Shawn

Whether you're talking about game rules or settings or adventures or campaigns, this idea of knowing what the function needs to be and all the little intricacies that may be different from a typical version of that need to be sussed out and acknowledged and put into design.

It's like every corporation that you might work for or work with, they have their guiding principle or their motto or their five virtuous rules. And only this is like a good version of that. This is an actual, rather than just having these pie in the sky thoughts, actually be working toward bringing to life a thing in a form that you can use.

It's like every corporation that you might work for or work with, they have their guiding principle or their motto or their five virtuous rules. And only this is like a good version of that. This is an actual, rather than just having these pie in the sky thoughts, actually be working toward bringing to life a thing in a form that you can use.

The flip side of that is since function may be different, form will also often be different. And that makes it hard for us to come up with thou shalt or thou shalt not commandments for this industry. Because there will always be some out of the ordinary thing.

The flip side of that is since function may be different, form will also often be different. And that makes it hard for us to come up with thou shalt or thou shalt not commandments for this industry. Because there will always be some out of the ordinary thing.

desired function that requires some sort of unusual form and as soon as that form looks different people will sometimes push back against it not realizing that it's that form for a reason because we are trying to work toward this particular function so every time we say do this

desired function that requires some sort of unusual form and as soon as that form looks different people will sometimes push back against it not realizing that it's that form for a reason because we are trying to work toward this particular function so every time we say do this

There's always an implicit do this unless you are working on this other thing or this other goal or this other desired function.

There's always an implicit do this unless you are working on this other thing or this other goal or this other desired function.

Yeah. And that leads us directly into lesson number two, which is know your medium, but never be beholden to it. but know it. Because by knowing it, you can avoid situations where you try to do something different, but you end up inadvertently breaking the form rather than enhancing the form.

Yeah. And that leads us directly into lesson number two, which is know your medium, but never be beholden to it. but know it. Because by knowing it, you can avoid situations where you try to do something different, but you end up inadvertently breaking the form rather than enhancing the form.

When we talk about that, always be ready and willing to break the rules, but know to your heart the rule that you're breaking and understand the consequences of breaking that rule. And what comes to mind for me always is the initiative system for different games, including fifth edition D&D.

When we talk about that, always be ready and willing to break the rules, but know to your heart the rule that you're breaking and understand the consequences of breaking that rule. And what comes to mind for me always is the initiative system for different games, including fifth edition D&D.

Because what's the first thing that people play D&D, they play it for a long time, then they go play a different game, a different system that has a different initiative system. And they love it because it's different. And the first thing they want to do is bring that back and put that into their fifth edition D&D game.

Because what's the first thing that people play D&D, they play it for a long time, then they go play a different game, a different system that has a different initiative system. And they love it because it's different. And the first thing they want to do is bring that back and put that into their fifth edition D&D game.

Which is a fine impulse, but you have to then think through consequences and know the ramifications of doing so. Yeah.

Which is a fine impulse, but you have to then think through consequences and know the ramifications of doing so. Yeah.

Yep. Yep. So again, keep that in mind. Anytime you're designing, know what you're doing, try to break the rules, but know what that will mean. And the third thing I want to talk about, lessons that I've sort of learned over the years, is my preference and my experience are not the same as the totality of the audience that I'm writing for.

Yep. Yep. So again, keep that in mind. Anytime you're designing, know what you're doing, try to break the rules, but know what that will mean. And the third thing I want to talk about, lessons that I've sort of learned over the years, is my preference and my experience are not the same as the totality of the audience that I'm writing for.

I may like something and I may have to work on a project where I'm doing something that isn't my preference, but at least for the time that I'm designing, that needs to be my preference. That needs to be the thing I love. I need to learn to love this so that I can do the best job about it. Write what you know is great advice. Write what you love is great advice up to a certain point.