Fantasy vs Fiction | Running the Game

Episode 28: What is the relationship between the Main Character and the Fictional World?
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[@tal2410]

I would absolutely watch hours of you and Matt Mercer together just talking about DMing and hair care.

[@B.OKwithShay]

-t TRUEEEE!!!!

[@amandadube156]

The Matt of the Coleville variety had contemplated starting a "DM interview" series. Can we get one with Mercer, pleeeaaase?!?!

[@McCainenl]

Yes!

[@darthjawafett]

We'll call it DM&M.

[@yineo]

I'd love for them to get together and have coffee and just talk D&D philosophy and DM technique in front of a camera. I'd pay for the coffee. I wish their time wasn't so mutually expensive, regardless of the logistics of it.

[@Ptoros7]

Matt looks like if a werewolf went to a salon. Glorious.

[@mcolville]

+Ptoros7 I got this pina colada at Trader Vic's.

[@alexputignani4475]

Lil old lady got mutilated late last night... I love the alliteration of that line.

[@smohkweed3860]

Matthew Colville please do a video on how you style your hair

[@DyrgeAfterDark]

"You better stay away from him he'll rip your lungs out JIM. huhh I'd like to meet his Tailor"

[@Vineares]

Wake up, play DnD, ???, Profit

[@mcolville]

Excuses for the lack of more videos are not seemly, but they really are working on my house.

[@tstercula]

For some reason that sentence took me forever to understand... Why must you release a video so late?! (PS Love your work Matt, you are a huge influence on my DMing!)

[@adamoctav]

Hey Matt, It may be that most games are combination of both fantasy and fiction, I think that mine is. Thanks for the great work you do btw I'm in the middle of a campaign with 8 players ( my first campaign ever ), your videos have been gold thus far ! I will keep steeling from you and your ideas :)

[@davidm6387]

The reason the sentence tripped you up was because it's an example of a dangling participle. Why do I even know what that is lol.

[@davidm6387]

explanation: your brain saw "excuses are working on my house"

[@morpherd2tml]

Hi Matt, greetings from Greece. For the subject of a new campaign series, Web DM channel made some session videos and turned out relatively well. You can try to emulate their setup.

[@cryofpaine]

I think the most realistic experience is one that transitions from fiction to fantasy. As you start out, the world doesn't take notice of you, so unless the characters are specifically searching for some element of their backstory, they would mostly have experiences that happen out of happenstance, rather than kismet. As they grow in skill, and, consequently, reputation, they will have those elements from their past start to show up more - old enemies seeking them out, old friends needing help, etc. This is also a meta reward for the players. And I think it works best that way, especially if you have someone who has no experience with role playing going in. You want to give them time to become invested in their characters, and to gain the role playing skill to create a satisfying story experience for them when you do start to focus the story on them. I think we can even see that in Critical Role's progression. The earlier adventure in the underdark didn't have anything to do with any of them. K'Varn was just a bad guy that needed killed. But after that, you start to see him bringing in more elements from their pasts, both in large ways and small. You don't really see any of that in the story until the Briarwoods are brought in, then you start seeing it all over. It seems to me that that would be a natural progression of the game, and the story within the game.

[@GeoffSayre]

cryofpaine While I do agree that transitioning from fiction to fantasy over the course of the game is rewarding, I don't think you have make that transition to use players backstories. In the fiction style, a player's back story is just as much a part of the world as the adventures they do or don't go on. How they choose to interact with that backstory is largely up to them (sometimes with some prompting from the dm's story). I have run games which were all fiction, all fantasy, or transitioned between the two. As long as my Dm'ing was up to par, the campaign ran well and held its versimilitude for the players. There isn't a right or best choice, but being able to identify how one is running the game is super helpful.

[@Emerenthie]

This is very close to what I was thinking too. We don't have the priviledge of seeing the start of the game, so we only know how the game is going post level 10 or so. And I do think a long game is a requirement for a fantasy-oriented game. If you started a game with new characters, you can't have all of their backstories brought into the plot at once. You give them a common goal, and into that goal you attach hooks from their backstories. On top of that, the players probably aren't all that attuned to their characters at the early stages of the game, so that kind of character-based storybuilding is going to be harder than when the player's have 50+ hours of roleplay on that same character. I dread the day one of Vox Machina actually dies and they have to bring in a new character.

[@kokushin55]

I agree. I was going to comment something in the same vein but you explained it perfectly. Also, we are missing almost a year and a half of Critical Role play that is probably even more clear it was the world developing instead of characters backstories.

[@martinj9901]

Hey Matt. I think the biggest difference between you and Matt (Matt and Matt) is in players. Matt M. have table full of players that love drama, practically the same archetype in the whole table. You have more common table. I believe that if you two switched table you would be "forced" to add more personal drama while Matt M. would have to ease up on it. All of that because the ultimate goal of DM's. We want our players to have fun.

[@B.OKwithShay]

Martin J I run a game like mercer, purely based on the that because almost all my players are actors and directors including me... so we are attracted by drama. like my players tell me they don't mind dying as long as it does the memory and back story of that character justice. because the story is very important to my friends

[@kaleidoslug7777]

@@B.OKwithShay same, all of my players are pretty role-play heavy and thus I feel like the best way to run for them is a backstory-heavy game, plus I mostly really enjoy DMing smaller adventures so I save their stuff for the bigger plot

[@suzievandyk6593]

You guys are really showing your age here lol

[@DPadGamer]

"Recorded, edited, and uploaded in exactly one hour!" Dear god, I can't even imagine achieving that. I spend longer than an hour getting ready to consider working on my video(s).

[@mslabo102s2]

DPadGamer? In a D&D video comment section??

[@Erojagan]

Matt, you might like to know that today i introduced some new people to D&D, guys who had NEVER played before... and i kinnda forgot that i had to, so i just used the adventure you made in your third "running the game" video, with the goblins and the knights and all that. They loved it. So thanks, you kinnda saved my ass on that one xD I'll have an adventure of my own next time tho.

[@mcolville]

Awesome! You're already a pro!

[@Erojagan]

Thanks! Im hopping i can get a few of them into DMing in no time.

[@Talundraz0rd]

Dude, I'm going to DM to some guys that never played before (neither have I, it will be an experience for everybody) and I'm going to use that adventure too! Hope it goes well! Congrats on your DMing!

[@TLhikan]

"It’s a metaphor of human bloody existence, a dragon. And if that wasn’t bad enough, it’s also a bloody great hot flying thing. "

[@Commanber]

Oook.

