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How do you want to do this? A Discussion on Selective Rule Enforcement and the application of the "Rule of Cool"
Hello folks, For my research analysis and writing class my professor let me pick any topic I want. (her mistake) So for my final term paper I chose to come up with a method of determining a guide to the use of the "rule of cool." I got a A on the paper so I figured I'd share it with you fine folks as well. It is rather lengthy so I've included the abstract first. The 8 tips for dungeon masters is near the end (third session), the first and second parts deal more with the philosophical and ethics of games. So, if situational ethics and a discussion on the Mechanics, Dynamics, and Aesthetics of Play are of use for you, be my guess. I am a relatively new DM so I spent a long time researching and trying to absorb what would make me a "good DM". With that cavate please keep in mind I know next to nothing compared to a vast majority of the DMs here. I can think of no place better to have this paper peer-reviewed, picked apart and "rebutalled" to death than here. If you feel offended, challenged, or angry reading this... Please understand I am a moron borrowing the works and words of far smarter people. If you feel that "this is the WAY" again... I am a moron... so ... with out further ado.
Abstract:
The choice to be a stringent rule-follower without leniency using fanatical legalism in a game can be a source of contention between someone acting as a referee and/or “Game Master” and players of a game. Likewise, to approach games with a sense of fanatical antinomianism, or to completely ignore the rules and simply let players do whatever they want, tends to offer no challenge, and or reason to play that specific game. Using ethical theory frameworks such as situational ethics, natural law, and utilitarianism this paper seeks find the philosophical principles of what moments are acceptable and actually beneficial to bend the rules of a game. As such, it is important to define games, briefly discuss why games are played, and roles rules have on games. The game Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition will be used as the principal example. With “rule for rules” established, seven tips on how to implement it this rule using advice and guidance from some of the most well known “Dungeon Masters” in the modern era will be provided. Much of this paper relies on the works of Joseph Fletcher, Sheila Murphy; Benard Suits, Robin Hunicke, Marc LeBlanc, and Robert Zubek for the ethical and philosophical discussions around games. For the practical advice, it relies primarily on the works of Matthew Mercer, Brennan Lee Mulligan, Benjamin Scott, Patrick Tracy, Kelly Mclaughlin and Monty Martin. Players are your friends, or at the very least your fellow human beings. As such, seek out what is best for them. Games are about many things but principally about enjoyment. It’s okay if the player does not get exactly what they want, so long as they still had enjoyment. How it happens is up to the players, the one running the game, and whether the rules were used to enhance the experience or not. It’s possible to find that balance by asking these questions in order: “How will this decision affect: the final enjoyment of all at the table? the narrative? the rules in the future?”
**“Once upon a time, around a table…”
A man behind a cardboard screen sits across from a woman wearing a funny hat. He is frantically reading through the pages of the various books at his disposal. He finds the reference he is looking for, but it is not clear. “It is technically against the rules, it is barely within the realm of possibility, but the idea is so creative…” the man murmurs to himself. Exasperated, the man smiles a crooked grin and explains, “Well you can certainly try… give me an acrobatics check.” The woman throws a piece of plastic resin on to the table. The dice reads, “18.” The man sighs and then laments, “fine… how do you want to do this?” The table erupts in cheers, as high-fives are given from the others around the table. The woman adjusts her hat, as she gleefully explains how her character will use the momentum of several falling barrels to move across the map in a single turn without having to use all her character’s movement. As a “Dungeon Master” (DM) for the tabletop role playing game, Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), I can say without a doubt that many DMs have encountered extremely similar events as the one described above. The choice to be a stringent rule-follower without leniency can be a source of much resentment between the DM and the players around the table. Likewise, to completely ignore the rules and simply let players do whatever they want offers no challenge, no reason to play. In terms of D&D rule enforcement, as is with many events in life, the choice of always being either a “Harsh Disciplinarian” or the lenient, “Laissez Faire Guide” is a false dichotomy. Instead, seeking balance between the two choices based first on the overall needs of the players, second on the needs of the story, and third on requirements and rules of the game should be the norm.
Session 1: What is the Relationship between, Players, Games and Rules?
The 19th century philosopher and founder of modern cultural history, John Hughes once wrote, “Play is older than culture, for culture, however inadvertently defined, always presupposes human society and animals have not waited for man to teach them their playing.” 1 Why do humans play? Is it instinctual? Bernard Suits was a Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Philosophy for the University of Waterloo and his essays are in part responsible for the field of philosophy of games in the late 20th century. In his book, “The Grasshopper: Games, Life and Utopia,” Suits’ book uses Aesop’s fable about the grasshopper to argue that play is what we would do in a perfect civilization. He believed that in a world devoid of work, humans would still seek out challenges through play, suggesting that it is human nature to challenge ourselves.2 But is that the only reason someone plays a game? One YouTuber opined that “In a practical sense, games facilitate systemic thinking by getting us to view abstractions, but also engender creativity by getting us to play.”3 If true, these are essential tools for humanity to function as an intelligent race. This makes sense from an evolutionary level as to why humanity would develop play, but is there more to it than “games encourage outside the box thinking?” The landmark paper titled, “MDA: A formal approach to game design and game research” is one of the earliest attempts to formalize the field of video game design theory and it is fundamental to how modern game designers look at these systems. It serves to define the importance of mechanic, dynamics, and aesthetics of play and is instrumental to helping understand what players will expect out of a game. We will discuss more about dynamics and mechanics later, but first let us focus on aesthetics. Aesthetics of Play Defined
Term
Definition
Examples
Sense Pleasure
Enjoyment derived from how it stimulates the senses
The visuals of a game, sound, and music, feel of the dice, etc.
Fantasy
Enjoyment derived from the ability to step into a role that cannot be experienced in real life
Playing a game as a magic wielding sorcerer or rocks in the far flung reaches of outer space
Narrative
Enjoyment derived from game as drama, it is about the stories and experience gained
Heavily story driven games such as Last of Us, Dungeons and Dragons, Final Fantasy
Challenge
Enjoyment derived from overcoming an arbitrary obstacle
Platformers like Mario, or even drinking games like beer pong, or corn hole; social games like charades, etc.
Fellowship
Enjoyment from working cooperatively as a group to accomplish a goal
Team based or social games such as Among Us, the card game Spades; save the world mode on Fortnite
Competition
Enjoyment from showing dominance
Chess or Go, Battle royal games such as Fortnite or PubG or Call of Duty; Fallguys; darts Poker; Uno, Killer bunnies or Magic the Gathering;
Discovery
Enjoyment from uncovering the new or discovering news ways to play a game.
These can range from searching to find things to choose your own adventure Minecraft; Zelda Breath of the Wild; simple matching games; the board game Betrayal at the House on the Hill; or games like Fable; Dragon Age Inquisition; or Mass effect
Expression
Enjoyment from showing an aspect of one’s self; or games that allow full customization of characters
Creation games like Minecraft; role play games like fallout 4; world of warcraft or Fortnite
Submission (aka Abnegation)
Enjoyment from being able to “turn of the brain; and tune out the world” or what is also known as zone out factor.
Bejeweled; candy crush; the lever-pull games at casinos, solitaire, etc.
(Source: Portnow & Floyd, October 2012)5
Aesthetics are things like sense pleasure, fantasy, the narrative of the story, challenge, fellowship, discovery, expression, and something called submission.4 There is an additional aesthetic that most game designers also consider when designing games termed as “competition”.5 These are all reasons people play games and it is important to keep all these in mind when acting as a DM. The table above works to define these terms more appropriately and makes it easier to reference later. The reasons a player may want to play a game vary and change over time. If a DM can understand their players’ goals (i.e., what the player hopes to get out of the game) the DM will be able to understand why someone might want to perform a certain action, play a game, or want to ignore a certain rule in the first place. On that note, what are rules in games? Think about it… Games are weird… well I should say the act of playing a game… is weird. Suits once wrote in his article, for the “Philosophy of Science Association Journal,” "To play a game is to engage in activity directed towards bringing about a specific state of affairs, using only means permitted by rules, where the rules prohibit more efficient [means] in favor of less efficient means, and where such rules are accepted just because they make possible such activity."6 In other words, to play a game we create rules that prevent us from achieving a goal through the easiest means available. Instead, we make something more difficult and we play a game. For instance, in basketball, it would be far easier to simply carry the ball all the way to the basket instead of dribbling it. In D&D, there is a similar activity to dribbling. It is called a “dice roll.” It is something that players must make to see if they succeed or fail at a task. The player rolls a 20-sided die and tries to get above a certain score to succeed. Players can roll normal, with advantage, or with disadvantage. Rolling with advantage allows the player to roll the D-20 (the 20-sided die) twice and use the higher number. Rolling with disadvantage also has the player roll the D-20 twice, but they must take the lower number rolled instead. It introduces a chance of randomness, and players will find any excuse they can to avoid having to make a roll with "disadvantage." In his book, The Grasshopper, Suits argues that we do this because it is the act of overcoming that limitation that we find enjoyment. By taking on these restrictions and accepting these limitations, we take on what he coins as a "lusory attitude" which allows us to play the game as it is meant to be played. Suits would argue that by not playing the game according to the rules as written, the player would have only achieved a “quasi-victory” not really worthy of achievement. He also goes on to say that even the act of “failing to win the game by virtue of losing it implies an achievement, in the sense that the activity in question -- playing the game -- has been successfully, even though not victoriously, complete.”7 So, according to Suits, it’s better to follow the rules of the game and loose than to not follow the rules and win. It’s important to point out that the aesthetics of play had not yet been defined and Suits’ work mainly focused on the “challenge” aspect of play. This is where many sports and game philosophers begin to find fault with Suits. In the “Journal of Philosophy of Sport,” a rebuttal of Suits’ work by David Myers asks, “What if the goal of the player isn't to follow the rules or even play the game?”8 For instance, what happens if the player is motivated by competition and doesn’t care about rules so long as “they win?” While an extreme example, this paradox isn’t out of the realm of possibility. Therefore, focusing on just the challenge aesthetic of game play and simply playing the game “rules as written” can lead to a disconnect between what the player desires and the game itself. Jesper Juul, an Associate Professor in the School of Design at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, wrote in his textbook on video game design, “Rules specify limitations and affordances. They prohibit players from performing actions such as making jewelry out of dice, but they also add meaning to the allowed actions, and this affords players meaningful actions that were not otherwise available; rules give games structure”9 Basically, without rules we cannot even have play. However, if the player ignores the rules that player won’t be able to enjoy the full experience of the game, because the rules both afford the opportunity to enjoy the game and provide the obstacles in the first place. How the rules affect actual game play is where Mechanics and Dynamics come into play. (See, I told you we would get back to it eventually.) Mechanics are the rules and systems that govern chance to create the game we experience. Dynamics are how those rules come together to govern the strategies of that game. In D&D, an example of mechanics is how a player would have to roll a 20-sided dice to see if an action would succeed. Dynamics are the actions the player takes to manipulate the situation and give themselves advantage in the roll. Some examples of this are using a spell caster’s familiar, flanking an enemy in combat, using the bend luck trait, or lucky feat. This is akin to how the rules of poker dictate that bluffing is allowed (mechanics); but how the bluffing player conceals their tells and bets is entirely up to that player (dynamics). What happens when the player’s desired aesthetics and the mechanics don’t allow for the dynamics the player wants to use? This is where it falls on the DM to determine if the game can handle a little rule bending. In the Dungeon Master Guide’s introduction, it states “The D&D rules help you and the other players have a good time, but the rules aren’t in charge. You’re the DM, and you are in charge of the game…” However! It goes on to say, “The success of a D&D game hinges on your ability to entertain the other players at the game table.” What is a good way to approach this? Is it THE DM IS ALWAYS RIGHT, able to enforce their will on the players whenever it suits their need? Should the DM strictly enforce the rules and narrative of their planned story without the need to appease the players’ wants and desires?... well… The DM COULD do it, but it won’t be long before their players stop showing to game sessions. Just like the rules, without players, there is no game. Or as one notable professional DM and YouTuber once put it:
