this post was submitted on 17 Nov 2025
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The "writer's room" stuff is, by definition, not role-playing. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely enjoy it, but if you tell me we're role-playing and then hit me with that, I'll be upset at the whiplash.
I feel like games like FATE need to pick a lane. Either we're all writers telling a story together, or we're trying to role-play as characters and be immersed in the world. But you can't accomplish both things at once.
And if we're doing the writer's room thing, we should just play Microscope. It's my favorite improv-game so far (although I'm open to trying others).
I can see why you might feel that way. Playing in that mode still has some properties of roleplaying- you're often focused on one character and thinking about the world through their perspective - but you're not trying to be them the whole time.
Maybe it's like being an actor and director at the same time, for a film or play? You drop into the character but also zoom out for the bigger picture. I don't think anyone would say like "Branagh wasn't acting because he was also directing"
I don't agree with "can't accomplish both at once", but this is a reasonable thing to disagree on. It can definitely be a mode of play people don't enjoy!