When it comes to roleplaying, the wilderness certainly has much to offer. In fiction writing a classic breakdown of conflict we probably all remember is the ol' Man versus Man/Man versus Nature/Man versus Self division (sometimes expanded to include some other opposition, such as Machines, Society or Fate, etc.) Man versus Nature differs from other conflicts in that it isn't necessarily all about people, Man versus some other aspect or creation of humanity... something about it makes us pull our heads out of the ground, and consider our place and standing in the rest of the world or universe, individually and as a species. It can remind us that we're animals, strip back some illusions we keep about ourselves.
How can the wilderness be used to bring out different play experiences? Well, while this is still in a "Man versus Man" vein, the isolation of the wilderness, its distance from norm enforcing civilization has the potential of bringing different behavior out of people. Are a character's values truly held, or only held when there are others there to see him or her? Another major factor that comes up when wilderness is in play is self-sufficiency. Finding supplies or aid becomes more difficult, complicated. The isolation brings a change in approach by Players.
The conflicts and situations that arise in the wilderness can take many forms. A conflict can be simple survival in the environment. Alternately, any creature has the possibility of creating conflict or complicating situations. These environments can be swamps, deserts, tundra, deep forests, caves, outer space, or distant unexplored worlds and planetary systems. The ways of creatures and characters' interactions with them can be a source of mystery. Is there some shared level of understanding between the creature and the man? Does something about its natural ways and demeanor reveal anything about the characters in the contrast, or even commonalities? Also, because nature can't be interacted with using words and it doesn't have a whole host of human concerns, it can tap us into some different ways of thinking, something that is at times more instinctual and feelings based, something that can feel a bit profound and a little mystical.
So... it is possible to use the wilderness in your games and gloss over a lot of what I've talked about. It can just be an in-between place where maybe characters stop to beat up some bears in now and then. I guess the point of today's entry is to point at a couple of flavors and different vibes the wilderness can help provide. Maybe they are flavors you've been looking to add to your game?
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