[arg_discuss] [pm] PM Suggested Reading List

[Tony Walsh]

Andrea Phillips:
> In the interests of continuing education -- and maybe developing our  
> own canon theories of puppetmastery -- one of the aims of the SIG is  
> to develop a list of resources for puppetmasters. I'm putting the  
> question to you lot: What kinds of resources have you found helpful  
> in designing and running your own games?

I'll jump in here with nerd-guns blazing.  I have been a gamer for about a
quarter-century--tabletop wargames, pen-and-paper RPGs, computer and video
games, and lately virtual worlds.  I don't know how I would have learned
about interactive design and experience design without this background.  So
as far as resources go--and this probably goes without saying but I'll say
it regardless--playing games is pretty vital.  Even more important is
playing games with a critical eye--carefully observing player-to-player and
player-to-system interactions can be very useful.

Of all of my game experiences, I have to say that Live-Action Role Playing
was the most useful as a  resource for ARGs.  Being involved as a player and
designer in the LARP space allowed me to experience and learn about
interpersonal dynamics and designing challenging, story-based scenarios in a
semi-real but controlled environment.  Understanding what people are capable
of, willing (or unwilling) to accept, and how far they are willing to go in
this semi-real (alternate reality) space comes in handy when designing or
moderating in-person interaction specifically, and group dynamics generally.
These learnings have been valuable in both real and online spaces.

In summary:  LARPing is a great resource, if you can stand the humiliation
of dressing up like an elf, vampire, or cyborg for a day (or even a
weekend).
More info and resources here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LARP
http://www.nerolarp.com/
http://www.epoch-larp.ca/
http://www.gvlarp.org.uk/


-=-
Tony Walsh
416.367.3132
tony at secretlair.com
home- http://www.secretlair.com
blog- http://www.clickableculture.com