“The game you weave belongs to the players as much as yourself… so make sure to humor them every once in awhile by giving them a chance to be extraordinary" - Patrick "the Goddam DM" Tracy 10
Session 2: The Ethics of a Dungeon Master
So how does someone seek a balance between the rules and the players? Enter situational ethics. Situational ethics, first proposed by philosopher and first professor of ethics at Harvard Medical School, Joseph Fletcher,** is an attempt to seek a middle ground between two ethical schools of thought: Legalism and Antinomianism. In legalism, morality must come from a strict set of rules that must be obeyed at all times and cannot be deviated from or broken for any reason. Antinomianism, on the other hand, is the idea that there should be no rules, you should be able to do what you want, whenever you want (lawless society). 11 In D&D terms, "Fanatical Legalism" would be similar to what many DMs would characterize as "Lawful Stupid," where a certain player's character enforces harsh judgement without ever showing mercy to those who would break the law regardless of the circumstances… even to the detriment of the party… or that small band of orphans who were stealing food out of desperation… Likewise, in D&D terms, "Fanatical Antinomianism" would be similar to what DMs would characterize as "Chaotic Stupid," where a player's character completely ignores consequences an action would bring and simply act according to their whims… even when it's an obvious trap… that has a 100 percent chance to damage not only your character, but the other players as well. Fletcher's work states that the morally right thing to do depends on the situation and can change throughout the situation, but at the same time, there is a universal “moral law” on which to base our actions that he called "Agape" love. Derived from the Greek word of similar pronunciation, Fletcher sought to define Agape as a means to show love for your fellow human. In his book titled “Situational Ethics,” Fletcher states, "All laws, rules, principles, ideals and norms, are only contingent, only valid if they happen to serve love."12 Or to put it a different way, a desire to see your fellow human be happy is and should be the goal. It is not really a feeling, but an attitude to do what is best for others. In terms of the D&D alignment chart, this would be easiest to define as whether someone is "Good" or "Evil." Whereas a “good character” is someone who acts for the betterment of others regardless of personal motivations, conversely an “evil character” acts out of their own self-interests regardless of how this action would affect others. Those that follow the concept of Agape would be “good characters.” Those that do not, would be evil. This is where the so-called “Rule of Cool” comes into play. Mathew Mercer, an extremely acclaimed DM, comedian, and writer of D&D’s “Explorer’s Guide to Wild Mount,” and host of the show “Critical Roll,” defines the Rule of Cool as a trope in the D&D community that is “the willing suspension of disbelief for the sake of a cool moment.”13 It’s used in moments where the use of an certain object or action would be nearly impossible according to the mechanics of the game, but because it is a “cool dynamic,” the DM allows it. But what is “cool?” Is it a player that is normally too nervous to speak up being able to do something unique on time despite it being against the rules? Is it a player that has spent considerable time perfecting a skill and being able to perform a truly “epic task” (such as the jumping across barrels to effectively triple their movement distance)? Is it succeeding in persuading the main villain to befriend the party through a series of increasingly complex but successful rolls? In all these situations listed above, there is a common theme that ties all the principles of what this paper is trying to address together in a simple phrase. As a DM, before making a ruling ask, "How will this decision affect the final enjoyment of all at the table?" Now a DM cannot give the players everything they want. Doing so cheapens the truly extraordinary moments. Finding the right balance can be difficult. That is why the flow chart above is suggested when trying to figure out whether it is a good time to “Remember the Rule of Cool.” https://i.redd.it/f362ghdjlqf61.png
Session 3: “Well… You can Certainly Try”- Some Famous DM
Finally, we can discuss how the desire to make the most enjoyable experience for everyone at the table plays out using real-world examples and advice from some of the most well-known DMs in the business. Using the concept of Situational Ethics’ Agape, we can see how to work in the rule of cool using eight tips for Dungeon Masters. Tip 1: It is advised to know your audience. Not everything is as it seems, so be sure to pay attention to your players and look at them when you are describing the situation. Make note of how they react when tones or themes change. Remember those reasons people play games mentioned earlier? This is where those come into play. Additionally, while not something outright suggested, it is nevertheless important to take team dynamics into account. The book “Four lenses unfolded” describes how various personality types can interact and work to solve problems. In it, the book describes four primary temperaments: Green (analytical), Blue (empathetic), Orange (adventurous), and Gold (goal oriented). Unlike most other personality tests, four lenses theory suggests that while we have a dominant personality at any given moment, other aspects of these personalities can manifest as well. Being able to draw on these aspects at will is the mark of a “mature” individual.14 As a DM/referee, coach, or manager, being able to do this and adapt to the needs of the players will take player engagement to the next level. Tip 2: Establishing and Managing Expectations Early and Often, Works to Prevent Disappointment and Confusions Mercer once put it this way, “Establish early on in your campaign how much of a level of crazy you're willing to allow. This allows for players to better understand what to try for and what not to try for.”15 Whether you are a teacher, referee, coach, parent, supervisor, or mentor, establishing expectations with those involved mitigates problems before they arise. One of the main tools DM’s have for this is that is recommended by Mercer, as well as nearly every DM in existence on the internet, is the “Session Zero.” Session Zero is a term used to describe a session where no play occurs but instead rules that will be used and rules that will be ignored or bent is established. It also serves to establish a theme the players can expect from any campaign. Using the first chapter of the DMs guide will help considerably in establishing this. Additionally, one of the best guides for this is laid out by the DM YouTubers known as “the Dungeon Dudes” in their video titled, “How to Run a Session Zero for Dungeons and Dragons 5e.”16 But always keep Agape in mind throughout this process. In this step, it means actively listening to the players. The DM may want a gritty, tough, realistic, and challenging campaign. But if the players want a high fantasy power trip, some adjustments are going to need to be made to the campaign. Listening to players and changing the plans accordingly is not easy. It requires A LOT of humility and ego suppression. Especially when the DM has already designed how the game is going to go… which leads us to the next tip. Tip 3: It is important to develop a healthy relationship with failure. Celebrated author Orson Wells once wrote; “If you want a happy ending, that of course, is dependent of where you stop your story.”17 This applies to both the players and DM. There will be times when the DM is tempted to ignore the rules because the consequences seem dire. The player fails an athletics check trying to use a dynamic that had a high-risk, high-reward moment. Now the player’s character is doomed to fall several hundred feet down a ravine to what is likely certain doom in lava. But this isn’t the end. That player’s character is most likely dead, but their death could result in a moment of drama and tension for the players. It’s the very real chance of failure that encourages players to think critically about a situation and experience excitement and tension. Brennon Lee Mulligan, the DM of the D&D streaming show, “Dimension 20,” put it this way… “if you are not allowing for failure, you are essentially just telling a story,” and thus never actually playing a game (make-believe as Suits would put it). 18 Another thing to consider is that through failure, we can often find comedy as well as ways to encourage players to think critically and find new escapes, 19 at least according to the mind behind the “Replaying the Curse of Strahd” videos, Benjamin (Puffin Forest) Scott. Lastly, Mercer strongly advises that if a DM allows too many “rule of cool moments” to happen in succession, the weight of the moments and consistency of the game will be lost. 20 Players that are afraid to fail will not try. Mercer explains that “Most role play games are designed to forge a heroic story (showing feats of legend) so let the players try! Let them fail, and occasionally succeed!” This is where his catch phrase “you can certainly try” comes from. 21 Tip 4: Whenever Possible, Avoid Taking Things Personally In his lecture on not talking things personally, soccer referee and public speaker, Frederik Imbo, explained there are two sides of a coin to keep in mind when trying not to take things personally: “It is not about you,” and “it is about you.” 22 Look at the other person’s intentions not just yours. With that in mind, it is okay to give yourself empathy and speak up. When someone seems upset with you, ask what are they hoping to get out of this releasing of emotions? Additionally, ensure that your pride isn’t preventing you from making the correct call. Yes I am talking about Ego again; it is that important! It is the DM’s world, but it is the players’ game. Without both, the world and the game, you do not have D&D. D&D has a weird paradox of being both a story and a game. It has both a narrative as its core premise, but it is, in fact, also a multi-player game. Without at least two people you cannot really have much fun. DMs should make sure that everyone at the table enjoys themselves. Tip 5: Mechanics are important precisely because they are a means of delivering impactful story moments. Remember that rule of cool concept? Extraordinary moments don’t happen often, and this is by design of the mechanics of the game. Humans remember the novel and unique way more often than the mundane. Mundane things tend to blend into the background. It’s the unexpected moments that highlight the more impactful story moments, especially if that moment is tied to strong emotions.23 With that in mind, Mulligan suggests looking at where the players are putting their resources before deciding how to rule on a situation. Have they invested experience points/levels into a specific skill that is relevant to this situation instead of just something they can use in combat? If so, reward them for wanting to do something that is a part of the world you are creating together. 24 Tip 6: Discourage metagaming but allow it whenever possible. Look for any and every excuse you can to give advantage on an arcana check by setting the DC low (10 or higher). If the player succeeds, they can use what they know… they are going to anyway, but at least then they can talk about it with the other players. According to the DM guide Chapter 8, metagame thinking means “thinking about the game as a game,” Examples would be thinking “the DM wouldn’t throw such a powerful monster at us so early in the game, so we will surely be saved and not have to take this fight seriously,” or “the DM spent A LOT of time describing that door… maybe we should search it again!” 25 The problem with metagaming isn’t really about what advantage the players are getting in the game. The problem is that manipulation of the dynamics, when used to extremes, can spoil the plot line of the cumulative story being told. This can lessen the drama and tension elements resulting in decreased enjoyment of those involved. Additionally, it can create a dynamic where the DM is constantly having to escalate encounters to challenge the player, encouraging a potentially toxic “DM vs player” mentality. For instance, how would a street orphan barbarian with no formal education and a wisdom of …let’s say very low…be able to know that liches phylactery is the source of their power. The solution here depends on why the players are playing this specific game. Is it the narrative of the story? Is it discovery? If these aren’t anywhere close to the reasons these players came to the game table in the first place, the narrative is not going to take as much of a factor into decisions. Metagaming in this instance isn’t going to be much of a problem. Tip 7: Keep in mind, the ending is “A” destination, but the story is about how you get there. A DM may hold off the extra cool moments for the final parts of the game, keeping their players in complete darkness and grit the entire way. However, without at least some levity along the way, some “water for the weary travelers,” as Mercer put it, they may not make it to the end.26 So, do not be afraid to relax the rules from time to time to give them those cool moments, but do so sparingly lest the destination lose its luster as well. Always keep in mind it’s about the enjoyment of crafting and playing in the world together that makes this, or really any game, fun. Tip 8: When all else fails… take a break and have the Tarrasque attack the party. When all else fails, roll two D-20s out of players’ views… fake a worried expression… role a D-100 (also out of player’s view) look over the score concerned as you pour through your notes… then explain sorrowfully… “I’m sorry… The Tarrasque has risen and has attacked the party. Everyone roll initiative.” This is actual advice from the DM manual. It is right under “faking illness and running away.”27 The point is this: never be afraid to pause or call a game when it’s over or needed. Maybe something incredibly uncomfortable for a player has happened. Maybe the DM has reached the end of what they were able to prepare for that session. Perhaps everyone is hungry or needs a bathroom break. Maybe the entire table has gotten to a point where no one can agree on anything and team dynamics are breaking down. That game world will always be there… but your friends won’t. Cherish that moment and make as many good moments as possible. Additionally, taking breaks both in-game and in the real world allow for quiet moments. These allow for the greater moments to shine through and the players will enjoy their experience more. https://i.redd.it/1ncu361zlqf61.png The graphic above serves to summarize the eight tips above and show their relationship with the narrative, enjoyment, and the rules when put in the context of situational ethics. From this graph, the relationship between the eight tips and how they play into the narrative, enjoyment, and rules of the game can be seen. Each of the tips can influence many parts of the game but they are intended to primarily influence the aspect of the game they are adjacent to. “Knowing the players” should influence the narrative and what kind of enjoyment the players receive. What mechanics are used to enable the game is causally related to how the rules are used and so on. Please note that Agape is at the center as, with every decision a DM makes, considering what is best for the players should be central to the experience of any game. The Epic Conclusion Through crafting a game-world together with your players, a DM has the potential to tap into one of the greatest traditions humanity has: camaraderie with friends. At the end of the day, these players are your friends, or at the very least your fellow human beings. As such, you should want what is best for them. Through trials, hardships, and drama, we get to put the punctuation on the moments of excitement, joy, happiness, and bliss. It is okay if the player does not get exactly what they want, so long as they still had enjoyment. This is because getting everything we expect is sometimes boring. However, always keep in mind that at the end of the day, games are about having fun. How that happens is up to the players, the DM, and whether the rules were used to enhance the experience or not. It’s possible to find that balance by asking these questions in order: “How will this decision affect: the final enjoyment of all at the table? the narrative? the rules in the future?” 