Both table-top role-playing and electronic/computer gaming suffer from a similar problem: almost unlimited player knowledge. Video walkthroughs on YouTube, stacks of gleaming creature catalogs, sourcebooks on cities, online optimization guides, the variety and amount of information available to a player on a given game consumes considerable space on the internet as well as cozy bookshelves of gaming enthusiasts. Unfortunately, if the intent of a game designer (and/or game master) is to create a world that feels unknowably large, realistic, and unexplored, all of these informative assets undermine any sense that the players’ characters are anything short of absolute experts at every molecule of the game setting.
I grant that this problem is only a problem if the player is looking to experience a large world in the course of play. The more tactically minded player will shrug off the experiential components of play and focus on winning and winning alone. But for the gaming experience that is Karandrin (and the rest of us who wish to experience a palpable, interesting world with some degree of realism), the sheer amount of information available to a player can shrink any gaming world very quickly. (That said, I adore any and all sourcebooks I can obtain. Plunging into a given world is such a rich pleasure that I fully understand the rush.) For Karandrin, I don’t have any creature/lore access for the players and that decision has several important effects.
First, this lack of player knowledge allows the mystery of an unexplored world to actually exist in the player’s experience. Knowledge is gained through actual contact with the unknown, research in dusty volumes, or by asking NPCs. But in all three cases, I still allow myth and misunderstanding to permeate the world. A more futuristic setting might allow for more formal knowledge (though our present age of misinformation argues against that), but in a fantasy setting without the benefit of much critical thinking, people’s fears inform them as much as direct experience (or lack of same).
Second, no player can confront a threat or mystery with any degree of nonchalance. Stripped of the unrealistic knowledge that various sourcebooks might provide, players must rely on their wits and observations to make decisions. Without the comforting knowledge of a creature’s weaknesses, hit point total, or defenses, a player approaches each situation with all the caution and tension we should expect, and that anxiety makes each confrontation feel that much more real and the victory that much sweeter.
Third, and perhaps most importantly, the denial of unearned player knowledge about Karandrin allows Karandrin to feel immensely large and ancient. Admittedly, my world is only a few hundred megabytes on a handful of hard drives, but the players forget that reality when they’re in the moment. The continual sense that there’s always more to discover, the sheer potential for limitless adventure, shapes player expectations, excitement, and eagerness to choose where the story goes next.
© 2022 by Kevin Manus-Pennings
Karandrin 