbitrate rules-heavy systems. Still, if you recognise yourself as a player who craves simulation, it is worthwhile pointing this out to the GM politely so that the GM can anticipate these wants and act accordingly. At the very least, the GM can attempt to keep the world and rules consistent and predictable enough to satisfy the simulationist player.

For whatever reason, players who crave immersion through simulation often appreciate the core of engagement of cunning challenges because it’s easier to find solutions to problems in a predictable world with consistent rules. Interestingly enough, narrative seeking players don’t seem too interested in immersion through simulation, possibly because they have little interest in complex rules for resolving actions.

Conflicts: None

Specific advice for fantasy seeking players: Recognising the form of immersion, detail or simulation or both, can be pretty important to correctly self-identify and highlight to the GM since the needs of both forms needs rather different effort from the GM to cater to.

Unfortunately for simulationists, in order to be more accessible most modern RPG systems have reduced rules complexity and so GM arbitration of how the world reacts to actions can be important. If the GM is having difficulty arbitrating accurately, you may either need to forgo an accurate immersion in simulation or be trustworthy and skilled enough to help in the arbitration of the simulation yourself.