[@thatguy40000]

Your hair gets better and better every video

[@mcolville]

+Spencer V so what we've learned is hair goodness is directly proportional and possibly causal to hair length.

[@Squeakcab]

No seriously Matt. The hell do you use?

[@mcolville]

Chass Breaux I just use some straightening agent, finishing gel, a root-booster and some hydrating wax. Same as everyone else.

[@Squeakcab]

Yeah....Like everyone else. XD

[@voidtalongaming4637]

This may sound really odd but do you have any advice for a guy trying to fill out/keep well kept a 1" long beard?

[@mirthfulArtist]

"I wrote that in the days when I thought fantasy was all battles and kings. Now I'm inclined to think that the real concerns of fantasy ought to be about not having battles and doing without kings" -Terry Pratchett on Carpet People.

[@SneakyIrishNinja]

Hey Matt, this video fascinates me, especially because of the fact that you observed such differences between the campaigns of you and Matt Mercer, where i see instead parity between you two on those very points. For instance, you said that Matt made Thordak the central villain because he was the killer of Vax and Vex's mother, whereas you take those hooks and simply implant them where you find an opportunity that exists in your already-constructed storyline. The thing is, Matt Mercer said in an interview somewhere (I think it was Talks Machina) that he did exactly what you do with plot hooks: he had the Chroma Conclave already set up as the next "Big Bads" and had for quite some time with the reveal and destruction of General Krieg in the pre-stream game, but when it came time to figure out the arrival/first showing of the Conclave and decide what the hierarchy and motivations of the dragons were, that he suddenly remembered the twins' backstory of a killer red dragon. It was only THEN that he decided for Thordak to be on top of the group instead of a White/Green/Black dragon. Granted, it sounds like he simply inserted that convenient backstory hook, or maybe just planned the whole next arc, earlier than you would (with the party seeing "a red dragon" in the distance during their brief view of the fire plane when Keyleth met the fire ashari tribe), but it seems like the same thing to me. Or maybe it isn't, or it is and is just a matter of degree of implementaion, or the perceived disparity of emotional depth could just be that Vox Machina are actors practiced at creating that emotion or diving into it and creating a self-fulfilling atmosphere. But regardless this whole video and discussion is fascinating to a new literally-has-only-run-one-session DM :D

[@SneakyIrishNinja]

Apologies for the run-on/rambling. This video just had some interesting points :P

[@bromthebard4160]

I know this is an old video, but thank you for this one. I'm slowly working through your Running the Game playlist, it was recommended to me because I'm wanting to get into DMing, and this exact, I don't know, conflict I guess, is something I've been struggling with. I've been watching a lot of Critical Role lately as well and I love the way Matt Mercer runs his games where he gives his players time to RP and flesh out their characters and make the story about them; but I'm, I feel, more of a storyteller, I want to tell a story with my campaigns, a story that's driven by the characters yes, but also, where the story tells itself as well, if that makes sense. And I've been trying to figure out how I could do that, and what you said about the difference between Fantasy and Fiction really helps, the way you said it. "Fantasy is a manifestation of the characters internal conflict, in fiction, characters are a manifestation of the world" (paraphrasing there), but that really helps me with my conflict and decision for how I want to run my games when I start up, especially down the road. I'm currently working on building my own fantasy world with it's own history and such that, once it's done, I want to write and run some campaigns in, and that, much more than already premade campaigns, was causing me to feel uncertainty on how it could possibly work, especially if I wanted to run it like Matt Mercer does and have it more PC driven vs story driven. I know that was a bit rambley, and may not have made sense lol, and that you probably won't see this on a 6 year old video, but I still wanted to say thank you, and wanted to say this helped a lot

[@unthoughtwords]

Four years on and I'm finding this video one of the most illustrative things I've come across in developing my understanding of DMing. You're a very wise person.

[@croydd]

I've watched this video several times before, but only after 5 years of DMing do I understand what you actually meant. This revelation of a sliding scale between character-focused DnD and world-focused DnD explains so many worries and questions I had which changed and molded the way DMing evolved for me. You're spot on, chief 😊

[@0rangeSpaceMonkey]

I love this video. I am going on 2 years of playing DND with my group. I threw my DM hat into the ring at the end of last year and ran the first half of my campaign for about 6 months. I tend to lean to MCDM here. I like a world that the players have to find their place through their actions rather than the world coming into place because of the players actions. Obviously my world has different reactions to the players’ decisions, but I like a world that “exists” outside of the players. Feels more real and immersive to me. Nice job, Matt!

[@Moarcookiezlive]

Could we get a video on how much prep you use when it comes to places/NPCs. Like when you craft a village or area, how much detail do you put in your notes? Do you make names and info about each and every person in the town? Do you just jot down quick tid-bits? Would help me a lot as I quickly become overwhelmed when i am worldbuilding for my sandbox games.

[@zenith110]

I've come back to this video so many times in the last few years. It explains appropriately, I feel, how a disconnect in my table can finally be drawn out in a more tangible way. I am one of two DMs running a game for the same group of people. The other DM, who is a player in my game, is closer to Matt Mercer in style of play whereas I am closer to you (Matt Colville). Probably as a result of having wTched hundreds of hours of you videos! But also because i gravitate towards players being faced with a plausible world that moves and breathes on its own even when theyre not there.

[@Seruvius]

i found this very interesting, thank you for making it. In my main DnD group there are 2 main DM's, myself and one other person. We get on well, but our DMing styles are quite different and hence we sometimes struggle being PC's in each others games, but i think this fantasy vs fiction analysis very much explains our difference in styles and how we view the world.

[@zephyr6463]

I just wanted to say I completely understand what you're saying. I've been running a game with a friend who watches critical role and I get nervous because I feel he expects me to run my game like Matt mercer. I think the type of game I run is more of the fiction variant. Thanks for shedding some much needed light on this particular topic. Love the videos I've been a subscriber since about 2k. Looking forward to what you share next.

[@rugertarzan]

Matt, great essay thanks for the recommendation. I love what Donaldson has to say about epics. Tolkien's divorce of fantasy from the real world, is really how he sired the genre. This is my first time commenting, thanks for all the vids. I DM a 5e game for a bunch of Marines in Okinawa, your advice has helped turn them into players who can't wait to play again. Good luck with the home construction. -Jared

[@thereluctanthireling]

My current campaign started out as fiction based on the world I had created, setting things into motion based on my players actions. After the first act of my campaign, I definitely morphed it a bit to include more fantasy and background resolving and even resolving some of the interactions and conflicts between the players themselves, along with continuing the fiction element on my World. Good breakdown of the of the two differing dynamics of the campaigns here.

