Milo Lofranco

@ritehunter.bsky.social

24 Followers 143 Following

Lover of economics, art history, and tabletop games. Trying my best to develop a deeper understanding of play-by-post roleplay.

Play-by-Post Design Is Like Street Art It’s everywhere if you care to look for it. There is something foundationally innocent in the idea that no matter where you go, people will find a way to play games with each other. If someone could leave some mark somewhere, another one can respond and connect beyond the confines of synchronicity or physicality — a mural that screams to the world that I was here and you found me. Virtual spaces are also community spaces. They are places where people can congregate, talk, explore, and play together. Except, we can only communicate with each other by altering the very space we navigate. Messages hang in the air for everyone to see; forum posts don’t leave once their contents are understood; every single bit of communication is an artefact of play — much like chalk marks of a hopscotch game yet to be washed by the rain. Yet we can only express through what we are allowed to alter, confined by the architecture of the digital space, its layout, and the tools it provides. One must first learn to navigate the space before learning the rules of the game. It is here that play-by-post designers see beyond the confines of what was intended. While they can’t construct new elements, they can design over the virtual space itself, augmenting and reframing its features. Any website can suddenly become a rich tapestry of collective storytelling — displacing corporate intention with mediums of expression. Every site has a dedicated play-by-post community. It is perhaps one of the most enduring formats there is. Even if we could never be together in time or space, we can still play together. Our writing will be there for anyone to find.