1 Huizinga, Johan . "Homo Ludens". Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd. (1980), pp. 1., accessed January 19, 2021. http://art.yale.edu/file_columns/0000/1474/ homoludens_johan_huizinga_routledge_1949.pdf 2 Suits, Bernard, “The Grasshopper: Games, Life and Utopia,” Broadview Press. Ed. 3. (November 29, 2005): 54–55. Accessed December 31, 2020. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/803547.The_Grasshopper 3 The Game Overanalyzer, The Aesthetics of Play | Why We Play Games, and the Search for Truth and Beauty in Game Design. The Game Overanalyzer. (January 11, 2020), accessed 6 January 2021. Video 18:44. https://youtu.be/lONsZwjVDzg 4 Hunicke, Robin, Marc LeBlanc, and Robert Zubek. "MDA: A formal approach to game design and game research." Proceedings of the AAAI Workshop on Challenges in Game AI, vol. 4, no. 1, p. 1722. (2004). Accessed January 11, 2020 https://www.aaai.org/Papers/Workshops/2004/WS-04-04/WS04-04-001.pdf 5 Portnow, James; Floyd, Daniel; Aesthetics of Play- Redefining Genres in Gaming. Extra Credits; (October 17, 2012), Video 9:13. Accessed December 30, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uepAJ-rqJKA&list=PL3N9QD4_yI-BlnwWUL8hhjpKgqRul3xAa&index=11 6 Suits, Bernard. “Discussion: Games and Paradox.” Chicago University Press. Philosophy of Science Association Journal, Vol 36, no. 3 (September 1, 1969). pg 316–.321. Accessed December 30, 2020. https://www.jstor.org/stable/186226 7 Suits, Bernard. “Discussion: Games and Paradox (1969) 8 Myers, David. “Game as Paradox: A Rebuttal of Suits.” Journal of the philosophy of Sport 39, no. 1 (May 1, 2012). Accessed December 30, 2020. https://search-ebscohost-com.ezproxy2.apus.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip&db=s3h&AN=87342252&site=ehost-live&scope=site. 9 Juul, Jesper. "Half-Real: Video Games between Real Rules and Fictional Worlds", MIT Press, (Aug 19, 2011) pp.57-59 10 Tracy, Patrick. DM Tips: The Rule of Cool. Fantasy Bango. (October 20, 2017). Accessed December 30, 2020. Video 2:23 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8aAIFalx6s 11 Fletcher, Joseph F. Situation Ethics: The New Morality. Westminster John Knox Press, (1997). Page 17-26 (accessed January 20, 2021) http://bit.ly/Googlescholar_SItuational_Ethics **Please note that just because Fletcher’s Situational Ethics is used prominently, this is not an endorsement of all his views. Fletcher’s work has been used to justify terrible atrocities, such as eugenics, this should serve to point out that any philosophy taken to extremes can lead to terrible outcomes 12 Fletcher, Joseph F. Situation Ethics: The New Morality. (1997) 13 Mercer, Matthew. The Rule of Cool! (Game Master Tips). Geek & Sundry. (February 16, 2016). Accessed December 30, 2020. Video. 5:52 https://youtu.be/fWZDuFIYkf0 14 Bryce, Nathan K., “Four Lenses Unfolded: A Deeper Understanding of Temperament Values,” Insight; (January 29, 2002,). 15 Mercer, Matthew. The Rule of Cool! (Game Master Tips). (2016). 16 McLaughlin, Kelly; Martin, Monty. "How to Run a Session Zero for Dungeons and Dragons 5e". Dungeon Dudes. (September 3, 2020), Accessed 12 30, 2020. Video. https://youtu.be/2MA-z5Ai-bQ 17 Wells, Orson, "The Big Brass Ring." Santa Teresa Press (1987, January 1) 1-148 18 Mulligan, Brennan; Scott, Benjamin. “Animating Your Table (with Benjamin Scott) | Adventuring Academy Season 2 | Ep. 16 |” Adventuring Academy. Dimension (2020, December 28). Accessed December 30, 2020. Video 1:24:18 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IbVxEKpipo 19 Mulligan, Brennan; Scott, Benjamin. “Animating Your Table (with Benjamin Scott) (2020) 20 Mercer, Matthew. The Rule of Cool! (Game Master Tips). (2016).. 21 Mercer, Matthew. The Rule of Cool! (Game Master Tips). (2016) 22 Imbo, Frederik, "How not to take things personally? | Frederik Imbo | TEDxMechelen" TEDx Talks; (March 4, 2020) accessed 10 Jan 2021, video 17:36 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnJwH_PZXnM&t=381s 23 Kensinger, Elizabeth. Remembering the Details: Effects of Emotion. US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health. (May 4, 2009) Accessed 2021, January 30 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2676782/ 24 Mulligan, Brennan; Scott, Benjamin. “Animating Your Table (with Benjamin Scott) (2020) 25 Mearls, Mike, and Jeremy Crawford. "Dungeons Master's guide". Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast. (2014) accessed 29 January 2021 https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dmg/running-the-game#MetagameThinking 26 Mulligan, Brennan; Mercer, Matthew. Building Your Own Campaign Setting (with Matthew Mercer) | Adventuring Academy. Dimension 20. (2019, April 3) Accessed December 30, 2020. Video 57:01 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sig8X_kojco&t=2867s 27 Mearls, Mike, and Jeremy Crawford. "Dungeons Master's guide". Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast. (2014)-accessed 20 January 2021. https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dmg
How do you want to do this? A Discussion on Selective Rule Enforcement
Hello folks, For my research analysis and writing class my professor let me pick any topic I want. (her mistake) So for my final term paper I chose to come up with a method of determining a guide to the use of the "rule of cool." I got a A on the paper so I figured I'd share it with you fine folks as well. It is rather lengthy so I've included the abstract first. The 8 tips for dungeon masters is near the end (third session), the first and second parts deal more with the philosophical and ethics of games. So, if situational ethics and a discussion on the Mechanics, Dynamics, and Aesthetics of Play are of use for you, be my guess. I am a relatively new DM so I spent a long time researching and trying to absorb what would make me a "good DM". With that cavate please keep in mind I know next to nothing compared to a vast majority of the DMs here. I can think of no place better to have this paper peer-reviewed, picked apart and "rebutalled" to death than here. If you feel offended, challenged, or angry reading this... Please understand I am a moron borrowing the works and words of far smarter people. If you feel that "this is the WAY" again... I am a moron... so ... with out further ado..
Abstract:
The choice to be a stringent rule-follower without leniency using fanatical legalism in a game can be a source of contention between someone acting as a referee and/or “Game Master” and players of a game. Likewise, to approach games with a sense of fanatical antinomianism, or to completely ignore the rules and simply let players do whatever they want, tends to offer no challenge, and or reason to play that specific game. Using ethical theory frameworks such as situational ethics, natural law, and utilitarianism this paper seeks find the philosophical principles of what moments are acceptable and actually beneficial to bend the rules of a game. As such, it is important to define games, briefly discuss why games are played, and roles rules have on games. The game Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition will be used as the principal example. With “rule for rules” established, seven tips on how to implement it this rule using advice and guidance from some of the most well known “Dungeon Masters” in the modern era will be provided. Much of this paper relies on the works of Joseph Fletcher, Sheila Murphy; Benard Suits, Robin Hunicke, Marc LeBlanc, and Robert Zubek for the ethical and philosophical discussions around games. For the practical advice, it relies primarily on the works of Matthew Mercer, Brennan Lee Mulligan, Benjamin Scott, Patrick Tracy, Kelly Mclaughlin and Monty Martin. Players are your friends, or at the very least your fellow human beings. As such, seek out what is best for them. Games are about many things but principally about enjoyment. It’s okay if the player does not get exactly what they want, so long as they still had enjoyment. How it happens is up to the players, the one running the game, and whether the rules were used to enhance the experience or not. It’s possible to find that balance by asking these questions in order: “How will this decision affect: the final enjoyment of all at the table? the narrative? the rules in the future?”
**“Once upon a time, around a table…”
A man behind a cardboard screen sits across from a woman wearing a funny hat. He is frantically reading through the pages of the various books at his disposal. He finds the reference he is looking for, but it is not clear. “It is technically against the rules, it is barely within the realm of possibility, but the idea is so creative…” the man murmurs to himself. Exasperated, the man smiles a crooked grin and explains, “Well you can certainly try… give me an acrobatics check.” The woman throws a piece of plastic resin on to the table. The dice reads, “18.” The man sighs and then laments, “fine… how do you want to do this?” The table erupts in cheers, as high-fives are given from the others around the table. The woman adjusts her hat, as she gleefully explains how her character will use the momentum of several falling barrels to move across the map in a single turn without having to use all her character’s movement. As a “Dungeon Master” (DM) for the tabletop role playing game, Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), I can say without a doubt that many DMs have encountered extremely similar events as the one described above. The choice to be a stringent rule-follower without leniency can be a source of much resentment between the DM and the players around the table. Likewise, to completely ignore the rules and simply let players do whatever they want offers no challenge, no reason to play. In terms of D&D rule enforcement, as is with many events in life, the choice of always being either a “Harsh Disciplinarian” or the lenient, “Laissez Faire Guide” is a false dichotomy. Instead, seeking balance between the two choices based first on the overall needs of the players, second on the needs of the story, and third on requirements and rules of the game should be the norm.
Session 1: What is the Relationship between, Players, Games and Rules?
The 19th century philosopher and founder of modern cultural history, John Hughes once wrote, “Play is older than culture, for culture, however inadvertently defined, always presupposes human society and animals have not waited for man to teach them their playing.” 1 Why do humans play? Is it instinctual? Bernard Suits was a Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Philosophy for the University of Waterloo and his essays are in part responsible for the field of philosophy of games in the late 20th century. In his book, “The Grasshopper: Games, Life and Utopia,” Suits’ book uses Aesop’s fable about the grasshopper to argue that play is what we would do in a perfect civilization. He believed that in a world devoid of work, humans would still seek out challenges through play, suggesting that it is human nature to challenge ourselves.2 But is that the only reason someone plays a game? One YouTuber opined that “In a practical sense, games facilitate systemic thinking by getting us to view abstractions, but also engender creativity by getting us to play.”3 If true, these are essential tools for humanity to function as an intelligent race. This makes sense from an evolutionary level as to why humanity would develop play, but is there more to it than “games encourage outside the box thinking?” The landmark paper titled, “MDA: A formal approach to game design and game research” is one of the earliest attempts to formalize the field of video game design theory and it is fundamental to how modern game designers look at these systems. It serves to define the importance of mechanic, dynamics, and aesthetics of play and is instrumental to helping understand what players will expect out of a game. We will discuss more about dynamics and mechanics later, but first let us focus on aesthetics. Aesthetics of Play Defined
Term
Definition
Examples
Sense Pleasure
Enjoyment derived from how it stimulates the senses
The visuals of a game, sound, and music, feel of the dice, etc.
Fantasy
Enjoyment derived from the ability to step into a role that cannot be experienced in real life
Playing a game as a magic wielding sorcerer or rocks in the far flung reaches of outer space
Narrative
Enjoyment derived from game as drama, it is about the stories and experience gained
Heavily story driven games such as Last of Us, Dungeons and Dragons, Final Fantasy
Challenge
Enjoyment derived from overcoming an arbitrary obstacle
Platformers like Mario, or even drinking games like beer pong, or corn hole; social games like charades, etc.
Fellowship
Enjoyment from working cooperatively as a group to accomplish a goal
Team based or social games such as Among Us, the card game Spades; save the world mode on Fortnite
Competition
Enjoyment from showing dominance
Chess or Go, Battle royal games such as Fortnite or PubG or Call of Duty; Fallguys; darts Poker; Uno, Killer bunnies or Magic the Gathering;
Discovery
Enjoyment from uncovering the new or discovering news ways to play a game.
These can range from searching to find things to choose your own adventure Minecraft; Zelda Breath of the Wild; simple matching games; the board game Betrayal at the House on the Hill; or games like Fable; Dragon Age Inquisition; or Mass effect
Expression
Enjoyment from showing an aspect of one’s self; or games that allow full customization of characters
Creation games like Minecraft; role play games like fallout 4; world of warcraft or Fortnite
Submission (aka Abnegation)
Enjoyment from being able to “turn of the brain; and tune out the world” or what is also known as zone out factor.
Bejeweled; candy crush; the lever-pull games at casinos, solitaire, etc.
