In the Zone

Really don't mind if you sit this one out

my words but a whisper, your deafness a shout

I may make you feel but I won't make you think

Your sperm's in the gutter, your love's in the sink

The idea for this post has been recently forming in my head, but it only got shape after reading a post by one of my fellow sages - one about anger.

What makes some sessions more memorable than others?

What does draw you in with such force that in that one enlighted moment you truly ARE the character you play?

I sure do hope that some of you have ever experienced this sensation, otherwise it might be like explaining the construction of the multiverse to someone who's never played a single rpg session.

All the same, this is probably the holy grail of all players (not necessarily DMs). To become the character you play, to see, hear, smell, taste and touch things the character does. To FEEL what the character feels.

How can you do that? How can you achieve that?

Many role playing guides argue and discuss over and over how a player should approach the game, what technical manoeuvres and actions should the player take to get more in-the-game. In the zone some say.

I have heard and seen discussions regarding the particular players abilities to get in the zone.

Some say you either have it or not. Others say you have to learn in and give your 100% every session and you might sometime get there.

Well, I believe it is all the more simple and complicated at the same time.

For one, this magic feeling is usually a combination of scenario, good pacing of the game, moods at the table, inspiration of the DM and the players. It is a hard thing to grasp, but the most important of all, you just can't force it.

It's like with making love, there is just no romance in forcing your tongue down someones throat. It has to evolve naturally and some would be terrified how uncertain the destination is. Still, it is important at the same time to hope for the best, not fear the worst. Positive attitude is fundamental.

Leaving our romantic metaphors, we need to remember that creating a memorable and magical session is beyond anyone's control. What we can do however is make some preparations that would facilitate the positive evolution of the evening.

There is a really goodstab at it in the Dominic Wasch "Gamemastering" book.

Gamemastering

The particular element I want to refer to in this post however are emotions.

If there is any meaning in this world IMO it's bound to them. Lack of emotions, apathy, means a world devoid of all meaning and sense.

Emotions make us feel more, experience more and start caring - for a change.

So, if there is any good gaming session in this world it has to be full of emotions. It might seem so obvious, because everyone is talking about excitement that is connected to playing rpgs. True, but that natural excitement won't last forever and if you're an old grognard like me, who's seen things, been places, you will not be easily excited by a mere idea of playing. 'Cause I want to feel something out of ordinary when I play.

Throw some kobolds or skeletons at me in a dungeon, spice it up with a dragon. It's all meaningless if it's flat on the emotional side. 

Players usually come to the game in different state of inner excitation. They fuel it themselves, but does it suffice for a satisfactory game?

From a DMs point of view it's treading on thin ice. You never know what will happen in the course of play. And you surely want to engage the players, enchant them in the fantasy world.

The key aspect you need to consider here is "does the game inspire any particular emotion"?

Because if you and the scenario can inspire any in the players then you have a memorable evening guaranteed. Emotions are the motor of players' actions. The drive them, direct them to the final destination.

The magical ingredient in creating living plots is to play on players' feelings.

I do ask myself at times what was my most memorable session. One that comes to my mind is one game we played in WFRP. A GM + 2 players. A one-nighter, somewhere on the outskirts of a dark forest in the old empire. The two of us, travellers, have reached a suspiciously quiet hamlet. We just wanted to spend the night there, seeking shelter from the storm that was about to begin. What followed was the most exciting zombie survival game I have ever experienced. Running amok in the dark, shadows on the mill's walls, sloshing about in thick mud, soaked and terrified. The only weapon I had was a hatchet I found a shed.

I ended this session with a couple of Insanity Points and a mental illness. And I never ever stopped grasping that hatchet with all my might. But to this day I remember that night. I was there in this village, I feared for my life, I was trembling with terror and excitement. Kudos to probably the most inspiring GM I have ever met. No video game has ever given me this level of emotions.

So yeah, fear, hate, anger, love, shame, greed, envy, sympathy, compassion etc. It's all there for you to play with.

Some of them are easier, some more difficult to create during gaming sessions.

I will not tell you here how to do it, I will probably never know for sure myself, but I will keep on trying.

I just want you to keep that in mind next time you prepare yourself to get in the zone.