The word most gamers are looking for is "verisimilitude." We want the game to feel authentic or truthy enough to suspend disbelief and get into the story. Even if there are plot-speed drives, a panapoly of colorful aliens, mystical zen mind powers, and laser swords. The rest of the setting and gaming experience needs to be sufficiently rationalized for the story to feel plausible despite its impossible / unrealistic elements. I don't object to people using the word "realistic," however, because I know what they are trying to say and am not given to unecessary pedantry. And, because words like verisimilitude can cause one to be perceived as hoity-toity and elitist.

Verisimilitude was Richard Donner’s driving mantra when making Superman: The Movie. As the story goes, he had a large sign with the word on set during filming.

1 minute ago, Nytwyng said:

Verisimilitude was Richard Donner’s driving mantra when making Superman: The Movie. As the story goes, he had a large sign with the word on set during filming.

I love this word and I love this story, but I have a feeling the sign went missing the day they decided to put the Margot Kidder voice-over poem scene in.

On ‎6‎/‎16‎/‎2018 at 8:16 AM, Vondy said:

The word most gamers are looking for is "verisimilitude." We want the game to feel authentic or truthy enough to suspend disbelief and get into the story. Even if there are plot-speed drives, a panapoly of colorful aliens, mystical zen mind powers, and laser swords. The rest of the setting and gaming experience needs to be sufficiently rationalized for the story to feel plausible despite its impossible / unrealistic elements. I don't object to people using the word "realistic," however, because I know what they are trying to say and am not given to unecessary pedantry. And, because words like verisimilitude can cause one to be perceived as hoity-toity and elitist.

Well if you are comfortable using precise language then I think that not using it isn't a great solution. Also I totally agree with your point about the world being "sufficiently rationalized" and that is my big emphasis but with another condition: to avoid unnecessary exposition. Things are sometimes ruined by nerd desire to fix something in a form. I have and continue to fall prey to it, but I try to recognize its sometimes insidious nature.

19 hours ago, Archlyte said:

Well if you are comfortable using precise language then I think that not using it isn't a great solution. Also I totally agree with your point about the world being "sufficiently rationalized" and that is my big emphasis but with another condition: to avoid unnecessary exposition. Things are sometimes ruined by nerd desire to fix something in a form. I have and continue to fall prey to it, but I try to recognize its sometimes insidious nature.

Oh, I use "verisimilitude" all the time. I just don't nitpick when I hear other people use the term "realistic" because I know what they mean. As for "unecessary exposition" this is why I prefer to stick to "live action film canon" and treat everything else as apochryphal / optional. I find "less is more" really does apply when running a game that flows. Too much backstory, detail, and information dilutes the "high concept." I'm open to including elements from the cartoons / comics / novels / whatever if they serve the story or a player really loves it, but I'm not going to chain myself to it, either. Its too much work and not enough fun.