(Source: Portnow & Floyd, October 2012)5
Aesthetics are things like sense pleasure, fantasy, the narrative of the story, challenge, fellowship, discovery, expression, and something called submission.4 There is an additional aesthetic that most game designers also consider when designing games termed as “competition”.5 These are all reasons people play games and it is important to keep all these in mind when acting as a DM. The table above works to define these terms more appropriately and makes it easier to reference later. The reasons a player may want to play a game vary and change over time. If a DM can understand their players’ goals (i.e., what the player hopes to get out of the game) the DM will be able to understand why someone might want to perform a certain action, play a game, or want to ignore a certain rule in the first place. On that note, what are rules in games? Think about it… Games are weird… well I should say the act of playing a game… is weird. Suits once wrote in his article, for the “Philosophy of Science Association Journal,” "To play a game is to engage in activity directed towards bringing about a specific state of affairs, using only means permitted by rules, where the rules prohibit more efficient [means] in favor of less efficient means, and where such rules are accepted just because they make possible such activity."6 In other words, to play a game we create rules that prevent us from achieving a goal through the easiest means available. Instead, we make something more difficult and we play a game. For instance, in basketball, it would be far easier to simply carry the ball all the way to the basket instead of dribbling it. In D&D, there is a similar activity to dribbling. It is called a “dice roll.” It is something that players must make to see if they succeed or fail at a task. The player rolls a 20-sided die and tries to get above a certain score to succeed. Players can roll normal, with advantage, or with disadvantage. Rolling with advantage allows the player to roll the D-20 (the 20-sided die) twice and use the higher number. Rolling with disadvantage also has the player roll the D-20 twice, but they must take the lower number rolled instead. It introduces a chance of randomness, and players will find any excuse they can to avoid having to make a roll with "disadvantage." In his book, The Grasshopper, Suits argues that we do this because it is the act of overcoming that limitation that we find enjoyment. By taking on these restrictions and accepting these limitations, we take on what he coins as a "lusory attitude" which allows us to play the game as it is meant to be played. Suits would argue that by not playing the game according to the rules as written, the player would have only achieved a “quasi-victory” not really worthy of achievement. He also goes on to say that even the act of “failing to win the game by virtue of losing it implies an achievement, in the sense that the activity in question -- playing the game -- has been successfully, even though not victoriously, complete.”7 So, according to Suits, it’s better to follow the rules of the game and loose than to not follow the rules and win. It’s important to point out that the aesthetics of play had not yet been defined and Suits’ work mainly focused on the “challenge” aspect of play. This is where many sports and game philosophers begin to find fault with Suits. In the “Journal of Philosophy of Sport,” a rebuttal of Suits’ work by David Myers asks, “What if the goal of the player isn't to follow the rules or even play the game?”8 For instance, what happens if the player is motivated by competition and doesn’t care about rules so long as “they win?” While an extreme example, this paradox isn’t out of the realm of possibility. Therefore, focusing on just the challenge aesthetic of game play and simply playing the game “rules as written” can lead to a disconnect between what the player desires and the game itself. Jesper Juul, an Associate Professor in the School of Design at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, wrote in his textbook on video game design, “Rules specify limitations and affordances. They prohibit players from performing actions such as making jewelry out of dice, but they also add meaning to the allowed actions, and this affords players meaningful actions that were not otherwise available; rules give games structure”9 Basically, without rules we cannot even have play. However, if the player ignores the rules that player won’t be able to enjoy the full experience of the game, because the rules both afford the opportunity to enjoy the game and provide the obstacles in the first place. How the rules affect actual game play is where Mechanics and Dynamics come into play. (See, I told you we would get back to it eventually.) Mechanics are the rules and systems that govern chance to create the game we experience. Dynamics are how those rules come together to govern the strategies of that game. In D&D, an example of mechanics is how a player would have to roll a 20-sided dice to see if an action would succeed. Dynamics are the actions the player takes to manipulate the situation and give themselves advantage in the roll. Some examples of this are using a spell caster’s familiar, flanking an enemy in combat, using the bend luck trait, or lucky feat. This is akin to how the rules of poker dictate that bluffing is allowed (mechanics); but how the bluffing player conceals their tells and bets is entirely up to that player (dynamics). What happens when the player’s desired aesthetics and the mechanics don’t allow for the dynamics the player wants to use? This is where it falls on the DM to determine if the game can handle a little rule bending. In the Dungeon Master Guide’s introduction, it states “The D&D rules help you and the other players have a good time, but the rules aren’t in charge. You’re the DM, and you are in charge of the game…” However! It goes on to say, “The success of a D&D game hinges on your ability to entertain the other players at the game table.” What is a good way to approach this? Is it THE DM IS ALWAYS RIGHT, able to enforce their will on the players whenever it suits their need? Should the DM strictly enforce the rules and narrative of their planned story without the need to appease the players’ wants and desires?... well… The DM COULD do it, but it won’t be long before their players stop showing to game sessions. Just like the rules, without players, there is no game. Or as one notable professional DM and YouTuber once put it:
“The game you weave belongs to the players as much as yourself… so make sure to humor them every once in awhile by giving them a chance to be extraordinary" - Patrick "the Goddam DM" Tracy 10
Session 2: The Ethics of a Dungeon Master
So how does someone seek a balance between the rules and the players? Enter situational ethics. Situational ethics, first proposed by philosopher and first professor of ethics at Harvard Medical School, Joseph Fletcher,** is an attempt to seek a middle ground between two ethical schools of thought: Legalism and Antinomianism. In legalism, morality must come from a strict set of rules that must be obeyed at all times and cannot be deviated from or broken for any reason. Antinomianism, on the other hand, is the idea that there should be no rules, you should be able to do what you want, whenever you want (lawless society). 11 In D&D terms, "Fanatical Legalism" would be similar to what many DMs would characterize as "Lawful Stupid," where a certain player's character enforces harsh judgement without ever showing mercy to those who would break the law regardless of the circumstances… even to the detriment of the party… or that small band of orphans who were stealing food out of desperation… Likewise, in D&D terms, "Fanatical Antinomianism" would be similar to what DMs would characterize as "Chaotic Stupid," where a player's character completely ignores consequences an action would bring and simply act according to their whims… even when it's an obvious trap… that has a 100 percent chance to damage not only your character, but the other players as well. Fletcher's work states that the morally right thing to do depends on the situation and can change throughout the situation, but at the same time, there is a universal “moral law” on which to base our actions that he called "Agape" love. Derived from the Greek word of similar pronunciation, Fletcher sought to define Agape as a means to show love for your fellow human. In his book titled “Situational Ethics,” Fletcher states, "All laws, rules, principles, ideals and norms, are only contingent, only valid if they happen to serve love."12 Or to put it a different way, a desire to see your fellow human be happy is and should be the goal. It is not really a feeling, but an attitude to do what is best for others. In terms of the D&D alignment chart, this would be easiest to define as whether someone is "Good" or "Evil." Whereas a “good character” is someone who acts for the betterment of others regardless of personal motivations, conversely an “evil character” acts out of their own self-interests regardless of how this action would affect others. Those that follow the concept of Agape would be “good characters.” Those that do not, would be evil. This is where the so-called “Rule of Cool” comes into play. Mathew Mercer, an extremely acclaimed DM, comedian, and writer of D&D’s “Explorer’s Guide to Wild Mount,” and host of the show “Critical Roll,” defines the Rule of Cool as a trope in the D&D community that is “the willing suspension of disbelief for the sake of a cool moment.”13 It’s used in moments where the use of an certain object or action would be nearly impossible according to the mechanics of the game, but because it is a “cool dynamic,” the DM allows it. But what is “cool?” Is it a player that is normally too nervous to speak up being able to do something unique on time despite it being against the rules? Is it a player that has spent considerable time perfecting a skill and being able to perform a truly “epic task” (such as the jumping across barrels to effectively triple their movement distance)? Is it succeeding in persuading the main villain to befriend the party through a series of increasingly complex but successful rolls? In all these situations listed above, there is a common theme that ties all the principles of what this paper is trying to address together in a simple phrase. As a DM, before making a ruling ask, "How will this decision affect the final enjoyment of all at the table?" Now a DM cannot give the players everything they want. Doing so cheapens the truly extraordinary moments. Finding the right balance can be difficult. That is why the flow chart above is suggested when trying to figure out whether it is a good time to “Remember the Rule of Cool.” https://i.redd.it/f362ghdjlqf61.png
Session 3: “Well… You can Certainly Try”- Some Famous DM
Finally, we can discuss how the desire to make the most enjoyable experience for everyone at the table plays out using real-world examples and advice from some of the most well-known DMs in the business. Using the concept of Situational Ethics’ Agape, we can see how to work in the rule of cool using eight tips for Dungeon Masters. Tip 1: It is advised to know your audience. Not everything is as it seems, so be sure to pay attention to your players and look at them when you are describing the situation. Make note of how they react when tones or themes change. Remember those reasons people play games mentioned earlier? This is where those come into play. Additionally, while not something outright suggested, it is nevertheless important to take team dynamics into account. The book “Four lenses unfolded” describes how various personality types can interact and work to solve problems. In it, the book describes four primary temperaments: Green (analytical), Blue (empathetic), Orange (adventurous), and Gold (goal oriented). Unlike most other personality tests, four lenses theory suggests that while we have a dominant personality at any given moment, other aspects of these personalities can manifest as well. Being able to draw on these aspects at will is the mark of a “mature” individual.14 As a DM/referee, coach, or manager, being able to do this and adapt to the needs of the players will take player engagement to the next level. Tip 2: Establishing and Managing Expectations Early and Often, Works to Prevent Disappointment and Confusions Mercer once put it this way, “Establish early on in your campaign how much of a level of crazy you're willing to allow. This allows for players to better understand what to try for and what not to try for.”15 Whether you are a teacher, referee, coach, parent, supervisor, or mentor, establishing expectations with those involved mitigates problems before they arise. One of the main tools DM’s have for this is that is recommended by Mercer, as well as nearly every DM in existence on the internet, is the “Session Zero.” Session Zero is a term used to describe a session where no play occurs but instead rules that will be used and rules that will be ignored or bent is established. It also serves to establish a theme the players can expect from any campaign. Using the first chapter of the DMs guide will help considerably in establishing this. Additionally, one of the best guides for this is laid out by the DM YouTubers known as “the Dungeon Dudes” in their video titled, “How to Run a Session Zero for Dungeons and Dragons 5e.”16 But always keep Agape in mind throughout this process. In this step, it means actively listening to the players. The DM may want a gritty, tough, realistic, and challenging campaign. But if the players want a high fantasy power trip, some adjustments are going to need to be made to the campaign. Listening to players and changing the plans accordingly is not easy. It requires A LOT of humility and ego suppression. Especially when the DM has already designed how the game is going to go… which leads us to the next tip. Tip 3: It is important to develop a healthy relationship with failure. Celebrated author Orson Wells once wrote; “If you want a happy ending, that of course, is dependent of where you stop your story.”17 This applies to both the players and DM. There will be times when the DM is tempted to ignore the rules because the consequences seem dire. The player fails an athletics check trying to use a dynamic that had a high-risk, high-reward moment. Now the player’s character is doomed to fall several hundred feet down a ravine to what is likely certain doom in lava. But this isn’t the end. That player’s character is most likely dead, but their death could result in a moment of drama and tension for the players. It’s the very real chance of failure that encourages players to think critically about a situation and experience excitement and tension. Brennon Lee Mulligan, the DM of the D&D streaming show, “Dimension 20,” put it this way… “if you are not allowing for failure, you are essentially just telling a story,” and thus never actually playing a game (make-believe as Suits would put it). 18 Another thing to consider is that through failure, we can often find comedy as well as ways to encourage players to think critically and find new escapes, 19 at least according to the mind behind the “Replaying the Curse of Strahd” videos, Benjamin (Puffin Forest) Scott. Lastly, Mercer strongly advises that if a DM allows too many “rule of cool moments” to happen in succession, the weight of the moments and consistency of the game will be lost. 20 Players that are afraid to fail will not try. Mercer explains that “Most role play games are designed to forge a heroic story (showing feats of legend) so let the players try! Let them fail, and occasionally succeed!” This is where his catch phrase “you can certainly try” comes from. 21 Tip 4: Whenever Possible, Avoid Taking Things Personally In his lecture on not talking things personally, soccer referee and public speaker, Frederik Imbo, explained there are two sides of a coin to keep in mind when trying not to take things personally: “It is not about you,” and “it is about you.” 22 Look at the other person’s intentions not just yours. With that in mind, it is okay to give yourself empathy and speak up. When someone seems upset with you, ask what are they hoping to get out of this releasing of emotions? Additionally, ensure that your pride isn’t preventing you from making the correct call. Yes I am talking about Ego again; it is that important! It is the DM’s world, but it is the players’ game. Without both, the world and the game, you do not have D&D. D&D has a weird paradox of being both a story and a game. It has both a narrative as its core premise, but it is, in fact, also a multi-player game. Without at least two people you cannot really have much fun. DMs should make sure that everyone at the table enjoys themselves. Tip 5: Mechanics are important precisely because they are a means of delivering impactful story moments. Remember that rule of cool concept? Extraordinary moments don’t happen often, and this is by design of the mechanics of the game. Humans remember the novel and unique way more often than the mundane. Mundane things tend to blend into the background. It’s the unexpected moments that highlight the more impactful story moments, especially if that moment is tied to strong emotions.23 With that in mind, Mulligan suggests looking at where the players are putting their resources before deciding how to rule on a situation. Have they invested experience points/levels into a specific skill that is relevant to this situation instead of just something they can use in combat? If so, reward them for wanting to do something that is a part of the world you are creating together. 