On 9 Dec 00, at 13:59, jbstehman@earthlink.net wrote: > I was with you here, but your example of Jack in another post lost me > again, since that made it sound like action was required for screen > time. Warned you it was oversimplified. Made it sound not only like action was required, but like skill-roll-based action was required for screen time. Which is not. > Here's a quick example. My character was introduced to a new group > (new to both me and my character). According to his history, my > character, a courtly guard, spent a *lot* of time quietly observing. > The first few sessions, that is mostly what he did. My character was > watching and learning the other PCs. By your definition, did he have > screen time? Yes and no. For you, yes - you were getting something out of the session, taking "action" even if it was only within the character's head. For everyone else, no, except in pbem, where you can share your character's head with others. That can be a problem if that's all the screen time your character ever gets, but that's a side issue - the important thing is that /you're/ getting (one assumes) a satisfactory share of the roleplaying. (And an extra share of the pizza, unless the others are willing to talk with their mouths full.) That's the sort of thing that conventional character generation systems throw up their hands in despair over. ---------------------------------------------------------------- GMAST Home Page: http://www.phoenyx.net/gmast/
