Post originally by Ralph Mazza at 2005-01-31 15:30:42
Converted from Phorums BB System

That's it exactly. People with advanced educations in literature have been discussing the nature of a story and its components for centuries. I couldn't hope to even give a roughly adequate summary of the topic.

BUT, despite the fact that most people are not literature major...we all have a sense of what we like in a story...even though most times we can't even begin to articulate it.

The core mechanics of Universalis relies heavily on each player's innate sense of what they like in a story, and provides the means to resolve differences between players when they arise. That's the biggest distinction between Universalis and free form "pass the conch" roleplaying. A very specific (and I've found highly effective) mechanical way to resolve those disagreements.

I never cease to be astonished at the depth of good story telling that players (even in half hour con demos) arrive at in very short order...all without detailed background or scenario prep and without a GM to prod things along.