[@savnana3605]

I passively listen to running the game videos in the background because they're so packed with wisdom, and this is probably my third lap through them, and I've only just realized, probably unsurprisingly, that I'm running a game exactly in the style you've described! It started as a oneshot to just show my friends 4e, since they were all used to 5e, so when they asked me to make it a campaign, since they had no backstories for pregens from a oneshot, my solution was to build two central tensions! (An A plot and a B plot to juggle the tension) Afterward, I populated the immediate area with two low level prewritten adventures and a few dungeon delves and tied them to those central tensions. There's been massive amounts of homebrew content smashed in, and plenty of things adjusted or tweaked on the fly, but that starting point of that campaign was almost verbatim "used adventures to build a world for your players to project and inflict themselves upon".

[@michaelcremin6496]

You reminded me about how much influence Stephen R. Donaldson had on my late childhood. I read the first three Thomas Covenant books about ten times when I was in the 7th grade and absolutely loved them. I may have to give them a re-read now.

[@zinc8909]

You just got a new subscriber sir. Listening to you, I fully realize how much I have to learn. Thank you for the time you give for these videos. I'm looking forward to more!

[@deathless12345678]

I have always called this "playing a game vs playing a story." I will refrain on which I prefer because there are those who will start fights over it

[@elfberry]

This helped me! I let my players do a lot of the world building since they’re new to RPGs and I wanted them to have more buy in. They all made characters to perfectly fit into the parts of the world they made, and vice versa. I have a lot of character hooks to work with now, but I feel like it’s harder than normal to create any overarching villains or plots. Going through your earlier vids is helping me immensely, but this video helped me realize that maybe it’s okay that I don’t have a central adventure or what have you. Normally I’m somewhere in the middle, so I feel a little lost, but now I’m feeling better. Plus, we’re only on session two, so they’ve barely done anything. I have to remember it gets easier with momentum and inertia. Anyway, I’m rambling. You’re the main reason I do this after all these years! Thank you! Man, it’s crazy how years can go by and I still learn from rewatches. You love to see it.

[@Alter0X]

That was an great interpretation of both games. I feel like both of you lend yourselves extremely well to your styles of DMing.

[@DungeonDad]

I think that's a really good thought. I really thought about the games I've run in the past and I think this will help a lot with running games in the future. Ultimately I think the way my games have gone are very dependant on what the players come to expect.

[@protoman___2639]

Hey Matt, this gave me a whole new insight to how my campaign will run. I just recently ran my very first session that I was a DM and the very first session I have ever seen in my life of DnD. I have created a world that will be ever-changing depending on the actions of the heroes. For example their first mission was to rescue a captured princess priest. However being cautious cost them time, so the necromancer Reeved her soul. So now when they get back to their starting town in the next session, they will now see it is under siege from the forces of death that they have been fighting.

[@chrisrigney356]

Great analysis. I love the contrast about the world as a reflection of the characters vs. the characters as a reflection of the world. I tend to run games very similar to what you described for yourself, although the primary campaign I've run many times with different groups is based around an adventure concept I came up with when I first ventured out as a DM about 25 years ago. I'm so familiar with the story that it's probably the equivalent of me running a published adventure, but I love to run it (especially for new players) due to the myriad of ways that players approach the same quests and the ways I may tweak it along the way to better fit the players and their needs. At character creation, I frequently poll my players for backstory info and even hidden goals that are not transparent to the other players, so that I have hooks to personalize aspects of the adventure. However, I've yet to run a game where I exclusively mined the character backstories and goals as a basis for creating the plot. Sounds like a fun challenge. Super cool video!

[@Lycrath]

I started DMing the Hoard of the Dragon Queen module thanks to your videos. Previously I thought to run D&D you didn't NEED to make your own story but you SHOULD which made the idea of running the game too daunting. My players are nearing the end of the module and I will say I have the most fun when the module gives room for me to improvise, even if it is just setting up an encounter with a polymorphed Oni that wants to steal magic items. Maybe after my players finish the Tyranny of Dragons story I'll try something of my own making but for now, the modules are helpful guides to understanding how to guide players through a story in a way that makes sense. Thanks for all the tips, count me as one of the players you've turned into a DM. I'm glad to toss a few bucks your way by purchasing your books. Keep up the good work.

[@gc3-]

I absolutely LOVE the quick, short format. Getting these nuggets more consistently because it's easier for you would be awesome. There's a channel called Tabletop Minions that does this well. I also appreciate the more "off the cuff" nature of this video. I feel like I'm getting more insight into your thinking , and as a growing DM , I find that very helpful. I scour your existing content for those little parts. This format makes it much easier for me :)

[@jacobbowden7473]

Hey Matt. Just wanted to say thanks so much for taking what must be a drastic amount of time and effort helping out new DM's. To get a bit rambly, (something of which I am certain you know little...) I played in a campaign right up to Paragon levels a few years back (4e), but then I moved, and that sadly fell by the wayside. Then, recently, I picked up a live play podcast that got me itching to play, and so I talked my girlfriend into trying out a solo campaign (she had never played) until we can cobble up a proper group. She's loving it, by the way. Your videos have been far and above the number one resource that has made me feel not only more (efficiently) prepared for our sessions, but like my girlfriend is having more fun. Which as you know, means *I* have more fun. Your style of DM'ing puts words to several concepts that I kind of vaguely 'felt' but hadn't had the experience to really process or self articulate the information in a meaningful way. You're like a mama bird feeding us sweet, pure table gaming mush. And I salute you.