24 Tip 6: Discourage metagaming but allow it whenever possible. Look for any and every excuse you can to give advantage on an arcana check by setting the DC low (10 or higher). If the player succeeds, they can use what they know… they are going to anyway, but at least then they can talk about it with the other players. According to the DM guide Chapter 8, metagame thinking means “thinking about the game as a game,” Examples would be thinking “the DM wouldn’t throw such a powerful monster at us so early in the game, so we will surely be saved and not have to take this fight seriously,” or “the DM spent A LOT of time describing that door… maybe we should search it again!” 25 The problem with metagaming isn’t really about what advantage the players are getting in the game. The problem is that manipulation of the dynamics, when used to extremes, can spoil the plot line of the cumulative story being told. This can lessen the drama and tension elements resulting in decreased enjoyment of those involved. Additionally, it can create a dynamic where the DM is constantly having to escalate encounters to challenge the player, encouraging a potentially toxic “DM vs player” mentality. For instance, how would a street orphan barbarian with no formal education and a wisdom of …let’s say very low…be able to know that liches phylactery is the source of their power. The solution here depends on why the players are playing this specific game. Is it the narrative of the story? Is it discovery? If these aren’t anywhere close to the reasons these players came to the game table in the first place, the narrative is not going to take as much of a factor into decisions. Metagaming in this instance isn’t going to be much of a problem. Tip 7: Keep in mind, the ending is “A” destination, but the story is about how you get there. A DM may hold off the extra cool moments for the final parts of the game, keeping their players in complete darkness and grit the entire way. However, without at least some levity along the way, some “water for the weary travelers,” as Mercer put it, they may not make it to the end.26 So, do not be afraid to relax the rules from time to time to give them those cool moments, but do so sparingly lest the destination lose its luster as well. Always keep in mind it’s about the enjoyment of crafting and playing in the world together that makes this, or really any game, fun. *Tip 8: When all else fails… take a break and have the Tarrasque attack the party. * When all else fails, roll two D-20s out of players’ views… fake a worried expression… role a D-100 (also out of player’s view) look over the score concerned as you pour through your notes… then explain sorrowfully… “I’m sorry… The Tarrasque has risen and has attacked the party. Everyone roll initiative.” This is actual advice from the DM manual. It is right under “faking illness and running away.”27 The point is this: never be afraid to pause or call a game when it’s over or needed. Maybe something incredibly uncomfortable for a player has happened. Maybe the DM has reached the end of what they were able to prepare for that session. Perhaps everyone is hungry or needs a bathroom break. Maybe the entire table has gotten to a point where no one can agree on anything and team dynamics are breaking down. That game world will always be there… but your friends won’t. Cherish that moment and make as many good moments as possible. Additionally, taking breaks both in-game and in the real world allow for quiet moments. These allow for the greater moments to shine through and the players will enjoy their experience more. https://i.redd.it/1ncu361zlqf61.png The graphic above serves to summarize the eight tips above and show their relationship with the narrative, enjoyment, and the rules when put in the context of situational ethics. From this graph, the relationship between the eight tips and how they play into the narrative, enjoyment, and rules of the game can be seen. Each of the tips can influence many parts of the game but they are intended to primarily influence the aspect of the game they are adjacent to. “Knowing the players” should influence the narrative and what kind of enjoyment the players receive. What mechanics are used to enable the game is causally related to how the rules are used and so on. Please note that Agape is at the center as, with every decision a DM makes, considering what is best for the players should be central to the experience of any game. The Epic Conclusion Through crafting a game-world together with your players, a DM has the potential to tap into one of the greatest traditions humanity has: camaraderie with friends. At the end of the day, these players are your friends, or at the very least your fellow human beings. As such, you should want what is best for them. Through trials, hardships, and drama, we get to put the punctuation on the moments of excitement, joy, happiness, and bliss. It is okay if the player does not get exactly what they want, so long as they still had enjoyment. This is because getting everything we expect is sometimes boring. However, always keep in mind that at the end of the day, games are about having fun. How that happens is up to the players, the DM, and whether the rules were used to enhance the experience or not. It’s possible to find that balance by asking these questions in order: “How will this decision affect: the final enjoyment of all at the table? the narrative? the rules in the future?” 1 Huizinga, Johan . "Homo Ludens". Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd. (1980), pp. 1., accessed January 19, 2021. http://art.yale.edu/file_columns/0000/1474/ homoludens_johan_huizinga_routledge_1949.pdf 2 Suits, Bernard, “The Grasshopper: Games, Life and Utopia,” Broadview Press. Ed. 3. (November 29, 2005): 54–55. Accessed December 31, 2020. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/803547.The_Grasshopper 3 The Game Overanalyzer, The Aesthetics of Play | Why We Play Games, and the Search for Truth and Beauty in Game Design. The Game Overanalyzer. (January 11, 2020), accessed 6 January 2021. Video 18:44. https://youtu.be/lONsZwjVDzg 4 Hunicke, Robin, Marc LeBlanc, and Robert Zubek. "MDA: A formal approach to game design and game research." Proceedings of the AAAI Workshop on Challenges in Game AI, vol. 4, no. 1, p. 1722. (2004). Accessed January 11, 2020 https://www.aaai.org/Papers/Workshops/2004/WS-04-04/WS04-04-001.pdf 5 Portnow, James; Floyd, Daniel; Aesthetics of Play- Redefining Genres in Gaming. Extra Credits; (October 17, 2012), Video 9:13. Accessed December 30, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uepAJ-rqJKA&list=PL3N9QD4_yI-BlnwWUL8hhjpKgqRul3xAa&index=11 6 Suits, Bernard. “Discussion: Games and Paradox.” Chicago University Press. Philosophy of Science Association Journal, Vol 36, no. 3 (September 1, 1969). pg 316–.321. Accessed December 30, 2020. https://www.jstor.org/stable/186226 7 Suits, Bernard. “Discussion: Games and Paradox (1969) 8 Myers, David. “Game as Paradox: A Rebuttal of Suits.” Journal of the philosophy of Sport 39, no. 1 (May 1, 2012). Accessed December 30, 2020. https://search-ebscohost-com.ezproxy2.apus.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip&db=s3h&AN=87342252&site=ehost-live&scope=site. 9 Juul, Jesper. "Half-Real: Video Games between Real Rules and Fictional Worlds", MIT Press, (Aug 19, 2011) pp.57-59 10 Tracy, Patrick. DM Tips: The Rule of Cool. Fantasy Bango. (October 20, 2017). Accessed December 30, 2020. Video 2:23 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8aAIFalx6s 11 Fletcher, Joseph F. Situation Ethics: The New Morality. Westminster John Knox Press, (1997). Page 17-26 (accessed January 20, 2021) http://bit.ly/Googlescholar_SItuational_Ethics **Please note that just because Fletcher’s Situational Ethics is used prominently, this is not an endorsement of all his views. Fletcher’s work has been used to justify terrible atrocities, such as eugenics, this should serve to point out that any philosophy taken to extremes can lead to terrible outcomes 12 Fletcher, Joseph F. Situation Ethics: The New Morality. (1997) 13 Mercer, Matthew. The Rule of Cool! (Game Master Tips). Geek & Sundry. (February 16, 2016). Accessed December 30, 2020. Video. 5:52 https://youtu.be/fWZDuFIYkf0 14 Bryce, Nathan K., “Four Lenses Unfolded: A Deeper Understanding of Temperament Values,” Insight; (January 29, 2002,). 15 Mercer, Matthew. The Rule of Cool! (Game Master Tips). (2016). 16 McLaughlin, Kelly; Martin, Monty. "How to Run a Session Zero for Dungeons and Dragons 5e". Dungeon Dudes. (September 3, 2020), Accessed 12 30, 2020. Video. https://youtu.be/2MA-z5Ai-bQ 17 Wells, Orson, "The Big Brass Ring." Santa Teresa Press (1987, January 1) 1-148 18 Mulligan, Brennan; Scott, Benjamin. “Animating Your Table (with Benjamin Scott) | Adventuring Academy Season 2 | Ep. 16 |” Adventuring Academy. Dimension (2020, December 28). Accessed December 30, 2020. Video 1:24:18 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IbVxEKpipo 19 Mulligan, Brennan; Scott, Benjamin. “Animating Your Table (with Benjamin Scott) (2020) 20 Mercer, Matthew. The Rule of Cool! (Game Master Tips). (2016).. 21 Mercer, Matthew. The Rule of Cool! (Game Master Tips). (2016) 22 Imbo, Frederik, "How not to take things personally? | Frederik Imbo | TEDxMechelen" TEDx Talks; (March 4, 2020) accessed 10 Jan 2021, video 17:36 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnJwH_PZXnM&t=381s 23 Kensinger, Elizabeth. Remembering the Details: Effects of Emotion. US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health. (May 4, 2009) Accessed 2021, January 30 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2676782/ 24 Mulligan, Brennan; Scott, Benjamin. “Animating Your Table (with Benjamin Scott) (2020) 25 Mearls, Mike, and Jeremy Crawford. "Dungeons Master's guide". Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast. (2014) accessed 29 January 2021 https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dmg/running-the-game#MetagameThinking 26 Mulligan, Brennan; Mercer, Matthew. Building Your Own Campaign Setting (with Matthew Mercer) | Adventuring Academy. Dimension 20. (2019, April 3) Accessed December 30, 2020. Video 57:01 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sig8X_kojco&t=2867s 27 Mearls, Mike, and Jeremy Crawford. "Dungeons Master's guide". Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast. (2014)-accessed 20 January 2021. https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dmg
Yes, I know I'm still kinda new to DBD but I just wanted to share a killer concept I thought of.
New Map: Lucy's Casino New Killer: The Ruined Power: Devil's Dirty Gamble When a chase is engaged, the survivor has 50 seconds to find a table and chair to sit down at and activate Gambling Stage. If the survivor does not make it to a table and chair within the 50 seconds, they are injured (if healthy). They are then given another 50 seconds to find a table and chair. If they still fail, they then suffer from deep wounds. They are given a final 20 seconds to make it to a table and chair until being brought to dying state. If the killer attacks the survivor during chase with the power active, the timer they have to make it to a table and chair is reset. If the survivor makes it to a table and activates Gambling Stage, the survivor has to choose heads or tails. When they choose, the killer flips the coin and if they get it correct, they are given a random item (excluding maps and flashlights). Med kit: 3/6 chance to receive, Toolbox: 3/y chance to receive, Key: 1/6 chance to receive. If they get it incorrect, numerous things may happen. 1/10 chance for all survivor offerings be completely nullified (excluding map offerings), 3/10 chance to lose the item the survivor is carrying (if carrying one), 5/10 chance to block 2 random pallets and 2 random window for 65 seconds. When Gambling Stage ends, the survivor is put to sleep with mysterious gas and wakes up somewhere random on the map at least 30 meters away from the killer. The survivor can never wake up near hatch or exit gates (if open). This power cannot activate on the same survivor for the next 60 seconds. 5 tables will spawn on the map unless on a smaller map, making it 2 (for example: Dead Dawg). Teachable Perks: Lucifer Don't Slack: Satan never naps! Especially when gambling is involved. Survivor's luck is lowered by 15% and any perks or offerings survivors bring to raise luck aren't as effective. Moneybags: Guarantees your bloodpoint count cannot go below 8,000. Whenever hitting a survivor, you get 300 more bloodpoints. This perk will not activate if killer's power has been used 30 seconds before landing a hit. Feed My Wrath: You're confident in your aura reading ability no matter the situation. After being stunned by a pallet or being blinded by a flashlight, all survivors in a 32 meter range are revealed to you for 5 seconds. Add-ons: Broken Glock: The very weapon Lex Hellson used to murder the owner Lucy's Casino. Increases lunge range by 2%. "You let my entire life be ruined! You get what you fuckin' deserve!" - Lex Hellson Torn Up MegaKid Doll: The doll Lex Hellson carried around with him everywhere. It got torn apart when Lex got into a heated argument with another gambler. Reduces the amount of tables that spawn around the map by 1. "And that doll...what are you? A newborn baby? What a sad sack of cow dung!" - Jeremiah Kittle Iridescent Chip: The lucky chip that Lucy's Casino was known for. Claimed to be carved out of meteorite, The Entity enchanted it with it's own luck. Attacking in the middle of a chase is immediately puts survivor into dying state but gives survivors 180 seconds to find a table when this add-on is equipped. "Yes! That chip! The lucky chip! It's said to be carved out of meteorite straight from a moon!" - Cheap Tourist Dead Guard's Badge: The badge of a guard from Lucy's Casino. It was the guard's way of showing his pride. His body is now sat under a bridge. Increases killer's luck of being the winner in Gambling Stage by 2%. "Wanna know how long it took me to get this here badge? Years! Years I tell ya'!" - George Kittle Lore: Lex Hellson was born in a pretty healthy city. His family owned a barn 10 minutes away from their home in the actual city. Lex and his mother lived together in the city while his father lived at the barn. He said he thought that one day, something horrible would happen in that city and he was gonna pass on having a front row seat or, even worse, being the man on stage. Lex's mother always teased his father about that. She told him to stop being so negative and all he'd do is change the subject to farming. When Lex turned 28, his father passed away and his mother was in the hospital for cancer. Lex did his best to try and pay for her treatment but he could never completely afford it. As a last resort, he began to gamble. Specifically at Lucy's Casino. To his surprise, he did fairly well at gambling. As a matter of fact, he was an extraordinary at it. He then made it to the "Top Gamblers" list at the casino. Gambling was his life now. He was then able to afford his mother's treatment for cancer. When he entered the hospital, he was greeted with the sound of gunshots. His immediate reaction was to get to his mother's room. When he found her room, it was too late. His mother was dead on the hospital bed. The words "You Gamble More Than Money At Lucy's" were engraved on the wall in his mother's blood. That was the Lucy's Casino motto. In pure rage and distress, Lex drove to the casino with his father's rusty glock. He shot down the security guards and burst into the owner's office. Lucy sat at a mirror, counting money. "Oh, if you're here for your paycheck Mr. Kittle, I'll have it ready in a minute." Lucy sounded joyful. Lex put the glock to Lucy's head, turning her joy into pure terror. "You're the bane of any sane man's existence. I'll be damned if I let you and your agents get away with killing a man's mother! You ruined my entire life! You get what you fuckin' deserve!" Lucy screamed, it immediately being silenced by the rusty glock Lex held to her head. She fell to the floor. Lex slipped the glock into her hand and called for an ambulance, acting as if it were a suicide. As Lex rode in the ambulance with the now deceased Lucy, his vision began to get foggy. He got nauseous. What if he got found out? What if he'd be known for being a worthless murderer? The final things he heard were the words "Sir, are you alright? Sir!" before the ambulance crashed into a river as Lex closed his eyes.
We are a living testament and celebration of love...
