tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617677799085549365.post2378828096632043120..comments2024-03-12T22:45:16.936+01:00Comments on The Disoriented Ranger: RPG Design: Rules to Project or Rules to Experience?Jens D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18394303166081684904noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617677799085549365.post-4813646150264896482018-05-02T21:55:01.921+02:002018-05-02T21:55:01.921+02:00"projecting through the mechanics", that..."projecting through the mechanics", that's a fair point. However, I think a crucial distinction is how much context a player needs to bring to the table to make a game work in contrast to what he'll be able to take away from it. Is it bad that a game is "just" good for one purpose? Done right it should offer a multitude of variations of the same theme before getting boring (D&D being the prime example here again). The question is, if the game offers something unexpected you have to deal with by using the solutions the mechanics offer in conjunction with player ingenuity and understanding. In other words, what would a player that never had the faintest idea what the exploitation genre is, get out of Nova74? Say, if he'd play the ideal campaign, would he be able to recognize a movie of that genre just because of it? (I think so, btw, because it was some grand design) Would he have the same (similar?) fun playing the game you had seeing those movies? Indie games are particularly good in picking just aspects like that and making them visceral. Here is the premise, explore what that means, be the wiser for it after playing it. Original Vampire was like that (you have no idea what it means to be a vampire, here, have a game to find out). It's a powerful premise. D&D works like that, too, in a way. Both have very abstract rules that pinpoint on the necessary aspect of the themes involved and also offer easy access with escalating complexity ... I'd say, while you start projecting what you've learned playing the game (by using the mechanics properly), the game should advance and force you to take another step (basically hat D&D does: hero game - domain game - epic level game). Tekumel, for instance, had you play barbarians that knew nothing about the world surrounding them ... that's what I'm talking about.<br /><br />And playing Nova74 as a dungeon crawl might be tons of fun, actually. Give dem goblins some funky boots and let them shine ...Jens D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/18394303166081684904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617677799085549365.post-60319403774489024802018-05-02T21:27:20.469+02:002018-05-02T21:27:20.469+02:00Well, Genre emulation is a thing. It think it is p...Well, Genre emulation is a thing. It think it is possible to write mechanics which invoke enough off a setting, or genre that the resulting play with those mechanics generates an experience evocative of the setting at the table. Problem is a system written that goal wont be much good for anything else (the quiet year for example or My life with master to grab obvious examples) Nova 75 almost was another good example, in that those rules are only good for playing games based on "sploitation" type films. Using those rules to do a dungeon crawl would be rough. It's projecting through the mechanics I suppose. Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12793781986788315513noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617677799085549365.post-9127101190145924392018-05-02T21:10:12.085+02:002018-05-02T21:10:12.085+02:00[cleaned up version]: Great question, Mark. Here i...[cleaned up version]: Great question, Mark. Here is the basic idea: it's the difference between offering a game for someone that has an idea what, say, kung fu is to express that (say, the Wushu RPG) and offering a game that would allow someone who has no idea what kung fu is to experience what that is (or can be). Projection vs experience. I think the conundrum you describe is wishing to have it both ways, a game that's light and fast, while offering an experience. Not sure it's possible to that extent. You either make it fast, so people who know the tropes can summon what they imagine them to be easily or you offer the experience, which necessarily needs to transcend/permeate a theme to offer access. Having both is somewhat difficult, I believe (although slick design can compensate a lot). Does that help? I mean, I'm willing to discuss this! The problem with design that offers experiences, is to lean too much towards simulation (of a complete world). The right level of abstraction is key so that it either is still fast or offers worthwhile little elements that culminate to something bigger without the players realizing it (like with books, for instance). In that, the games that allow you projection are more like movies, while those offering an experience are more like books?Jens D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/18394303166081684904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617677799085549365.post-18501491077726103842018-05-02T14:41:14.041+02:002018-05-02T14:41:14.041+02:00We had a conversation the other day that dealt wit...We had a conversation the other day that dealt with me wanting to rewrite a system I was working on. My reason was the resolution of each die roll was too slow for me to feel it emulated the subject matter properly. How does that kind of design fall into your scale? I would think that is projecting the theme through the rules. Kind of designing to reinforce the setting though pace and style of play. Any thoughts? Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12793781986788315513noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617677799085549365.post-22502453140556465962018-05-01T21:54:26.209+02:002018-05-01T21:54:26.209+02:00Oh? I have to check that action out ... Thanks!Oh? I have to check that action out ... Thanks!Jens D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/18394303166081684904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617677799085549365.post-57031818091366392842018-05-01T21:10:55.281+02:002018-05-01T21:10:55.281+02:00Just so you know "Over the Edge" is only...Just so you know "Over the Edge" is only recently out of print. Copies are available on Amazon for about $30.imredavehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11791259426241403181noreply@blogger.com