[@JadenT_VA]

I definite appreciate this episode because I feel like this is an unspoken topic. You absolutely right that there are two types of games in that there's the player's world and the DM's world. The player's world is one that each player makes their backstory and DM tries to fit that backstory or at least aspects of it into the world, country, or even cities in a unique way that makes that character feel important in that moment. Making it more of a collaborative experience for everyone and potentially less work for the DM. And the DM's world is more of an interactive story where if done right starts with "A", "B" is where the players enter the world and try and figure out what's going on and where they belong. Meanwhile you the DM already knows the major events and enemies *insert randoms letters* until you finally get to "Z" and major notion for the campaign was basically how the players got to "Z". But there always needs to be a comfortable level of communication between the players and DMs for any game to be remotely successful. The player's world example the DM and the players should have an "open" form of communication so that the DM can ask the player on occasions the aspects of their backstory to see if it effects whatever plans you may or may not have for it. And on top of it, it challenges the player and investing more time and thought into their character and without saying investing more time in the game. While in the DMs world when done correctly should feel like a living world where whether or not the players do anything dictates how the story go. In other words it's a CYOA (Choose your own adventure) Book. And you the DMs are the Appendix to help the players understand the world in and out of the game. Personally, I'm trying to do both of these examples where the world/universe is my own design and story; while letting my players design their own backstories so that I can take segments of them and adding it or swapping out for them in the narrative of the story.

[@chriscarmona7725]

Matt, what you called out here (fantasy vs. fiction) is a distinct difference and one I've always tried balancing in favor of a fiction. After about one hundred world-building hours I've created a few settings where the game is set up to run like a fiction, and I have this previously-unrecognized distaste for running the world like a fantasy, pandering to the PCs. Although this may be a reflection of my personal "we are all insignificant stardust" belief and challenging the players to *make* their characters special (as opposed to assuming they are special and sculpting the world around that) I have never heard anyone eloquate that contrast like you did here today. So thank you for that. I also find it easier to make sure everyone is having fun when one player makes a choice and we see through the repercussions of that choice, like a really well written choose-your-adventure book. The other way around, where the world exists for the characters (instead of the characters existing *for the world*) feels like rails too cheap to hold the best and brightest characters once they discover the line and know how to tiptoe just outside of discovery's reach. Forgive my formatting and the brevity, iPhone typing while 1400 miles from home isn't ideal, but as always - love your videos on these subjects, better some (short) content than no content, and thank you for the late-night inspiration. Peace, out. ;D

[@bfmisc3323]

Ha, your response to being served massive backstories is the same as mine - "I've got a game to run." But also like you, I want to make it a part of the game, but in a way where "it doesn't feel like I've been planning it for weeks." This was a very interesting video on your part, and as you said there's many ways for D&D to be played, I actually love "talkin shop" about game running, which can approach interesting levels of artistic criticism. I've only really watched CR consistently since around episode 45 (and a sample of the earlier episodes), but I can totally understand why it's been such a gateway for newer players - great group of friends and personalities chilling around the table in an intense shared-story telling experience, and I think the thing that's awesome about it is these people are completely comfortable in their skin and their enjoyment of D&D. "These guys are having a blast, man, I want to try this!" Look forward to seeing some more of your sessions in the future.

[@grendo11productions]

You are by far my favorite KZbinr and you've inspired me so much to strive to have fun as a new DM

[@ZerrorRx]

Now you bought me forever. First, I collected my stones to start my first campaign (two days ago, huge success) because of this series youtube videos. And, second, because you love Covenant, the Unbeliever. And my campaign revolves around the tainted Sun as described in Lord Foul's Bane (pestilence, desert, rain, tainted life). Which, of course, to make the sense of urgency, spreads across the world and threatens to make life unbearable for everyone! Thank you!

[@henriquedelarosa5419]

It's amazing that I've watched every single one of the running the game videos BUT this one. And still, under the influence of Matt's advice and style for years, developed a "fiction oriented" game without ever thinking about it this way. Eternal love and gratitude for this guy!

[@Kaotiqua]

Wow- glad this came up in my feed! I hadn't consciously thought about this with the game I'm currently running, but listening to this, I recognized immediately that I try to achieve a little of both. I've got a setting in which there's a major conflict that has virtually nothing to do with the players' backstories, but I cajoled them for those backstories, to get details well before I began, so that I could weave their lives together, and into that tapestry.

[@brendanloriogara2071]

I am tired of running and playing "the fight of the week" so in watching you and in listening to you and the people whom you mention I am learning and re- remembering things that I have done in the past and chomping at the bit to get back into running a game so I want to thank you.

[@rareearthwalker4536]

I am extremely thankful for your channel. Your insights and techniques are more then helpful for me! I started playing in the early 90's but I haven't played solidly for years. Im about to run a game for 5 people, 4 being completely new! Without your channel, id feel over whelmed, and much more nervous! Thank you!

[@ix.of.swords4360]

The campaign I'm DMing at the moment really rides the line between these two styles talked about near the end. The plot lines are heavily reflective of the characters and tie into some elements of their backstories, while they are simultaneously (unknowingly) working their way down a deep sociopolitical rabbit hole that could lead to a full scale revolution to bring down the ruling family of the Coventail Imperium. I can't wait to keep playing. Combining both of these techniques has my players totally invested on a personal level while maintaining the stakes and impact of the choices they make. We're all having a blast! I love D&D, guys. I love D&D.

[@koolaidserpent]

I made a character using your roll 4 for each stat method, and essentially rolled every aspect of the character process randomly, and I have to say...I loved it. thanks

[@The44thHour]

That makes a lot of sense. I think one of the reasons I had some difficulty in my first long-term campaign was that the players were expecting a fantasy game while I was running a fiction one. This has helped me understand these differences better. I knew before that there was something that was slightly off, something that wasn't quite connecting between my players and I that was frustrating me. This is it. Or at least a major part of it. So Thank you so much for having this idea.

[@dem1s3]

This is one of the most enlightening videos of yours that I've seen. Rather than tips I can use in a campaign that I'm writing, you helped me get into my own head to understand why I'm writing the encounters that I'm writing. Brilliant. Thank you.

[@GeoffSayre]

I really liked this video and the concepts there in. I've never thought about the difference between fiction and fantasy before, but I've definitely understood these two sorts of play styles. Thinking back to campaigns I've written/run, I can identify when I was using one or the other. Transitioning between the two is something I'm currently doing in a campaign. Both styles have their merits and I'm glad to have names to put to these concepts. This sort of video is why I keep coming back to this channel. Matt defines and delineates these abstract concepts I have experienced but never had names for. I'm constantly amazed at how Matt's explanations resonate with how I've subconsciously internalized DM'ing. Thanks for the awesome videos Matt, keep it up!

