[TML] The Perfect Character Design

[Tom B]

>
>
> I don't think it is about coining new terms but using old ones in a
> way the more fully describes, to the first time player and to old
> player, what is needed and expected. I want to make an on-line ROLE
> playing game. By calling the player an "actor" and not just a
> "player", you are helping the person think of themselves that way.
> Calling the little guy on the screen a puppet that is controlled by an
> actor hopefully will get across the idea of making that pupped do some
> acting not just runing around trying to "win" the "game" by leveling
> up and killing things. how much more lame or pretentious can you sound
> that calling yourself a "GAME MASTER (with echos)". In comparison I
> think director sounds really soft and nice. LOL.
>

I'll counter with two points:

Puppet conjures to mind something lifeless to me. When I play a *character*,
I sort of think of him as someone who conjecturally has an entire life of
his own somewhere and I'm just privileged to see part of it. When I hear
puppet, it makes me think of an empty sock lying in an empty theater crate
when I'm not there. I don't like that as much for some reason.

Also, when I hear Director, that comes with a sensation of a dictatorial
overtone. I don't want someone to 'direct' my character. I want someone to
place a scene in from of me and let me decide how to act my way through it.
I've been railroaded along a few times in games (the capture your character
can never escape, the villain you had no chance of catching, etc) and I
thoroughly dislike it - more each time I'm subjected to it. I virtually
never use such railroading on players. And the name 'director' conjures to
mind that sort of preconceived idea of how things will go and attempts to
force me to adhere to his storyline.

So there's a contrary opinion.

I prefer 'character' and 'player' to differentiate the two. And referee (or
mediator would also work) for the GM. Referee implies someone applying some
sort of rules to the game but not driving it anywhere according to his own
notions. In fact, it implies a certain lack of a personal agenda.

I realize that's all in the vein of 'reading a lot into names of things',
but there is a certain power in how we name a thing. A word embodies a
concept.