When my wife and I slept in our car for nearly three months, as a husband, I looked at this woman, my partner, my best friend, my Beloved, the one to whom I am mated, and as shitty as it was, I cherished the fact that she was with me. This was all last year, from Oct until nearly Christmas. I didn’t understand the complexity and simplicity of my own truth but, if I had to have nothing to call our own, she is the only with whom I would celebrate our emergence from that shit. I had romanticized the building of our life together by thinking that deprivation and squalor was a way to define our worth and value to one another. In some way, I had imagined that if we fought through the shit, we could, as a team, show the whole fucking world what it could like to really and truly know Love. And guess what? While we parked and slept at night in the parking lot of Hollywood Casino, trying to dodge the random security patrols at night, gathering our duvets and sleeping bags from the trunk, she never pointed a finger. Never accused me of failing to provide. Didn’t once click her tongue against her teeth, or call me a loser, or even utter a single syllable that hurt my feelings. When we were wandering around in “charity shops” as she called them, and I called them “thrift stores”, she reached out and took my hand. She took my hand with a pride that I had never, in my entire fucking life, had ever experienced. There was no shame, or “I hope that no one sees us”. She took my hand and interlaced our fingers and she went through these piles of used clothes… She held up shirts to my chest and asked me what I thought. She made sure I was always close by. She found a fucking duvet, which was a whole new experience for me, and she asked me to hold one end. She explained what the fuck it was, since I thought it was damn comforter. But she patiently explained the buttons, the bottom, the filling, the whole essence of a quality duvet. We were in a fucking “thrift store” with coins in my pocket, and no way of knowing when or if any more money was ever coming in, and here she was, eyes all alight to make sure that her husband was going to be warm if we had to sleep in the car again. A fucking duvet. That night, we pulled the car into the lower level where most of the RV’s parked, and we did our little routine. We got the comforter, pillows, sleep-clothes and new duvets out of the trunk. We changed clothes in the car while it was running with heat on full blast. In all of my shame and “wtf” as a husband, she would get dressed and ask me how I was doing with my “changing process”. She would ask if I needed anything at all. And then she did it. After we made sure that the car was warm, and that we’d gotten into our jammies and I was feeling like the most inept piece of shit on the planet, across the console of this 2001 BMW 740iL, right next to the gear shift, beneath the layers of clothes, comforters, duvets and my personal shame, she somehow found my hand and in the sweetest, most heart-embracing voice, with accent of hers, in the entirety of my life, she said, as if this was an everyday occurrence, “I love you, husband.” and squeezed my hand. I cried real, deep tears in my seventeen dollar Walmart sleeping bag that night. For me, my every wish had been clearly and honestly expressed in this woman that never held my past against me, that never groaned, complained or pointed out my errors. Instead, she said, blindly, in a fucking car, with no home or place to call our home… “I love you, husband.” When we woke up in the morning and tried to find a fast-food joint that was open, she held my hand and perused the value-menu with me. She would get her coffee, biscuit with pats of butter, two napkins and a straw. I later found out that she took the extra napkins in case we had to use them late at night with access to a public restroom. There is nothing uplifting about any of us, or this life of ours, I thought, unless you step back and begin to understand from a wholly new perspective, that for me, by being who she is, was, and doing what she did, she, for me, is the living truth of Love. How does someone sleep in a car, in random parking lots for nearly three months and yet, every night, they reach across and find your hand? When we went to the library to get warm, she found a way to sneak a note into my cheap-ass briefcase to tell me that she loved me. With my Beloved, I was living and experiencing the grace and truth of every deep and organic desire for expression and acknowledgement, living example and wedded truth that confirmed that Love is, real. And that I deserved to know it. To see it. To experience it. To call it my own. In June 2020, with COVID-19 a very real aspect of life now, this Beloved of mine is sleeping not too far away. Her shikibuton mattress, the frilly-scenty-misty-3-hour-thingy that she loves, and I learning more about each day, is just another layer of experiencing just how liberating the truth of love really is. And while she is asleep, and I am out here in our office, I am guessing that she is thinking about this amazing family of hers that has welcomed me and loved me unconditionally from day one. Because she, my Beloved, loves they, those who cherish her and Love her, have welcomed me into their lives. In the end, I do what I do because I know that dreams do come true. They may not happen how or when we think we want but, if we can embrace Truth, it is real. So what do I have that this person, this woman, the living and breathing treasure of hope and dreams-made-real want of me? Love intangible. Love approachable. Love unfathomable. Love. Real. Love. And each breath that I have, and with every moment of this life, I give it freely and wholly that she might never, ever wonder.
[Part 2] A lifelong gambling enthusiast, you've played in countless venues for all manner of currency and collateral. Bored with trying to make a fortune, you seek out an apocryphal underground casino offering players chillingly high stakes against the opportunity to win anything their hearts desire
"Please choose your game, Sir", Val inquired. I looked around, choosing what will I play. I only had 1 chance to start... "What happens if I lose the first one?", I asked. "You will simply be ejected from the Church, without your memories of the place intact", Val explained. Fair enough. I set my eyes on a poker table, Texas Holdem. I thought I would be able to win easy enough at it. I placed my bet of the gold coin, in exchange for 2 cards; a set of Queens. I maintained my poker face but inside I was stoked at my great hand. I won that round easy enough with 3 of a kind. "Okay, now do we keep betting on the gold coins or...?", I asked the dealer only to be met by his silence. "Keep playing and you will understand, Sir", Val said standing behind me. I shrugged and was dealt another hand. The King of hearts and Jack of spades. When the river card was revealed to be the 10 of diamonds, I had a Straight in my hand. I looked at my only remaining opponent, some old Chinese guy. "Your bet, Sir?", the dealer asked him. "I bet my hearing" I was confused, "Hearing? What does he mean?" "Exactly as it sounds, Sir. We don't bet on materialistic thing here, only what you have. The truly valuable thing a human can have, their own body and its function", Val explained. I was stunned.....and extremely thrilled. Oh I never expected the stake to be this dangerous! I was smiling inside, but maintaining my poker face again I called the bet. My Straight trumped his 3 of a kind. I won! All of the sudden the old Chinese guy stood up, flailing his arms panicking. "No...no! Where...where's the sound? I can't hear!", he screamed only to be escorted away by some guards. I laughed a bit. The night went on and I kept playing different games. I lost some fingers, the ability to say the word "Frog", and a kidney. But in return I won some guy's ability to speak German and an extra heart. This was it! This was the thrill I was seeking for! "Hey Val, is there like a higher stake room in the Church?", I asked Val. There's always a more exclusive table where people of higher status play. And I want in... Val looked at me sternly. He moved his finger to his earpiece, seemingly being told something by someone. "This way, Sir", Val said leading me to the very end of the large hallroom. Beyond the door was a small room about the same as the first waiting room. In there sat a table, with no one else but a man at the other end of it. "Welcome Mr. Parish. I've been expecting you", the man said. I noticed Val had left the room. Confidently I walked to the table, sitting opposite the man. "I'm expected?" "Of course. An honorable player such as yourself can't escape my sight" "Who are you?" "I'm the owner" "The owner....you're Saint Cajetan", I said more of a statement than a question only to be met by him nodding. "So, you seek of the highest stake of game. Here we are. Choose your game" "Let's play poker, Texas Holdem", I suggested. Again the saint nodded. "What do you say we make this more interesting? Blind bet. You will not know what you lose or gain when you win or lose", he suggested. Honest, I was afraid to do so. But the rush and the thrill blinded me of what the repercussion might be. Almost immediately I agreed. The game went underway. Without knowing I had lost the sight of one of my eye and the satisfaction of sneezing. But I won the ability to taste a flavor unknown to man, which was really interesting I might add. "Well it's been very exciting evening, Mr. Parish. But what do you say we make the next one our last? The ultimate bet of the Church will be the stake", the saint asked. The ultimate bet....I loved the sound of that. What could it be? I agreed. I got a great hand then, a set of Kings. "Do you know want to know what the ultimate bet is?", the saint asked all of the sudden. I looked up, clearly not knowing the answer to that. He clearly was trying to rattle me. "This place, Mr. Parish is a casino located outside of space and time. It cannot be built on simple material things such as bricks and cement. It needed something more powerful, much much more powerful" First 3 cards were revealed, the King of clover, the 2 of diamonds, and the Ace of spades. "I thought centuries ago, what could be so powerful it can create the foundation of something this absurd.....then it hit me. Human beliefs, Mr. Parish. The capability of human to believe is so powerful it created religions, it took them to the sky, it took them across the ocean, it took them to the moon" The 4th card revealed, the King of diamonds. "So every now and then, I invited the best players in human history and get them to see this place. It started as mere illusion, but as I took their belief of this place's existence it strengthened its foundation. Turning it from a mere concept to reality. In turn without their belief they would no longer remember this place and they will never set foor here ever again." I was stunned at the saint's absurd story. Needless to say I was rattled. My resolve was shaken. Now silent he revealed the 5th card. "Show your hands, Mr. Parish", he said. No, no, I can't lose! I have 4 Kings! I can't lose! "4 Kings!", I declared sure of my victory. My face dropped immeditately however, seeing his face smirking. Looking down the final card was another Ace....and the saint had the other 2 Aces. "4 Aces beat 4 Kings unfortunately, Mr. Parish" I slumped back on my chair, defeated. For some reason the thought of not being able to play in that place again disturbed me so much. My pride as a gambler was taken down a notch. "So....you'll take my belief now? Erase my memories?", I asked weakly. The saint however chuckled, "Oh not quite. Throughout the night I saw you out there. There's a thing that you hold really dearly more than you yourself know, and it's the most powerful thing I've ever seen a human possess. I want that thing" I sat up, "What is it? Tell me!" "Tsk tsk remember Mr. Parish. Blind bet", he said waving his finger. I couldn't remember much after that. I must have blacked out. The next thing I knew I woke up on my bed in my bedroom in the morning. I was inside the Church for hours but being outside of time itself, it's only been less than 4 hours in here. I woke up at 7am. Clearly still remembering my experience. And that gave me dread. What did Saint Cajetan take from me? As per usual I sat in front of the computer with my breakfast, playing more online poker. It was my favorite game after all. Strange....$100, $500, $2000, $10000 even...I couldn't feel excited for winning. I panicked...what was wrong with me? I bet more and more and more, despite winning I couldn't feel...anything. I fell onto the floor, defeated. I realized then...that was what the saint had taken. The thrill...the thrill I loved so much was taken away from me.
Previous: The Humanity of Kanagi (Vampire) Fear is a concept that we're all accustomed to. As humans, we move toward things that move us toward feelings of pleasure and away from those that inflict pain or misery. Some things are ingrained into us, for example, snakes and spiders tend to arouse an automatic response related to anxiety, while it's common for us to avoid extremely high places or paths full of sharp objects. As was the case of Little Albert, the baby used in the (questionably moral) experiment that demonstrated conditioning an individual to fear something (in this case, fuzzy objects, something that stuck with Albert as he got older), fears can be "taught", either through personal experiences or second-hand. Interestingly enough, the concept of fear and hesitance develops early in our lives, as demonstrated in such experiments as this that observes infants who, at the start of learning to crawl, will not slow their pace when traveling over glass platforms, but begin to slow as they become more experienced with moving around, something that can be explained as a result of "trial and error", as infants fall and tumble. Easy enough, right? Us avoiding things that certainly will harm us can be justified without much thought required...but what about individuals who chase risk, these so called "daredevils" that would appear almost suicidal from most of our perspectives? Yukika happens to be one of my favorite characters in Magia Record, both in design and also her character background. As is the case with most characters in this series, Yukika has motivation behind her (reckless) behavior, which makes reading into her more interesting. With that all being said:
Yukika in Wonderland
I'll say it again, but Yukika's aesthetic is really fantastic to me, in that, as some of you might recognize already, it is based off of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. What is amazing is the fact that this isn't a random choice in design, rather, it's based on the reckless/brave choices of the main character, Alice. From the start of the story, Alice spots the famous rabbit and immediately decides to chase it, even going as far as falling through a rabbit hole. This situation would coin the term "falling down the rabbit hole", which describes one moving (usually willfully) into a situation that is difficult, but very tempting. Another famous scene involves Alice finding a suspicious potion with the label "Drink me" attached to it, to which she responds:
“Well, I'll eat it. If it makes me grow larger, I can reach the key; and if it makes me grow smaller, I can creep under the door; so either way I'll get into the garden, and I don't care which happens!”
Most of us here would, hopefully, not be so open with drinking some random bottle that we found in a random spot, especially with the innocent but foreboding message to "drink it". Alice, however, chose to take a gamble and chug the thing as if it were lemonade. Coincidentally enough, Yukika's nature and effect of her wish bares semblance to that of Alice's adventures, where it is revealed in her respective event that Yukika tends to teleport or be drawn to difficult situations that can only be solved with her own wit (gambit). Looking at Yukika's appearance, she is modeled off a popular interpretation of casino-workers, which includes fancy suits and, err...bunny ears. Sometimes. This, of course, fits Yukika's theme as a gambler and her inspiration from Alice in Wonderland, but her artist is just really into bunny-girls and takes a lot of pride in Yukika, hence him being so active on his Twitter. Most of the content is SFW, but tread carefully, as he has drawn Yukika more perversely. Bunny's are a symbol of luck, being popular for their feet, in particular, but are also rather impulsive animals. In addition to this, they are also rather fearful little critters who show fear of heights, closed in spaces, my niece, and even cuddling, despite our desire to want to hug the furry little things. It's common for animals, especially of the small variety, to show fear, however, rabbits are most known to panic and can even die of literal heart attacks if placed under too much pressure. Hanging from Yukika's neck is her heart-shaped soulgem, which is chained to her choker. The heart is, of course, is pretty vital to us, so Yukika having it out and dangling by a chain is meant to demonstrate how her life is constantly hanging over danger...literally, considering that a magical girl's soulgem is what keeps them up and moving. To demonstrate this, Yukika wields a basic rapier, which, in of itself, isn't remarkable. But here's the thing: rapiers are not at all intended to be brought to real fights. They're just not suited for real combat when you consider the fact they're smaller than other blades/melee weapons and not at all good against an onslaught of opponents. In older times, rapiers would be used for duels, much like how cowboys would famously duel with handcannons, where the first person to land a hit would often be the winner, while the other loser gets a free ticket to the afterlife. Put into perspective, Yukika would be really outmatched in a straight sword-fight against, say, Momoko, as a major advantage she'd have, speed, is rather moot, as Momoko is strong enough as a magical girl to swing her giant sword around without much trouble. Yukika does, however, have precision, and if by some lucky chance she got a clear stab at Momoko's soulgem, that would be all she wrote. In other words, much like how Yukika's in-game abilities surrounding an emnity effect, are high-risk, high-reward, so is her combat ability. So just why is Yukika like this?