[@LailaJohanna]

Came back to this today for some reason as I prep my next game. I used to think the Mercer-style fantasy game was almost a must and I am glad I've seen some of your work and some people in the old school revival sphere, who represent a more fiction-style approach. I think the fantasy approach can be great... like in CR1, but it can easily derail for me when the players come up characters who have almost nothing in common and suddenly you find yourself running after someone in your group for an arc that really has nothing to do with your character and where you feel no agency whatsoever, because it's that other player's arc and they make the decisions, and then it switches to the next person, where the only thing that changes for you is the scenery you are dragged along to. I've also been in a situation where player goals heavily misalign and another play's backstory necessitated that we all make peace with a group that murdered my insert dramatic backstory character. These days, I heavily prefer fiction-style games because the group becomes the core unit and they pursue the same (or mostly the same) goals. Their wins are earned together and not by one person, aided by their friends. The feeling in the game is much more positive in my experience.

[@coadyrobson6325]

Whether or not your game and critical role truly exist as opposing sides of this dichotomy or not, I think it's an extremely valuable distinction to consider. Personally I find the idea that the world is the world and it's up to the players to impose themselves upon it, the more intriguing option, but I have no difficulty seeing the appeal of having the world be shaped by the heroes, as though they are entwined in the fabric of the world's destiny rather than taking that fabric into their own hands and doing with it what they will. I think this might be the fundamental idea (once you move beyond the introductory phase of learning what the game is and how it can work) that the dungeon master bases their game on, whether they realize it or not. The choice between the steady state world, and steady state characters is integral to every other choice you can make as a DM.

[@halarkin]

This is so relevant to me at this very moment. I am a fantasy DM, my friend who alternates weeks with me is a fiction DM. Our players come to both games, and enjoy both games, but they are wildly different. Thank you, this is useful.

[@jrbuschief]

Hiya Matt; great video as always. You asked about the campaigns being run, and here's my answer. I am currently running three D&D campaigns, and as you've said previously, each one feels different from each other. Two of my campaigns feel very much in the fiction aspect, though with slight developments of fantasy. Each campaign runs through adventures and I tap into their (admittedly sparse) backgrounds where it makes sense. However, one of my campaigns, actually a solo campaign, feels to fall more into the Fantasy aspect, with the character's internal conflict of freedom vs. safety is pressed by the dangers thrown against her allies. However, this lean towards fiction style games such as yours is no surprise to me. I often say that Matt Mercer was the Inspiration that got me started on running my own D&D games, where as Matt Colville is more of a mentor, where your advice heavily influences my preparation and actions as DM. In truth, the style of game you play, as shown in the Campaign Diaries (can't wait) is one that I strive to realize at my own table, and Thank You for the all the effort. In conclusion; your realization of Fantasy vs. Fiction appeared well-argued and very convincing to me. And if you want to hear more about my campaigns; stay tuned for my own campaign diaries.

[@stefanc4165]

I've watched a lot of Running the Game, this is one of the best videos summing up campaign development as a DM. Thank you Matt.

[@robofthewest]

Not only is this a useful idea for how to approach campaigns, but also a very insightful way of looking at fiction/fantasy literature.

[@shannonmallred]

Thank you very much for this video, you just helped me with a HUGE problem - I DM two games, and I now realize that the first game is 100% hardcore fantasy......aaaand the other one I have been TRYING to run as a fantasy, but the players in my second group are expecting/wanting a fiction game. Group 2 wants to be the heroes of a story, while Group 1 IS the story, and I've been trying to run them both the same. With this new mindset, I am very sure I'll be able to make them both happy now, hooray! Thank you again for all your guidance and advice, your channel is such a wonderful resource for new GMs/DMs.

[@TheJacksonOne]

Hey Matt, I've taken up a ton of DMing thanks to your videos making it seem easy. Thanks for everything!

[@XDependent]

I would very much like to see a commentary between you two. You are both absolutely iconic DMs, ones which I am immensely inspired by. I've played games where I focused in on the characters, as you put it - a Fantasy game, but I have also played game where the world exists and the future of it is determined by the characters' actions, a Mainstrean Fiction game. Both styles satisfied different ideas that I had about D&D and both also gave me different perspectives on the other. Interestingly enough I played these games at two very distinct points in my life - I won't bother with the details, but these two points in my life had me seeking different things. One was a point in my life where I was dealing with internal (both emotional and psychological) contemplation while the other was one which I felt the impact of my decisions on not just my world but those around me . Make no mistake, I would never, ever suggest D&D as a form of therapy, but allowing D&D to let you contemplate on yourself in a differing perspective in a safe, social, and fun environment is definitely something that allows you to grow as a person.

[@forrestw978]

Very insightful video Matt, I never thought about the difference between fantasy/fiction like that. I'm really looking forward to your video on how you set up an adventure. I'm getting ready to make my first foray into DM'ing after my groups current campaign is over, and your videos have already been very helpful. I personally prefer the "fiction" style of story telling because it makes the players feel thrust into a world that is much larger than themselves. Also, I just want to say, I read both Priest and Thief and I loved them. Keep up the awesome content!

[@anthonytrevino9520]

As a new DM that is still creating his own world I really appreciate this, it gives me a very useful way to think about how I want to run this campaign while I build the world it'll take place in.

[@ashuku]

like many others who watch your videos, I think we just like hearing you talk - in general, about any and everything - so "shorter" videos like this are definitely welcomed and encouraged. please do more!

[@efranke20001]

