Defining "Immersion," and Why It's Not Working for You

[@Matt_Volk]

How timely! I recently shared this exhortation with my table... "With a table like ours, wanting such disparate things from the same game, full-immersion can actually be problematic. Instead the ideal is to inhabit both your character and player simultaneously. Embrace the fact that the player is still in charge of the character and warp their inner-reality to fit the needs of the narrative emerging from the table. If the GM is dropping plot-hooks, warnings, or hints, then do your best to improvise a reason for your character to fall into the "gravity" of the plot. If "what your character would do" is causing strife among the players, then take responsibility for the fact that you made your character and you can also change them in real-time to not be a bother to the rest of the table. Finally, be willing to both give and receive OoC feedback at the table, realizing that the players' enjoyment (including yourself and the GM) is infinitely more important than maintaining fidelity to your character in a given moment."

[@themasterseye]

I feel like the type of players you can get to buy-in to write out their RP in a non post to play game are going to be fairly easy to get to buy-in for a lot of immersion boosting things. Not that there is anything wrong with that. Its super great you found that piece that gives your group that immersion! Getting that buy-in is hard (in my experience) with pretty much any group I have been in. Side note: Love the content! Would love to maybe see a future video with a little bit of a deeper dive on ideas of things to implement that may help evoke the various aspects of immersion. Also worth discussing whether immersion can come from the mechanics, rather than just at the hands of the GM

[@WrelPlays]

Hey, glad you dig the content! As a short answer to your last sentence (which definitely seems worthy of additional exploration,) I feel like mechanics are almost essential to make immersion possible. At the lowest level, the mechanics need to stay out of the way so they don't detract from it -- at its highest level, you have a game like Memento Mori (the TTRPG, not gacha game) from Two Little Mice, whose mechanics are so integral to the world and story, that you can't help but to be immersed.

[@GaiusLeafe]

Excellent content. Loved the breakdown of immersion and its components. When I think of immersion, I think transportation, absorption, and dissociation are some of the top elements I strive to achieve in my games.

[@thecognitiverambler8911]

I get what was being said about text-based campaigns but I'm only half-buying it. Maybe it has a higher floor and a lower ceiling. I could see that: everyone has a higher baseline understanding of what's going on because there's an audit trail. But using some of the most impactful scenes of critical role as example I think the human elements of talking and expression are necessary. For me, I know they are in gaming. I get the sense we have very similar preferences Wrel!

[@dragonmindttrpgs]

Absolutely. Like I said, I'm not at all advocating that text-based play is for everyone, or even the majority. However, with the players in that group, I also played with a DM that was very close to Matt Mercer's style, and they really didn't like it. I've had players cry and cheer in my text-based games in a way that evokes a similar emotional response that others get in a traditional format. I know I'm in the minority, and it'd also be disingenuous of me to say that it hasn't worked with these players. -John

[@thecognitiverambler8911]

@@dragonmindttrpgs thanks for the reply! Love your guys' insights. I have no doubt that text based games can work, and the strengths as you cite them are pretty convincing. Just know for me personally I like having my other senses engaged.

[@yourdagan]

I found the story about utilizing text-based narration thought-provoking.