An Addiction to Thrill
As you probably know already, there are real-life people out there who are similar to Yukika. Some people jump from planes, bridges, mountains, others wrestle with apex predators, and then there are those who are foolish enough to throw money at gacha games for a...a small chance to...err... ...before I get a bit too real here, there are plenty of real live daredevils with different motives. Some like money and fame, but that doesn't explain why non-famous individuals are willing to risk their lives, even when they payoff is not at all equivocal to the risk/danger. Yukika has a very high-quality upbringing, where she receives a very good education and would easily be considered pampered. With such a lifestlye, one doesn't have to be too concerned with most stresses that afflict commonfolk, paying bills, providing resources for a family, otherwise climbing the ladder toward a better life, considering people like Yukika are already there. This sounds extremely comfortable on paper, and I'm pretty sure we won't see Touka complaining about inheriting a few of her dad's private jets when she gets older. To Yukika, however, a life without any risks is boring and unfulfilling, made even worse by the fact that she isn't even at the top of her own food chain. So where does a girl like Yukika get her thrills? Apparently through legally and morally questionable game centers that would make EA reevaluate their sales tactics. Although we are designed to avoid potential harm, some activities, especially gambling, feel so damn good. This is something I think a lot of us here can relate to. Think about all the times you've rolled the "free gacha" in Magia Record or any other mobile game and compare it to rolling the premium gacha. Odds are: you probably find doing so a lot less exciting (outside specific examples) as it lacks "grand" rewards, but also a large degree of "risk" since we're using a less limited resource. Rolling, in general, is meant to make us feel excited, and this goes from audio/visual cues that indicate a "grand prize" HIT to our favorite word: "limited". Same can be said for standard casinos, there are details everywhere that make us want to keep on rolling, and this is perfect for a girl like Yukika, as these sorts of thrills affect just about anyone, regardless of socioeconomic status/wealth. Granted, some of us can afford risk more than others, of course. This can all be explained by adrenaline, the fight/flight juice that kicks in our bodies when experiencing high levels of stress. This reaction was originally supposed to help us run from dinosaurs by allowing our bodies to achieve superhuman-like levels of strength and endurance, but because we're all clear of most those dangers, adrenaline pops for circumstances that revolve less around getting eaten. Needless to say, this "high" feels rather pleasant, and gambling, in general, already toys with the reward centers in our brain. There's a bit of a catch to this. As humans, we tend to be impressively resilient, and the more we're exposed to negative stimuli, the faster we build a tolerance to it. This applies to spicy/bitter foods, horror movies/scary things, violence/indecent imagery, and, of course gambling/danger. In terms of defense, this is awesome, but in terms of wanting to be stimulated and often, it's a bit of a killjoy. Also very dangerous for people like Yukika whose response would be to seek even greater danger. There's a quite a bit more to this, and I only covered gambling, as that's the most recognizable example for us gacha players. If you're interested but want an easy-to-digest source, Gyakkyou Burai Kaiji and Kakegurui toy around with compulsive behavior. Admittedly, though, I'd suggest the latter after the former, despite Kakegurui having one of my favorite, modern anime characters who is also voiced by my favorite Japanese voice actress. Otherwise, Poker Alice can tell us more about Yukika's behavior:
Poker Alice, The Doppel of Boredom
The Doppel of boredom. Its form is a daredevil. The master of this emotion feels a great and terrible boredom towards her peaceful life, spent sitting atop an easy chair. This Doppel imitates the form of an imaginary monster known as a “Dare-Devil,” and constantly covers its master’s eyes to prevent her from becoming aware of the danger in front of her. The Doppel currently boasts an undefeated record in battle, and is beginning to feel the same dangerous boredom as its master at the fact that no enemy powerful enough to overwhelm it has yet appeared. As a result, it’s been fighting more and more perilous battles by the day… but since her vision is obscured, its master still peacefully allows it to guard her back even as we speak.
As if Karin's doppel didn't have a surprising reference, Poker Alice is a direct reference to an old, western movie that followed the main character, Alice Moffat, played by the lovely Elizabeth Taylor. As you would expect from the trailer, Alice is a gambling gal who, like Yukika, desired to escape her life as comfort for one that was a bit more dangerous and exciting. The movie takes its name from "Poker" Alice Huckert, a real live Englishwoman who worked/managed a casino and brothel ring. Alice was always fond of poker, but this hobby became more serious after her husband died from a mining accident. Since then, Alice would splurge all of her winnings on luxuries such as clothing. Along with being a famed poker player, Alice was known for seducing men/opponents to get an edge in-game, as well as carrying a gun at all times and being constantly drunk. But it is said that she did not play on Sundays, so as we could see, Alice was a woman with high moral values. Eventually, at the age of 60, Alice's life of craziness would catch up to her, as she would be arrested for prostitution and bootlegging. Alice, the Doppel, is a strange being with hearts, clubs, diamonds, and spades tattoo'd on its body. We know these as parts of the suit we see on playing cards, with hearts symbolizing love (romantic and/or sexual), clubs as desire (for knowledge), diamonds as a passion for obtaining wealth, and spades as a forewarning for danger, most particularly death--otherwise known as the 4 components of human nature. Alice and Yukika sit atop a rocking chair, something that is normally comforting and practically free of danger, however, such a thing can become dangerous if one were to wildly swing on it. It's form is that of a monster which plays on the term "daredevil", or people who are aggressive risk-takers. Alice represents the idea that humans tend to gradually become more and more resistant to fear as they experience such stimuli. As such: it is layered in nature, which we can describe by observing Yukika, Alice, and the chair they sit on:
Yukika, alone, rocks on a chair. Such an action becomes mundane until Alice first manifests.
The first layer of Alice covers Yukika's eyes, who is not yet used to the newfound danger in front of her, as the weight of two beings would cause the chair to tilt further back/forward. This action becomes boring as the second layer of Alice manifests.
The second layer of Alice covers the eyes of the first Alice (with its mouth) just like the first covers the face of Yukika. The chair tilts even further, but this action eventually becomes bland.
The third layer of Alice manifests and does the same as the others. At this point, the chair is now becoming dangerous to sit on with everything rocking on it---but this is not enough to quench Alice's desire for excitement.
The final layer of Alice spawns as the others did, but this time, it rocks the chair to its full capacity. It opens its eyes and fully embraces the danger, as the other layers raise up their hands and yell in anticipation, just as one would while riding a rollercoaster. At this point, the rocking chair isn't a source of comfort, rather, danger and fear, as Yukika and Alice risk being thrown off.
Alice is a very mouthy Doppel, which reminded me of the Album Always Open Mouth by the band "Fear". However, this band is an extremely unlikely reference, given how underground the band is, so I'm about 99% sure that this is just pure coincidence. After every battle, Alice becomes stronger, but this is more a curse than it is a blessing, for Alice desires a constant stream of challenge and risks. In response, this Doppel seeks out more dangerous foes, unknown to Yukika, who has lost her sense of danger. For all intents and purposes, Alice is very compatible with Yukika, a girl who is at her best (namely during gameplay) when she faces imminent danger. As a final note, I know I stretched this to be part of my Halloween series, despite it not being very spooky, so, uhh...ooga booga! Next is the conclusion to my Halloween series, featuring Holy Momoko. After that, I will continue my normal schedule with the Kazumi girls and then move on to Mikage, a character I've actually been working on on/off for a month now.
MAME 0.219 arrives today, just in time for the end of February! This month we’ve got another piece of Nintendo Game & Watch history – Pinball – as well as a quite a few TV games, including Dream Life Superstar, Designer’s World, Jenna Jameson’s Strip Poker, and Champiyon Pinball. The previously-added Care Bears and Piglet’s Special Day TV games are now working, as well as the big-endian version of the MIPS Magnum R4000. As always, the TV games vary enormously in quality, from enjoyable titles, to low-effort games based on licensed intellectual properties, to horrible bootlegs using blatantly copied assets. If music/rhythm misery is your thing, there’s even a particularly bad dance mat game in there. On the arcade side, there are fixes for a minor but long-standing graphical issue in Capcom’s genre-defining 1942, and also a fairly significant graphical regression in Seibu Kaihatsu’s Raiden Fighters. Speaking of Seibu Kaihatsu, our very own Angelo Salese significantly improved the experience in Good E-Jan, and speaking of graphics fixes, cam900 fixed some corner cases in Data East’s innovative, but little-known, shoot-’em-up Boogie Wings. Software list additions include the Commodore 64 INPUT 64 collection (courtesy of FakeShemp) and the Spanish ZX Spectrum Load’N’Run collection (added by ICEknight). New preliminary CPU cores and disassemblers include IBM ROMP, the NEC 78K family, Samsung KS0164 and SSD Corp’s Xavix 2. As always, you can get the source and 64-bit Windows binary packages from the download page.
