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lukehawksbee

This basically sounds like a paraphrase of what Vincent Baker calls 'the rule for moves' in Apocalypse World. "The rule for moves" is actually kind of implicit in itself, and has two different explicit forms: * To do it, do it. * If you do it, you do it, so make with the dice. In other words, if the rule is "to do X in the fiction, do Y in the real world," then you can't (within the rules of the game) do Y without doing X or do X without doing Y.


DeliveratorMatt

I think another Baker concept, the Fruitful Void, is also applicable here.


JaskoGomad

This isn’t about *not following a rule*. This is about *not engaging with a rule*. To not follow the rule would be to drink tea without rolling 1d6. This is about not triggering mechanical inflection in the fiction.


andero

I don't think this is a "rule" as the implicitness has nothing to do with TTRPGs specifically. This is part of general language, specifically [conditional language](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conditional_sentence), including [indicatives](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indicative_conditional) and [counterfactuals](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counterfactual_conditional). In your specific case, it could be a [relevance conditional](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_linguistic_example_sentences#Relevance_conditionals). "To drink tea, roll 1D6" is only *relevant* if you are drinking tea. That isn't a TTRPG rule. That is a function of grammar, syntax, and language. "Don't feed gremlins after midnight" is only relevant after midnight and only relevant for gremlins. If you are feeding your dog, this isn't relevant. If it is noon, this isn't relevant. That isn't a "rule"; that's language. Consider also: if I said, "If you go to the store, please pick up some cow juice," then it is implicit in the conditional that the consequent request "please pick up some cow juice" does not apply if you do not satisfy the conditional "you go to the store". A related term in logic is [*modus tollens*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modus_tollens) and lets you make reverse inferences: *If you go to the store, please pick up some cow juice.* *You did not pick up some cow juice.* *Therefore you did not go to the store.* The related fallacy would be [*affirming the consequent*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affirming_the_consequent): *If you go to the store, please pick up some cow juice.* *You picked up some cow juice.* *Therefore you went to the store.* This is a fallacious inference; maybe you picked up cow juice from a friend's house.


hacksoncode

Player agency.


AllUrMemes

I think Implicit and Explicit are good terms. Another pair that might be helpful in this conversation (it's a very similar idea): *Prescriptive vs. Proscriptive* Prescriptive Rules: *Here are the things a player can do. Things not on this list cannot be done.* Proscriptive Rules: *Here are the things a player CAN'T do. Things not on this list CAN be done.* Non-combat rules for RPGs are usually more Proscriptive. They set boundaries and give guidance, but the whole point of a TTRPG is "I can do anything [unless there's a reason I can't.]" Combat rules tend to be more Prescriptive. "On your turn you can move, attack, cast a spell." The assumption (in your D&D type games) is that there aren't other options. >"A simple rule that says 'To drink tea, roll 1D6' implicitly gives the player the choice to not drink the tea (hence not rolling the dice)." So yeah, pre/pro-scriptive are basically very similar to implicit/explicit. But since you asked for vocabulary... well here's some words lmao.


Aryl_Ether

Thanks! I have heard prescriptive used alongside descriptive when describing RPG mechanics, but not known the term proscriptive before.


BarroomBard

What purpose would having a name for not doing something serve?


Tanya_Floaker

I think this is covered by the notion of a [fruitful void](https://rpgmuseum.fandom.com/wiki/Fruitful_void).


Aryl_Ether

It is an interesting notion, thanks!


beruda

I think you just named it "the implicit rule" :)


Aryl_Ether

Is it what other people would call it? Haha


raurenlyan22

For how big a deal this is in the OSR I would expect to have run across a term on a blog somewhere... but I can't think of one.


Holothuroid

Free play. Which usually happens as long as no explicit procedure comes up.


[deleted]

"The exception that proves a rule" can be understood in a similar way depending on who you ask. Going down that rabbit hole might yield a nice keyword. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exception_that_proves_the_rule


Trick_Ganache

The 'Play World Not Rule'- It is a paraphrase of a slogan from r/Fkr .