I really enjoyed this quick video. It worked for me, and I hope it did what you wanted it to. Part of the message I have received from your many videos, though I have only been able to watch a fraction of them, is to be mindful of your game. Being a Dungeon Master can be a challenge, but it does not have to be hard to start. The most important thing is to take in all the lessons and feedback you can. What is working, what is not working, what do you want, what do your players want? My own thoughts on the "fiction"/"fantasy" divide is that it is a continuum. You can dial up one or the other and balance them. Different groups will look for and want different things. Right now, the D&D that I can squeeze in are pick up games, which I try to cram an adventure into one night. The first one worked pretty well, though I had some lessons to learn, which I am going to try to apply to the next one, which will happen Saturday. These kinds of games can't really be "about" the characters. As a pick up game, most of the people are grabbing some pregenerated characters at the start of the session. I do try to get some connections going between the characters (Teflonto, how do you know Arik?) but really, we have to just get in and get on the "rails" of the story. Eventually, if I have enough repeat customers, there will be some character connections to make, some "fantasy" part of the equation to add, but these games are almost by definition loosely connected so whoever is available can come, play for a session, and then miss a few and come back and have fun. It is a recreation, somewhat, of the Adventurer's league in my own basement for my neighborhood of grown up geeks. On the other end of the spectrum, as far as I can tell, is Critical Role. I have watched a fair amount, but I am almost six months behind the current story line, and who knows if I will ever get through the 60 or so hours that stand between me and being current. However, I have seen these folks play. It is great. I love it. I know I would rather be playing than watching, but I can watch in snippits, when I am on my commuter train, when I am on the elliptical, etc. Need a block of time to play D&D, and I can watch things like Critical Role or Dice, Camera, Action or listen to The Adventure Zone, while doing the dishes, or even mowing the lawn (okay, I don't watch, the video, but you can pretty much get everything on CR just listening). So, Matt Mercer and his players on CR have a very long established game. They are committed to their fun. They are so committed that they made their fun their job (well, one of their jobs). I don't know how it all started when they were playing Pathfinder and were lower level. Maybe Mercer's play style was always on the "Fantasy" side, but I would bet there has been an evolution. The great pleasure of that game is how super into the characters each player is. As actors, they understand inhabiting the skill of another, often imaginary, person. They perform for themselves and for each other and are really committed. To get the most from that interaction, the game almost necessarily has to be about those characters and their deep connection to the world. Having had the pleasure of also watching the Turtle Rock Studio games stream (and I think my favorite is the one on one that introduced Gertz' Mul character; I loved that session), I can see the contrast with CR. First, nobody is a full time voice actor, and that is 100% not needed to play and have fun playing D&D. I can see everyone having a great time, even if no one seems like they are in a recording booth do improve for an animated series. The thing is, I see the TRS players engaged with the world and having fun, so that is the first thing. Also, I see that there is not the depth of connection to the game I think because they have not been playing as long in the world or together. The rapport at the table is a different dynamic, and the engagement is more with the world and the fiction, and less character centered. I don't know if that is a function of how you are running the game, how they are engaging with the game, how long and how much you all have been playing together, or (I suspect) some combination of all those things. Before you have said that you run a "writer's" game and Matt Mercer runs an "actors'" game, and while I don't think that is exactly the fiction vs. fantasy axis, I think there is some overlap there. I guess my theory would be that you get more of a fantasy game the longer you play with the same players with the same characters, the more emphasis and interest the table has in seeing the characters expressively develop and perform, and the more the DM finds it useful to incorporate the story elements offered by character backgrounds into play. You can drive play without engaging character backgrounds. They can be just there for a little flavor (which is how I am engaging with them in my pick up games). I guess to make the fantasy approach work into the game, you collaborate in somewhat different ways, and surrender certain controls over your game. One last thought (as I try to wrap up what has become an unwieldy stream of consciousness post) so much of Critical Role is the players/performers performing for one another and off of one another. Improv is something they all do as people professionally and for fun. There can be long stretches of time where Matt Mercer is just a piece of the audience watching his players explore their characters by discoursing or interacting with one another in the fiction/fantasy he has built with them. That is really cool, but I think if not everyone at the table is that way, it could be a problem. Too much "fantasy" can be boring watching so and so go off about his backstory and opening her heart about some deep personal conflict she feels. Somebody else sitting at the table might just want to go kill some damn orcs and count some gold. CR has the right set of personalities to make what they do at the table work (and because they are all so good, it also is fun to watch and listen to). If somebody tried to sit down and dominate the table at TRS for your game like that, I think it would be a problem. The others at the table might well feel they were being deprived of play and forward momentum through the fiction. So, I just think the dials set differently for different games for different reasons. Your big picture lesson, of being mindful and open to learning from your mistakes and your successes continues to be well taken. Thank you for giving so generously and for creating a terrific community in which to learn and to share. Keep up the great work.

[@frostspawn6718]

It wasn't until this video that realized the difference in why I like watching certain games, particularly your videos vs other games. I also realized that my style of DMing (even though I'm still new) is like your style where I have a plot, and the players fit into it, and if can squeeze their backstory in there i will.

[@krom7154]

The Thomas Covenant Chronicles was my first serious trilogy I read back in middle-school. It changed my life and helped shape my desire to be a fantasy writer. Thanks Matt!

[@IndigoWraithe]

I enjoyed this. Very interesting perspective. It gave me some food for thought as I formulate my next campaign. I've only run once before, and I bit off way more than I could chew, so my last game had moments of greatness, and moments of absolute suck. Your videos are helping me think like a DM.

[@paladinpariah325]

I am so psyched to know that I just used some of the same techniques as the other Matt did. I'm running Storm King's Thunder using Pathfinder right now. The plot elements are so horrendous that I had to throw in a lot of extra plot devices just to connect the different chapters of the story together in ways that didn't utterly suck. One of the key things I fell back on was driving Storm King's Thunder's major plot points using the independently created backstories of my characters. So far it's worked really well and adds a level of drama to the story that the way it's written couldn't possibly hope to achieve. It helped a lot that my players have some super ridiculous back stories involving murder, lost love, racial transformations, and toppling entire kingdoms in other dimensions. Kind of made my job easy.

[@CerebrumMortum]

This gave words to a wordless feeling I had for so long! Like any dichotomy, I think we're all on a spectrum here, but this is definitely something you should talk to with players when LFP.

[@zackbrubaker6583]

I think you put into words something I have been dealing with in my group for a bit. I run a very "fantasy" game where I draw heavily on player backstories and try to challenge the players personally, but one of my players chaffed against it because he felt that when it wasn't "his turn", when it wasn't his backstory being engaged, he didn't have a lot of control over what was going on. We recently wrapped up my campaign and he is taking a turn DMing, and he is running a very "fiction" world. I am starting to chaff a little bit at not having a lot of control over my character's place in the world, but this video helped me contextualize what he is going for vs. what I was going for. I'll pass this video along to him and maybe we'll reach a place of better understanding.

[@ShadowChorus]

With this excellent video, you've actually just opened my eyes to part of the process of my own DM style. I as a DM tend to resort to more of a "living world" style of DMing, where in my mind I have created or am using a world that I know by heart, and most of my actions as a DM are rationalizing how the world would react to the actions of the players. That world and my player's backstories are completely separate, as opposed to Critical Role, in which they are intertwined. My DM style has the players interacting with the world rather than the world acting upon them. Which is definitely something that seems to work, but also is something I might want to experiment with now that I've had my eyes opened to my own style.