MAME Testers Bugs Fixed
06790: [Graphics] (surpratk.cpp) suratk: Missing star field rotation effect in final level. (MetalliC)
07079: [Gameplay] (suna8.cpp) sparkman, sparkmana: Player 2 button inputs are not read correctly. (dink)
The Walking Dead: Battleground (JAKKS Pacific TV Game) [Sean Riddle, David Haywood]
The Walking Dead: Zombie Hunter (JAKKS Pacific TV Game) [Sean Riddle]
WinFun / KidConnection SmarTV Adventures [Sean Riddle, David Haywood]
New clones marked as NOT_WORKING
3 Cards Poker 96 (V1.0) [Ioannis Bampoulas]
Cherry Angel (set 2) [Ioannis Bampoulas]
Club Kart: European Session (2003, prototype, set 2) [coolmod, MetalliC]
Ferrari F355 Challenge (private show version) [coolmod]
Roland D-50 Linear Synthesizer (Ver. 1.xx) [DBWBP]
Roland D-550 Linear Synthesizer [DBWBP]
Sanyo MBC-16LT [rfka01]
Sirio II (Calfesa S.L. Spanish Moon Cresta bootleg, set 1) [Juan Romero, ClawGrip]
Time Crisis 4 (Japan, TSF1001-NA-A) [Guru]
Victor V286C [rfka01]
New working software list additions
altos8600: Altos Diagnostic Executive [Robbbert]
apple2_flop_clcracked: Algebra Volume 6 (Version 1.0) (cleanly cracked), Alkemstone (cleanly cracked), Building Perspective (cleanly cracked), The Dragon's Eye (cleanly cracked), Fraktured Faebles (cleanly cracked), Generic Computer Games (cleanly cracked), Gruds in Space (cleanly cracked), Other-Venture #3: The Escape from Traam (cleanly cracked), Pick The Part (cleanly cracked), Ulysses and the Golden Fleece (Version 1.1) (cleanly cracked), World Atlas Action: Geography Facts (cleanly cracked) [4am, Firehawke]
apple2_flop_orig: 221B Baker Street (Version 1.1), Adventure Programming Kit (Versoin 10.84), Alter Ego (female version), Alter Ego (male version), The Dallas Quest, The Dragon's Eye, Expedition Amazon, Garfield Trivia Game, Generic Computer Games, Legacy of the Ancients, Manhunter: New York (Version 1.0I), MasterType (Version 2.1), Micro Cookbook (Version 3.00), Miner 2049er II, Ming's Challenge, The Serpent's Star (Version 1.0), Spectrum: Programs and Patterns, Summer Games II, Time Zone (Version 1.1), The Tracer Sanction, Transylvania (1985 Version), Treasure Island, Tumble Bugs [4am, Firehawke]
applix: Boot disk [Robbbert]
aussiebyte: Boot disk [Robbbert]
buzztime_cart: Series 1 - Everything Trivia, Series 1 - History Trivia, Series 1 - Sports Trivia, Series 1 - TV Trivia [Sean Riddle, David Haywood]
c64_cass:
The CF Power Pack Tape 6, The CF Power Pack Tape 9, Dan Dare - Pilot of the Future, Excaliba, Postman Pat 2, Saracen [FakeShemp]
gamegear: Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (World, final prototype 19920925) [drx, FakeShemp]
hp86_rom: Advanced programming 1 ROM, Advanced programming 2 ROM, Assembler ROM, Extended Mass Storage ROM, I/O ROM, Language ROM, Matrix 1 ROM, Matrix 2 ROM, MIKSAM ROM, Printeplotter ROM [F.Ulivi]
ibm5150:
Magic Pockets [ArcadeShadow]
Domino 1.0 [FakeShemp]
ibm5170:
Cannon Fodder 2, Epic Pinball (shareware version - Mr. Disk release), Epic Pinball: Crash and Burn, Epic Pinball: Cyborgirl, Epic Pinball: Enigma [ArcadeShadow]
Tågplusguiden - Vinter–Våren 1998 [FakeShemp]
jakks_gamekey_nm: Pac-Man & Bosconian (01 APR 2005 A SKU G) [Sean Riddle, Ryan Holtz, David Haywood]
jazz: Windows NT Workstation Version 3.5, Windows NT Workstation Version 3.51, Windows NT Workstation Version 4.0 Service Pack 1 [Patrick Mackinlay]
lynx: Weltenschlächter [anonymous]
megadriv: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (World, final prototype 19921102), Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (World, prototype 19931103) [drx, FakeShemp]
nes: English Pyramid (Pirate) [Gaming Alexandria]
odyssey2:
Death Race (Euro) [anonymous]
Death Race (USA) [SSJ, TeamEurope]
sbrain: Boot disk [Robbbert]
sdk85: Mastermind [AJR]
spectrum_cass:
Load'N'Run (Spain) (Especial) [Manu128k]
Load'N'Run (Spain) (Issue 00), Load'N'Run (Spain) (Issue 01), Load'N'Run (Spain) (Issue 02), Load'N'Run (Spain) (Issue 03), Load'N'Run (Spain) (Issue 04), Load'N'Run (Spain) (Issue 05), Load'N'Run (Spain) (Issue 06), Load'N'Run (Spain) (Issue 07), Load'N'Run (Spain) (Issue 08), Load'N'Run (Spain) (Issue 09), Load'N'Run (Spain) (Issue 10), Load'N'Run (Spain) (Issue 11), Load'N'Run 2ª época (Spain) (Issue 00), Load'N'Run 2ª época (Spain) (Issue 01), Load'N'Run 2ª época (Spain) (Issue 02), Load'N'Run 2ª época (Spain) (Issue 03), Load'N'Run 2ª época (Spain) (Issue 04), Load'N'Run 2ª época (Spain) (Issue 05), Load'N'Run 2ª época (Spain) (Issue 06), Load'N'Run 2ª época (Spain) (Issue 07), Load'N'Run 2ª época (Spain) (Issue 08) [SPA2, RetroLEL, Jander, ICEknight]
uzebox: Final Blood, Frog Feast, Laser Puzzle, Laser Puzzle II, Melli's RetroLand, Reels of Fortune, Uzebox Tactics, Uzi Wars [uzebox.org]
Software list items promoted to working
fmtowns_cd:
King's Quest V - Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder, Kyuukyoku Tiger, Mixed-Up Mother Goose, Panzer Division - Kikou Shidan, Taito Chase H.Q. (Demo), The Case of the Cautious Condor [Barry Rodewald, Carl, r09]
Life & Death [redump.org, Barry Rodewald, Carl, r09]
How to Play your Casio ROM Keyboard (RO-251) [Sean Riddle, avlixa, ClawGrip]
World Songs (RO-551) [Sean Riddle]
fmtowns_cd: Doki Doki Vacation - Kirameku Kisetsu no Naka de, Para Para Paradise [redump.org, r09]
ique: Dòngwù Sēnlín (version 8), F-Zero X Wèilái Sàichē (manual, version 2), F-Zero X Wèilái Sàichē (manual, version 4), F-Zero X Wèilái Sàichē (trailer), F-Zero X Wèilái Sàichē (version 3), iQue Club (version 1), iQue Club (version 2), iQue Club (version 3), Mǎlìōu Kǎdīngchē (manual, version 2), Mǎlìōu Kǎdīngchē (manual, version 6), Mǎlìōu Kǎdīngchē (trailer), Mǎlìōu Kǎdīngchē (version 4), Mǎlìōu Kǎdīngchē (version 5), Mǎlìōu Yīshēng (manual, version 2), Mǎlìōu Yīshēng (manual, version 4), Mǎlìōu Yīshēng (trailer), Mǎlìōu Yīshēng (version 4), Rèntiāntáng Míngxīng Dà Luàn Dǒu (manual, version 1), Rèntiāntáng Míngxīng Dà Luàn Dǒu (version 5), Shuǐ Shàng Mótuō (manual, version 2), Shuǐ Shàng Mótuō (manual, version 4), Shuǐ Shàng Mótuō (trailer, version 1), Shuǐ Shàng Mótuō (trailer, version 2), Shuǐ Shàng Mótuō (version 4), Shén Yóu Mǎlìōu (manual, version 2), Shén Yóu Mǎlìōu (manual, version 6), Shén Yóu Mǎlìōu (trailer, version 1), Shén Yóu Mǎlìōu (trailer, version 2), Shén Yóu Mǎlìōu (version 4), Sàiěrdá Chuánshuō: Shíguāng zhī Dí (manual, version 2), Sàiěrdá Chuánshuō: Shíguāng zhī Dí (manual, version 4), Sàiěrdá Chuánshuō: Shíguāng zhī Dí (trailer), Sàiěrdá Chuánshuō: Shíguāng zhī Dí (version 1), Sàiěrdá Chuánshuō: Shíguāng zhī Dí (version 4) [FakeShemp]
leapster: The Disney-Pixar Collection (USA), Letterpillar (v1.0, USA) [TeamEurope]
mobigo_cart:
Ben 10 - UltimateAlien - Mine der Gedanken (Germany) (80-250604), Cars 2 (Germany) (80-251904), Chuggington (Germany) (80-251804), Cars Toon - Hooks unglaubliche Geschichten (Germany) (80-251204), Disney Princess (Germany) (80-251104), Dora - Tag des Zwillings (Germany) (80-250804), Für immer Shrek (Germany) (80-250004), Kung Fu Panda 2 (Germany) (80-252004), Micky Maus - Wunderhaus (Germany) (80-250504), Mobigo Kiosk (Germany), Die Pinguine aus Madagascar - Operation Krone (Germany) (80-250304), Rapunzel - Neu Verföhnt (Germany) (80-251704), Team Umizoomi - Die große Umiauto Rettung (Germany) (80-252504), Toy Story 3 (Germany) (80-250104) [TeamEurope]
Mickey Mouse, Tangled, Toy Story 3 [Sean Riddle]
n64: Aidyn Chronicles - The First Mage (USA, prototype 20000210), Aidyn Chronicles - The First Mage (USA, prototype 20000509), Cruis'n World (Europe), Die Hard 64 (prototype 20000315, set 1), Die Hard 64 (prototype 20000315, set 2), Die Hard 64 (prototype 20000315, set 3), Dragon Sword (prototype), Duke Nukem - Zero Hour (USA, final prototype), ECW Hardcore Revolution (Germany), Frogger 2 (USA, prototype, "Milestone 4"), GT64 - Championship Edition (prototype 19980525), International Superstar Soccer 2000 (USA, rev 1), Madden NFL 99 (USA, prototype 19980805, "Beta 10 NTSC"), Madden NFL 99 (USA, rev 1), Mario Kart 64 (USA, set 2), Mission: Impossible (Spain, rev 1), Mortal Kombat Trilogy (prototype 19960513), NBA Hangtime (USA, set 2), Robotech: Crystal Dreams (USA, prototype, earlier), SpaceStation Silicon Valley (USA, rev 1), Top Gear Hyper-Bike (prototype), Top Gear Rally (Asia), Top Gear Rally 2 (prototype 19990831), Turok 3 - Shadow of Oblivion (Europe, prototype 20000606), Wipeout 64 (prototype) [FakeShemp]
Barney: Barney Cares / Best Manners Show / Let's Work Together, Blue's Perfect Picnic Spot, Disney No Rumbly In Pooh's Tumbly, Disney Pooh Windy Day, Disney Princess: Jasmine / Mulan / Pocahontas, Disney Princess: The Little Mermaid / Snow White / Beauty and the Beast, Disney's Bambi / Lady and the Tramp / Peter Pan, Disney's Pinocchio / Disney/Pixar Toy Story 2 / The Jungle Book, Disney's The Lion King, Disney's The Little Mermaid, Disney/Pixar Cars / The Incredibles / Monsters Inc., Disney/Pixar Finding Nemo, Dora the Explorer: Dora's Garden Adventure / The Gingerbread Boy / Dora's Art Adventure, Dora's Garden Adventure, Noah's Ark, Petter Rabbit / Jemima Puddle-Duck / Tom Kitten, Scooby-Doo! Miniature Golf Mistery, Sesame Street: Elmo's Colorful Adventure / Grover Stays Up Very Very Late / Me Loves Cookies, Spongebob Squarepants Grand Price Winner!, Spongebob Squarepants Grand Price Winner! / Dora's Garden Adventure / Blue's Perfect Picnic Spot, Thomas & Friends: Cheer up Cranky! / The Big Race / Carnival Capers [Sean Riddle, ClawGrip] Cars (Germany), Das Dschungelbuch (Germany), Findet Nemo (Germany), Der König der Löwen (Germany), Peter Pan (Germany), Winnie Puuh - Ein stürmischer Tag (Germany), Winnie Puuh hat keinen Hunger (Germany) [TeamEurope]
sdk85: AP-29 Serial I/O Routines [AJR]
smarttv_cart: Amusement Park [Sean Riddle, David Haywood]
telestory_cart:
Dora the Explorer - En la feria ambulante / Dora va a la escuela (Spanish), Power Rangers Mystic Force - Code Busters / Whispering Voices (UK / USA?) [TeamEurope, David Haywood]
Cinderella - Cinderella / Beauties in Bloom (USA), Dora the Explorer - At the Carnival / Dora Goes to School (USA), The Lion King - The Lion King / The Lion King II - Simba's Pride (USA), SpongeBob SquarePants - Ice-Cream Dreams / Stop the Presses! (USA), Winnie the Pooh - Bounce Tigger Bounce / Pooh's Honey Tree (USA) [Sean Riddle, TeamEurope]
Thomas & Friends - Thomas Visits the Toy Shop / Thomas' Milkshake Mix [Sean Riddle, ClawGrip]
Source Changes
formats/wd177x_dsk.cpp: Allowed derived classes to override the format per track/head. [68bit]
formats/flex_dsk.cpp: Simplified code, and added support for variants with single-density initial tracks. [68bit]
formats/os9_dsk.cpp: Added support for variants with single-density initial track and base sector zero. [68bit]
floptool: Added OS9 disk format. [68bit]
bus/ss50: Added MFI, OS9 and UniFLEX formats to DC5 floppy drive controller. [68bit]
gimix.cpp updates: [68bit]
Connected interrupts, removed timed interrupt hack, and added two additional floppy drivers.
Added disassembly override for OS9 system calls.
Added OS9 Level 1 version 1.2 BIOS option.
tti.cpp: Made the two firmware revisions BIOS options. [AJR]
sdk85.cpp improvements: [AJR]
Made second 8355 into a ROM expansion slot that can load custom 8755 programs.
Added optional TTY interface.
Added vectored interrupt and soft reset buttons.
Improved accuracy of button labels and changed default key mappings.
jaguar: Eliminated unsafe raw memory pointer use from blitter (fixes several exceptions, including tempst2k). [AJR]
i8155.cpp: Made timer more efficient by not counting each cycle. [AJR]
bus/a2bus: Added 8251-based RS-232 serial interface described in BYTE magazine. [AJR]
Added disassemblers for NEC 78K/0, 78K/I, 78K/II and 78K/III microcontrollers. [AJR]
naomi.cpp: Made “Gun Sense” board used by hotd2 a separate device. [AJR]
wd_fdc.cpp updates: [AJR]
Predicate command completion interrupt on busy flag having been set.
Increased HLD idle timeout to fifteen revolutions for variants other than FD1771 and FD1781.
i8279.cpp updates: [AJR]
Removed timing hack, ensuring SL3 is output (required by Pied Piper Communicator 1).
Corrected keyboard scan rate and logging thereof.
goodejan.cpp updates: [Angelo Salese]
Corrected OKI M6295 pin 7 level to high (fixes voice pitches).
Added difficulty DIP switches
Converted to raw screen timing parameters.
toki.cpp: Converted screen refresh rate to raw timing parameters. [Angelo Salese]
ddenlovr.cpp: Added coin counters and corrected metadata for all games. [Angelo Salese]
subsino2.cpp: Fixed missing ron button. [Angelo Salese]
Synchronized with upstream GENie (addresses GitHub #6248). [Belegdol]
armedf.cpp updates: [cam900]
Converted to use single-pass priority drawing for sprites.
Fixed I/O writes for systems without NB1414M4.
Cleaned up code, memory maps, ROM loading and graphics decoding, and expanded comments.
twin16.cpp: Restrict sprite drawing to clipping rectangle. [cam900]
sound/vrc6.cpp, sound/ym2413.cpp: Changed descriptions to match chip markings/part numbers. [cam900]
sound/msm5205.cpp updates: [cam900]
Added support for MSM5205 10-bit DAC.
Derive timing and sample rate from input clock
Updated notes.
video/stvvdp1.cpp: Fixed Gouraud shading flag test. [cam900]
vgmplay.cpp: Fixed YMF262 register mapping and YMF278B volume. [cam900]
sound/ymf262.cpp: Added support for variants with different clock dividers. [cam900]
sound/ymf278b.cpp: Fixed FM output rate and clock divider, fixed mixing behavior, and expanded notes. [cam900]
1942.cpp: Fixed sprite priorities, implemented sprite line buffering, fixed logo on title screen, and improved interrupt timing. [Ryan Holtz, David Haywood, smf, O. Galibert]
machine/spg2xx_io.cpp: Added watchdog timer support and rudimentary SPI support. [Ryan Holtz]
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