How G/N/S saved me from becoming an elitist snob

There. That title should grab some attention. :-) One of the common accusations against the G/N/S idea is that it is divisive, causing rifts between gamers where none need exist. Another problem is the perception that value judgments are being made on each style of play. Somehow Narrativism is the best way to play, while the other styles are lesser somehow. While it is true that most of the participants in the ongoing discussions are Narrativist in leaning, I think that imputing value judgments about play styles is precisely opposed to what G/N/S is supposed to do. In fact, I think that it can bring us together as gamers. Let me explain. A year or so ago, I had never heard of G/N/S. However, I would say that I had Narrativist leanings (although confused and vague). Definitely in my mind there was the idea that RPGs should be played to encourage "story", and that anything else was somehow inferior. Then I encountered G/N/S. At first it seemed as though this was confirming my prejudices. But no. It was insisted that all styles of play were equally valid and that we were just examining different sets of tools to be used toward these different ends. Rather than setting up one goal as the ideal, we were trying to assist all gamers in meeting their goal, be it Gamist, Simulationist (Exploratory), or Narrativist. The discussion was helpful for me and provided me with many new tools that worked much better for my story-oriented goals. But then, something else happened. Slowly--ever so slowly--my antipathy towards other styles, especially Gamism, began to fade. Then it happened. I bought a used copy of Shadowrun. Now, that is a seriously Gamist game. No concern is given to the dehumanization of technology (a classic cyberpunk concern). Rather, all the game cares about is speed and guns. Lots of guns. Essentially, the game is about dungeon-crawling in a cyberpunk world. And you know what? It looks like fun. No, really! You would have to look long and hard to find any sorts of Narrativist tools in the game. However, since I know that it is a Gamist game, my expectations are different. I don't care about how well the game promotes story. Rather, I should be concerned about how well the game balances and if it provides a good challenge, etc. When I play, I will be more concerned about playing the mission than seeking deep internal struggles. That's not what Shadowrun is about. I'll be honest. Gamism still isn't my favorite style. It is disturbing to me that many gamers only want to play this way but are unwilling to try anything else. However, if I were invited to play in a D&D game, rather than complaining about the lack of deep characterization, I can just enjoy the raw action and butt-kicking that D&D encourages. So, next time the G/N/S model comes up, be honest with yourself. Don't get defensive because we're building "divisions". Actually, if we understand the model properly, it actually lets us build bridges to each other by understanding the expectations that we bring to the gaming table. Seth Ben-Ezra Great Wolf Dark Omen Games