Press, Thrust, Slash, Wring, Glide, Float, Flick, Dab

Lmns Crn · December 20, 2011, 07:34:24 PM

Hey, I found a cool blog post which you should read.

This is a dance/theater topic discussed in a gaming context.

The brief summary: Laban Movement Analysis classifies movements into eight categories based on three traits: movements are either direct or flexible, either sudden or sustained, either heavy or light.

Gaming bloggers use this system to
a.) classify the personalities of their NPCs (or PCs also, I'm not sure), and
b.) help that personality come across at the game table, by informing their choice of descriptive vocabulary.

Go check out the post (it's not a long read), read up on the eight movement styles. Think of a character you've played, or an NPC you've run, and have really gotten to know. Does one of these eight suggest itself strongly? Perhaps more interestingly, do you think you might have a "type" you consistently gravitate toward, from one character to the next?

Nomadic · December 20, 2011, 08:07:12 PM

I like it alot, especially since to some degree it can be related to actual people. For example I'd say that my respect is most directed towards thrusting actions (hehe "thrusting" </double entendre>) and that I strive to utilize such an approach in various situations. I also see some of the other types in other people I know. Perhaps I'm off but this seems to be a very interesting yet valid take on personality types. It certainly serves to help a person stay true to character by picturing how they act as a simple motion.

Lmns Crn · December 20, 2011, 08:15:52 PM

One of the commenters makes an interesting point about using a change between action types to call attention: highlighting a character's long term growth, or showing that a particular issue or context provokes a character to "shift modes" in a particular way.

sparkletwist · December 20, 2011, 08:27:21 PM

This is like alignment for RPG hipsters. :grin:

Hibou · December 20, 2011, 08:31:19 PM

From this list it looks like I've never played anything that wasn't a heavy type, and they tend to be of the Press, Thrust, or Wring types. I keep looking at these and wondering which one - or which combination - heroes like Batman would be. I couldn't ever see myself enjoying playing anything from the light types, except maybe a Glide. On the other hand, most people I can remember playing with recently have tended to play light characters, with the group being led by the lone heavy-type.

In some ways this reminds me of the way I've been thinking about character personalities lately, and that's been in terms of the Jedi/Sith lightsaber styles from Star Wars. If you're not familiar with them LC, you should check them out. :D

Lmns Crn · December 21, 2011, 07:34:50 AM

Quote from: sparkletwist
This is like alignment for RPG hipsters. :grin:

Oh no, you're on to me!

SabrWolf · December 21, 2011, 01:14:02 PM

I decided to copy the list down in a notepad file and save it in my RPG's folder for later use.

I personally tend to like playing characters who are heavy more often than not. Even the light characters I end up playing have some heavy tendencies sometimes (usually in the form of stubborn single mindedness). However, I think that this list will definitely help me characterize my NPC's better in future games.

Awesome find here LC, and thank you for being benevolent enough to share it with us! lol

Steerpike · December 21, 2011, 02:48:19 PM

Very cool! Not sure which style I tend to play. I think Wyrgan in Seraphine's Celtic game is probably a Wring character. Xue in Gloria I played as a Dab or a Glide. Marie-Anne is probably a Thrust character. Justine from Carbon Skies I will probably play as a Press type.

Xathan · December 23, 2011, 08:53:42 AM

This is an awesome read - I'm saving it in the doc of various awesome things you've linked us too over the years, LC.

As for my characters, when designing my own I tend to play glide or flick characters, but Gideon from Sixguns is definitely a Thrust character...

and yes, this is alignment for RPG hipsters, and I love it for that. :D

Lmns Crn · December 23, 2011, 09:53:13 AM

Quote from: Black Market XathanI'm saving it in the doc of various awesome things you've linked us too over the years, LC.

If this is a real thing and not just a joke, I'd like a copy of that file. I feel like I've posted a lot of things I've subsequently mislaid.

As for me, it's always hard to analyze oneself, but I think lately I've been playing with either Wrings or Dabs, which is odd because they don't share any elements in common.

CoyoteCamouflage · December 23, 2011, 11:20:32 PM

Very interesting read.

My only issue is that it seems to classify "Heavy" as "Violent". Most of the "Light" qualities tend to read more as social or non-combative characters, and I'm not sure I approve of this perceived notion. I would probably use two of these qualities to describe the character. One would indicate the temperament in most situations, another might be more similarly to how he or she would respond to a challenge or conflict (Social, Physical, or otherwise).

For example, I can safely say that one of my characters from my DnD games is a Thrust character in combat, yet he has definite Float qualities outside of these challenges. He's an Alpha-Striker Psychic Warrior, yet he tends to be nieve and foolish outside of stabbing people with swords.

Another is a Wring normally, with a Press mentality against challenges. He's got a lot of inner turmoil due to personal tragedy, and he is always working on a plan of some fashion-- but Seaghdh approaches combat as a full out tank.

Very interesting read, despite my complaints, and I think I could see using this to describe some of my NPCs and PCs very quickly and efficiently if I can commit it to memory.

The Campaign Builder's Guild

News:

Press, Thrust, Slash, Wring, Glide, Float, Flick, Dab

Lmns Crn

Nomadic

Lmns Crn

sparkletwist

Hibou

Lmns Crn

SabrWolf

Steerpike

Xathan

Lmns Crn

CoyoteCamouflage