Why I love games
I. We talk about freedom and agency a lot when it comes to games, but what do we really mean by that? Total freedom is boring. If you are the god of this imaginary world, if you can make anything and everything happen, nothing can surprise you. So we impose limits. You exist in this sort of world, you have access these resources, you have these abilities. So far, few would accuse you of impinging upon player freedom. So where is the line? I would posit the line is here: You work for someone else. Or, another character (such as a villain) forces your hand; you have no choice but to respond to their actions. I think when you cross that line, you're playing a different sort of game. Maybe you're more interested in narrative and drama. That's okay! But it's not what I love about games. II. Agency and freedom are misnomers, I think. I love games that put the players in charge , in control , in command of a specific character or organization in a specific s...