The Pursuit Of Perfection, Part 1 of 5: Don’t Compromise With Mediocrity

This entry is part 1 in the series Lessons From The West Wing

Confessions Of A Fan: A partisan review The 7 seasons of The West Wing emerged a couple of years ago from a packed field of contenders to become my all-time favorite TV series. Early in its life, it wasn’t even a contender. I wasn’t a fan of political shows, just as I wasn’t particularly opinionated […]

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The Pursuit Of Perfection, Part 2 of 5: A Perfect Vision Through A Glass, Darkly

This entry is part 2 in the series Lessons From The West Wing

In the first part of this article, which itself is the first installement of a series of articles, I discussed the execution and delivery of uniqueness in an RPG campaign, and derived a definition of doing so to perfection that was achievable in more than a hypothetical sense, that was actually a practical goal: “Perfection […]

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The Pursuit Of Perfection, Part 3 of 5: Laying A Campaign Foundation

This entry is part 3 in the series Lessons From The West Wing

In the first part of this article, which is itself just the first installement of a series of articles, I discussed the execution and delivery of uniqueness in an RPG campaign, and derived a definition of doing so “to perfection” that was achievable in more than a hypothetical sense – that was actually a practical […]

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The Pursuit Of Perfection, Part 4 of 5: Evolving The Campaign

This entry is part 4 in the series Lessons From The West Wing

In the first part of this article, which is only the first installement of a series, I discussed the delivery of uniqueness in an RPG campaign, and derived a definition of doing so to perfection that was achievable in more than a hypothetical sense, that was actually a practical goal: “Perfection in an RPG is […]

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The Pursuit Of Perfection, Part 5 of 5: Character Evolution

This entry is part 5 in the series Lessons From The West Wing

In the first part of this article, which is itself just the first installment of a series of articles, I discussed the execution and delivery of unique-ness in an RPG campaign, and derived a definition of doing so to a standard of perfection that was achievable in more than a hypothetical sense, that was actually […]

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Lessons From The West Wing II: The Psychology Of Maps

This entry is part 6 in the series Lessons From The West Wing

It’s time for another of my occasional Lessons From The West Wing. This draws heavily on concepts put forward in a single episode, Episode 16 of Season 2, “Somebody’s Going To Emergency, Somebody’s Going To Jail”. Some people have decried the episode as one of the weakest in the West Wing’s repetoir, others found it […]

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Lessons From The West Wing III: Time Happens In The Background

This entry is part 7 in the series Lessons From The West Wing

One of the best pieces of writing/direction that I’ve ever seen in a TV production takes place in a later episode of the series, in season 6 or perhaps 7, and it’s something that has made an indelible mark apon my awareness and handling of the passage of time in my campaigns. The Scene One […]

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Lessons From The West Wing IV: Victory At Any Price

This entry is part 8 in the series Lessons From The West Wing

“Lessons From The West Wing” is a series of occasional articles inspired by the Television Series. I’ve had this article sitting around in partially completed form for a couple of years now, waiting for the right example with which to illustrate the concluding point. Finally, that condition has been met, so it’s time to look […]

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Lessons From The West Wing V: Bilateral Political Incorrectness for RPGs

This entry is part 9 in the series Lessons From The West Wing

“Lessons From The West Wing” is a series of occasional articles inspired by the Television Series. I have several of these tucked away in development, and every now and then, prompted by watching the series for the umpteenth time or by relevant world events, I will dust one off and put it out there. I […]

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