I've heard that the best way to get people to talk about something, is to ask them a question.
What do you guys think about that?
Open ended questions are the way to go. Anything that requires responses other than yes or no, is bound to get people talking. Very specific questions help too. Things like "How do you feel about democracy as a system of government in a fantasy setting?" (Turin once asked this question, and it inspired a very interesting thread with a great deal of community input)
-Nasty-
Yes, but questions about politics, even if directly applied to a campaign setting, can bore and even alienate some very prominant members from the conversation.
Quote from: Natural 20Yes, but questions about politics, even if directly applied to a campaign setting, can bore and even alienate some very prominant members from the conversation.
Since when does discussing systems of goverment alienate world builders? It's central to the very concept of creating a campaign world. Without governments, you don't have nations...
Her'es the link to the
very well received thread. It was not boring, nor did it alienate people. Democracy : http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=377393 (//hyperlinkurl)
Quote from: Natural 20Yes, but questions about politics, even if directly applied to a campaign setting, can bore and even alienate some very prominant members from the conversation.
To be honest, I think that you're probably about the only person who feels this way on the boards, besides *maybe* (and I'm probably wrong) or tech people.
Just a thought.
-Elven Doritos
Loves Cookies
QuoteTo be honest, I think that you're probably about the only person who feels this way on the boards, besides *maybe* (and I'm probably wrong) or tech people.
nah, we cool.
Glad to hear.
So I stand firm in my statement. ;)
:rambo:
I give, just don't expect me to be posting like crazy. Politics just aren't my thing, sorry.
We're not discussing politics. We're discussing government. Politics requires some sort of stance, but government doesn't. Government is just a system of managing a nation. In and of themselves a government has no political alignment what-so-ever.
Discuss it as though it is a system. You go to school with a system that probably has a principle, a vice principle, and teachers. It probably has a union and some seniority, as well as prestige based upon accomplishments (degrees, awards, etc.). There is a government within your school.
-Nasty-
Quote from: Natural20Yes, but questions about politics, even if directly applied to a campaign setting, can bore and even alienate some very prominant members from the conversation.
I would argue that there is no such thing as a 'very prominant member' of a conversation. I submit to you that a conversation in the stricted sense is a 'spoken exchange of thoughts, opinions, and feelings; talk'. And to assume that a conversation would intend to prevent any of these, on any specific subject, is infact against the very character of conversation.
by defining specific parts of the conversation as 'more prominent' than others, you're suggesting that you don't actually want conversation.
but if we're talking about politics in dnd, then its probably a whole-nother matter.
Quotei disagree that politics require a stance. politics can be defined in so many different ways that i don't think you could make souch a broad generalization.
For a political discussion to become
heated, it requires a stance. If people don't disagree ther will be no trouble.
A system of government in D&D requires no stance pro or con, and thus a heated debate is almost impossible. Kingdom, military dicatorship, matrichal society...none it these fictional (in this case) governments need to be portrayed in a positive or negative light. They are just systems.
The discussion Turin posted about democracy in D&D, did not
ever become a discussion of his political beliefs. It was a discussion about how the system could be implimented in D&D.
Does that clairify the intention of my previous post?
-Nate-
Quote from: nastynateFor a political discussion to become heated, it requires a stance. If people don't disagree ther will be no trouble.
[...]
Does that clairify the intention of my previous post?
... yes.
but im not really sure what we're actually taling about . ;).
We're talking about the link I posted to a thread Turin started some time ago about democracy in D&D, and how to make it possible. It was a fantastic thread, that inspired a great deal of discussion.
Nat 20 seemed to think I wanted to talk about politics...he was wrong. I reserve my political discussions for more appropraite boards or IM. Doritos and I have some similar political views, but we've never once brought them up here.
-Peace-
HA- original post had nothing to do with politics. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that asking questions is NOT the best way to get people thinking, but the best way to direct their thoughts. Peoples' motivation for THOUGHT is internal conflict, especially along the lines of boredom and loneliness.
Jesus Marimba! (Hay-ZOOZ Ma-rim-BAH)
Any of you guys know just what the hell that means? I heard the Joker say it once and I've been saying it ever since, with no clue. I know Jesus... but Marimba?