[@calvinballaka8905]

To try and alleviate some of your concerns about whether or not this video is useful, I'd say it is, more than you may have thought at best. I don't think I realized this difference that, at the very least, has the potential to exist within fiction and within D&D. This is something that I'm definitely going to need to think about, because I think I personally lean toward a "Fiction" D&D game. I think more about my NPCs, about the world, about how they will react to what's going on. My player character's backstories have gotten involved somewhat, but it is either incidental and coincidental or otherwise hamfisted and ungainly, and I feel frustrated that it's not happening with the elegance that it does in Matt Mercer's game. Your video has helped to illuminate the distinction that can exist, and I think I will definitely not only re-think my campaign and my approach, but also re-watch this video a number of times, and I'll try to look at that essay, too. This has made me think of two things: first, if I want to continue to connect my players' backstories strongly, I may feel better about it if I think about how the plot reflects their characters themselves and what is important to them; second, if I want to play to my strength and my own personal tendency, I can elect to focus on the NPCs and on the world itself and allow the players to impose themselves, as you say, upon it. They must decide to be heroes, rather than have the mantle thrust upon them by the world. I think my players would be alright with both. They are ready to act without being told, and they often do things I don't expect. At the same time, they do like the hooks into their backstories. Thus far I have satiated both thirsts, and I think I will continue to do so. As you said, it is smoke and mirrors. I apologize; I ramble. But I do want to express again how helpful this video is. Perhaps it is my mood speaking, but I do not think it is. Awareness of what we create is often overlooked in the creation process, but it is critical if we want to be able to be able to know or at least guess what will result.

[@EnglishmanInFlorida]

I know I am very late to the game, so to speak. This has actually been one of the most useful videos in this series, so thank you.

[@Si-Horrocks]

I really liked it mate, just got home from running my game, so the timing was perfect! Gave me perspective to understand what my game is like, it's much more in the fiction side of the game. my players are not so back story driven so it works well. as an aside, I had two players join my game and leave (for personal reasons) that were huge critical role fans, and as such my game often didn't quite meet their expectations. and now I can see why, they wanted more of a fantasy experience. keep em coming @mattcolville

[@Mynameismurfey]

This speaks to me as a DM who is world event heavy. I knew when I started that I wanted my players to affect the world, but I never knew if this was a good idea. Thank you for your wonderful advice.

[@theredbeardbard]

This is a very interesting concept. I agree they are different approaches, but I don't necessarily think they are mutually exclusive. I come from a background of not having any predone stuff and having to make it all up on the fly. Now, I enjoy prep and creating my own stuff, but I also see the value in giving my players some of the burden by using their backstories as fodder for the game. I find it helps increase the players' investment in the story. Love your vids, Matthew Colville! Thanks for doing them!

[@jameswilson5087]

Thanks for the video, Matt. I've been trying to shoehorn in my players' backgrounds and their characters into the campaign story line, trying to emulate something akin to the stories told by yourself and Matt Mercer. Now I can see that I should step back, tell the story I have set out and then allow my players to decide how they fit in and use their backgrounds when opportunities present themselves, as you have suggested.

[@galaxychar]

This is interesting! I haven't seen any of your videos before but I loved this. For me, the idea of being a DM and running a game is very character centric and that's what I would most want to explore personally. I am someone who really loves exploring character motivations and conflicts, at least more than I am on expanding the world outside of that. When I plan games and adventures based on characters I try to make it the most satisfying experience based on those characters rather than the other way around, so I think I am more like Matt. I do wonder how much this has to do with your personality, and also what the player's want.

[@theblakeone]

Awesome video Matt! I'm currently running through Hoard of the Dragon Queen as my first time DMing. I think you've got a fair point, and it might have something to do with the fact you also run the pre-gen adventures. Because I know how the game is meant to proceed, thanks to it being pre-written for me, I feel like I'm running more of the Fiction style game. The story and world is happening even if the characters aren't there, so they need to impose themselves on it. It's given me a lot to think on, good job!

[@MrSlash124cool]

I like the examples and analysis you bring into the table with this video, certainly it's been food for thought. I find myself puzzled however with how to make proper use of it. I think I run games that leaning towards fantasy, but at times I struggle at expressing the emotions through the dialogue of the important NPCs. Sometimes I think i came up with something clever that would get the players hooked in their characters struggles, but it feels like I fail to deliver and I don't know why.

[@dustinspires8096]

That's an amazing way to look at it. I'm running a simple adventure style like yours, I haven't developed politics in the game though I have been striving to have a game more focused on the players impact on the world but my players have very thin back stories.

[@rubenmarzetti1943]

Hey Matthew, could you make us a video where you show some of your favourite D&D KZbin channels? Maybe the ones you get inspiration from, those you think are the best for beginners DMs and even the ones even you get to know new things from. I would love to know whose work you enjoy watching the most for this sort of things. I think your whole community would find it very interesting.

[@mooxim]

my game was a little of both but I totally jumped on the opportunities I saw to mine back stories. And what's more, I think I managed to enrich their backstrories with twists they didn't anticipate and weave more than a couple together in unexpected ways. I hadn't really considered the advantage of sticking with one character for such a long time besides the satisfaction of the players in seeing their character level up. Discovering more about the characters' backstories and how they're connected to the world is a really awesome thing that shouldn't be forgotten.

[@xorwin1236]

Loved your summary Matt. I honestly believe that you are on to something. As a new DM videos like these really help me understand what it is I myself am trying to do. For my first DMing experience I've decided to venture into worldbuilding and creating an adventure from scratch (stealing as much as I can from authors I respect of course) and I feel like I have tons of ideas sprouting from just this one video, so thank you very much.

[@Haven_games]

Very much looking forward to the Adventure Prep video! I'm a new/returning DM and I've been waiting for this video on how you take published adventure and prep it for Fantasy Grounds for a while.

[@TravistheGREAT03]

From 11:40 Than ykou for this. Graps very greatly on a discussion I had yesterday with my EX-DM>>Now player. I could clearly see myself as DM in your description of how you do it. After yesterday I wa skidna in doubt if my views were legit..if they were to strict or egoistic with this view or style as a DM. Your video helped me alot to feel confident with my view on Dming. Wanting the palyers to think and learn about your world before they attempt something. Great Video as always. Thank you :)

[@ninjacricket]

Thanks for the video, and for linking to Donaldson's essay - it's a great read. I hadn't thought of fantasy in quite those terms before, but it does express something I've been trying to convey in my current D&D campaign. The PCs are from the "mortal world" - Fantasyland, more or less - but their adventures take them to (a version of) the Feywild, a dreamlike plane where inexplicable magic and strange, powerful creatures are everywhere. Each PC can find their heart's desire or their worst nightmare (or both) in the Feywild - anything is possible there. They are, in essence, the "modern humans" (elves, half-orcs, whatever) dropped into the fantastical world. It's up to them to decide how much of that infinite possibility they bring back with them to their own world. So, yeah, that game is firmly in the "fantasy" category.

