Let's call it the "Epicurean Theory" a corollary of Cheetoism.
RPGs in execution are equal, in process and results, to cooking and serving a meal.

Similarities:
1. Choice of ingredients are a major factor in the success of a meal. These are subjective, dependent on the taste of the participants of the meal.

2. Preparation of the meal is an equally important part to the enjoyment of the final product.

3. Knowing your guests, and their tastes, are important. Often you will be able to get by on general flavors, textures and dishes but enjoyment by everyone of the meal is dependent on the chef knowing individual dietary restriction, tastes and even mood.

4. Final product of meal preparation is good memories. Nothing is produced that is permanent from the preparation of a meal except memories. Whether good or bad, the guests take away little of a permanent nature from a meal.

All of the above, I posit, may be applied to the gaming experience.

Anyone have others?

Bill

Presentation of a meal is important to some. How it looks before being eaten, what support dishes it has.


Table Manners are expected of course.


Also a healthy meal feeds your body and gives you more than memories. A healthy game will give you the same albeit in a different vein, a good game will feed your mind nutritious things.

It was Providence's "Op ed" in the beginning that made me realize the degeneration of many games--we used to dream of heroes--and how many games aren't about that.

 In the end Firefly was about heroes--though morally ambiguous at times, the truth is when it counted the heroism shined.

I love this quote:

Nurture your mind with great thoughts; to believe in the heroic makes heroes.--Benjamin Disraeli


I think that the best gaming will say something positive in its fun, earnest, joy in playing pretend. And that it will nurture a bit of our child in that. This isn't to say one has to play "good guys" but just that bitter and dark are acquired tastes--so too light and fruity, yet in those tastes if prepared with enthusiasm, care, and presented well, you get a good game "meal" that nurtures that joy in the "eating" of it.

Quote from: SilverlionI love this quote:

Nurture your mind with great thoughts; to believe in the heroic makes heroes.--Benjamin Disraeli


I think that the best gaming will say something positive in its fun, earnest, joy in playing pretend. And that it will nurture a bit of our child in that. This isn't to say one has to play "good guys" but just that bitter and dark are acquired tastes--so too light and fruity, yet in those tastes if prepared with enthusiasm, care, and presented well, you get a good game "meal" that nurtures that joy in the "eating" of it.

Silverlion for the win.

I taught myself how to cook from recipe books. Now, many years later, I have a pretty good understanding of how cooking works, and if I want to I can make a meal from scratch and present it nicely. I'm quite proud of some of my own recipes.

Cookbooks vary enormously in quality and price, but there's always at least one good recipe. The size and glossiness of a cookbook does not necessarily reflect its value. Actually, you can get a ton of excellent recipes free off the internet these days.

Cooking is both a science and an art. You can follow a recipe and produce a delicious meal. You can throw a few of your own trademark spices in. You can look at what you've got in the fridge and produce something off the cuff. You can have fun or you can treat it as drudgery.

5. Hunger is the best condiment.

6. RPG forums are like cooking shows.

Regards,
David R

6.(a) Except that cooking shows have more h4wt chixxorz.

7. If it uses sauce it aint barbecue.

Quote from: mythusmage7. If it uses sauce it aint barbecue.

I am not sure I follow this one.