Part of the material on The Process Model of Role-Playing.

Prelude: a collective article on the creation of "The Process" and the lessons learned thereof is being planned

"The Process"

Eetu Mäkelä, Sampo Koistinen and Sanni Turunen

Game Information

This larp has been created to exhibit various sides of the Process Model of Role-Playing. Firstly, it shows how playing preferences and styles can be coherently formulated using the model. This is done through the construction of specific gaming agendas, which are given to the participants to emulate in the larp.

Secondly, this larp was created using the model as a tool and vocabulary in aiding design, so that the larp background, characters and methods would maximally support those varied goals and means formulated.

Thirdly, the model was used again as a tool and vocabulary in analysing the experiences of the participants after play, so as to find out how well the two previous points were achieved, and how the different agendas clashed and supported each other.

Agenda Explained (Briefing Excerpt)

The Process Model states that in roleplaying, enjoyment, or Benefits, can come in many different forms. These forms vary from game to game and from player to player. No matter what form the Benefit, it comes through a Process. Of these, there are also a number, and different Processes may be active at different times in a game and vary in what Benefits they produce to the various participants.

An Agenda then, is a combination of Benefits and Processes (and possibly Methods, though not in this game) that a player has decided before the game starts to pursue.

In this game, you are not to pursue any agendas you normally pursue. Leave your old skin at the door, please. If you normally try your utmost to immerse into the character, don't do it here. If you normally try to win admiration from your fellows by playing your role to the fullest, don't do that either --- that is, if that's not also your new skin, your Given Agenda, which you should pursue to the fullest. Yes, we expect you to pick up a completely arbitrary source of enjoyment for this game.

I don't think we can expound on this enough: Forget your own sensibilities about what is good roleplaying or what you enjoy. Try to empathize with the Agenda you are given --- if it seems to be completely opposite to your normal sensibilities, take it as a challenge. Immerse into a player having that agenda.

Terminology:

  1. Player: You as the real person participating in the larp
  2. Agent: You playing according to a given agenda, with agenda defined as: A sought-after mode and means of obtaining enjoyment from a larp. A pre-established style of playing. Here, a combination of a Benefit and a Process
  3. Character: You as the fictional character in the larp

Material

Eetu Mäkelä,
eetu.makela@iki.fi