[@KevinWebb2015]

I like this description and your "fiction" game runs closer to the games I've played in the past. That said, I think most of us who are new to DMing aren't thinking Fantasy or Fiction, we are just trying to keep it all together and keep our players interested in the game.

[@MysteriousAges]

This actually made me think about how I want to run a game. I tend to think about games the same way as you in which I have a story idea in my head and the players are parachuted into it and try and figure out what is going on. I hadn't really considered the idea of mining character backstory for plot hooks at all, so it's something I really want to try out sometime!

[@josepholiver5713]

Can I just say how much I love the fact that you use the word "idiosyncratic?" I'm the only person I know who uses that word and this is the second time I've heard you say it. I love it!

[@E.W-m4i]

I just found these videos two weeks ago and they're amazing. There's so much stuff I want to use for my game.

[@alexputignani4475]

This is a great video. It helps to give a better understanding of certain kinds of campaigns people make, and an explanation why. And once you have a better understanding of why & how you craft your campaigns it lets you become better at doing so. It's certainly was some food for thought, and has permanently changed how I view the games I build. Thanks for the video, Matt.

[@Davoerlo]

This actually made me analyze my game a bit more and how I run it. I know some of my players don't care too much about grandiose backstories and keep it simple while one players gave me a 3 page document. Running a premade module (Out of the Abyss) does mean the players interact with the world but it doesn't revolve around them. Was a interesting watch.

[@animistchannel2983]

Your theory on Critical Role's content motivation is correct. Matt Mercer actually mentioned (almost offhandedly) during a Q&A panel that once all the players' backstories were resolved, he considered a campaign essentially over. Personally, I run content sort of halfway between what you and he do. I like to integrate and resolve backstory too, but I want it done by halfway through. Then players can spend time completing the new/in-game issues & ambitions they have set for themselves, free of backstory constraints, totally sandbox & player-driven plotlines. It just seems more liberating that way.

[@southron_d1349]

All of which helps to explain two things. Had anyone asked what sort of game I run, I'd be at a bit of a loss to describe it. Now I have the two basic definitions - the internal versus the external. Of course, many games will have elements of both. At the moment, my campaign is a mix of the two. There are plots in the world, but one has come to the fore because of the backstory involving two characters who are, as it happens, brother and sister. (The players have not seen Critical Role.) We're now on the cusp of the coronation of the brother because both were noble born, and because of an important relic of rulership. The complication is that their father found the other relic. This was immensely helpful, Matt. Thank you.

[@southron_d1349]

PS That "muscle" you refer to has been well-exercised (one of the few muscles which have). I can rely on something the players do or say which I can pick up and run with. It's inevitable but one needs to be alert to take the advantage.

[@ZakMeow]

Hey Matt. A year later and your vids are still going strong. I'm a new DM and have found your vids invaluable. We started our group as a series of one shots (Sly Flourish's Fantastic Adventures) and the players loved my DM style so they wanted to turn it in to a campaign. I have no PC backstories to draw from (they were one shot, throw away characters) so they are definitely reacting the "politics of the world" that was put in front of them.

[@Geeksdanz]

This is a great idea, and has a lot to think about. I think I'm running a sort of combination of the two styles at the moment, because I started out with a campaign book and I'm planning on transitioning to homebrew once we finish it. For me, I started by looking for common themes in my players' backstories, and then finding ways to work those themes into the existing narrative of the campaign book. I found that most of my PCs' backstories deal in some way with the tension and resolution of different kinds of families (both hereditary and social/found families), and the campaign book had inklings of those themes as well, so I tweaked the campaign to heighten the metaphorical resonance of that theme throughout. I added a few new NPCs, fleshed out the existing ones' relationships with each other, and highlighted those relationships when they came up in the story. My plans for future homebrew involve major NPCs that come from the PCs' backstory families, and require them to make difficult choices about their past versus their present. My hope is that my players are experiencing a narrative that challenges them to question the nature of a family, and the ways in which families can be created and destroyed by the world.

[@Grimm1ns4n1ty]

Matt your a genius, and I find I'm much more like you as a GM than most other GMs and this Fantasy vs Fiction really helped me understand why!

[@jcmartin1978]

Trust your instincts Matt! This was not just rambling; you're observation was spot on and I you just opened my eyes to some concepts that I had never considered. Like you, I run a more world centric campaign. I decide what would happen if the pcs didn't exist and I react to the pcs actions accordingly. I've heard this referred to as Gygaxian Naturalism in the past, and if you look at many of the early modules, I think that the game was built on this principal. I saw a comment on this saying that the best DMs run more of a Fantasy campaign where the world is affected by the players; I think that depends completely on where you sit. These games are great for entertainment D&D (Crit Role/ AI etc.), but I have played in both types of games and prefer the gritty natural fiction game personally.

[@tortera9]

Hey Matt. I know you probably won't see this but in the hopes that you do. I just want to say thank you. For all that you do. I have learned a lot from pretty much every video I have seen and you are the only youtuber I can sit down and watch that doesn't have some kind of video game playing in the background. Anyways, keep doing what you are doing because I will continue to enjoy.

[@vanderpike]

Thanks for another informative video, Matt. I've been working on my campaign world since the early days of 2E. It has gotten a reboot every time I start DMing a new group, incorporating ideas from the previous ones. I had never thought of fantasy vs fiction in terms of my game, as I thought "fantasy is fantasy and wot, eh?" but it's pretty clear to me after this video that I run a fiction rather than a fantasy. Nice way to kickstart the brain before work...

[@TimHisk]

I'd never thought of this, but hearing you explain it makes perfect sense. Looking back on my own campaigns I believe they're a mix of both. I definitely try to provide a "living world" where things happen regardless of player interaction. But I also try to weave character backstory and what I know of my players into the narrative.

[@theopromes7513]

Very enlightening distinction between the two games, I feel like you put something in words that was in the back of my head for a while, thanks!

[@acerumble]

Appreciated this perspective, have always believed my games would fit soundly in the "Fiction" category as you elaborated, but realize now as things went on that I have been adding more and more elements personalized to the characters, leaning it more to the "Fantasy" descriptive. Good food for thought going forward!