Category Archives: RPG Theory

Tabletop RPG theory, in the unlikely event that you need more.

The Fuzzy Medium

Posted on April 27, 2011 by admin

I believe in learning lessons from other media. I work in multiple media, different forms. Video games. Social network stuff. RPGs. Fiction. Learn a trick in one place, apply it to another. It’s why RPGs have clear templates/object classes now.…

Posted in RPG Theory | Tagged | 2 Comments

Value

Posted on April 26, 2011 by admin

When I write RPG stuff for money I try to make it worth paying for. But what’s worth paying for?

On a couple of occasions I’ve said that you need time, resources and talent to consistently produce good work. If…

Posted in RPG Theory | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Vampire 20th and Socializing With(out) Tears

Posted on March 27, 2011 by admin

“V20,” made me think about social systems. But the Storyteller system is just part of the inspiration. I don’t like where RPGs have been going with social systems and to my surprise, have discovered the social mechanics I like the best…

Posted in RPG Theory, Tabletop RPGs: Art Without Prestige, The Miscellaney | Tagged , | 3 Comments

What Tabletop RPGs Are Good At

Posted on February 17, 2011 by admin

As I’ve said many, many times, I think tabletop RPGs are particularly good at certain things, and that it’s usually a bad idea to twist the form toward things other media do better. An MMO-like tabletop game play experience is…

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Toy Dogma 5.3

Posted on December 17, 2010 by admin

Peer Mode

Definition: Peer mode supplements game rules and essential customs with goals and standards drawn from an imagined community (real or not) — so much so that the relationship with the community can overshadow play.

Examples:

  • The

…

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Toy Dogma 5.2

Posted on December 4, 2010 by admin

Egoistic Mode

Definition: The egoistic play mode uses both explicit game rules (usually a technical text) and customs of play (passed on orally or through non-technical text) to fix player roles and manipulate relative status between players.

Examples:

  • All

…

Posted in RPG Theory | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Toy Dogma Interlude

Posted on December 4, 2010 by admin

Reading reactions to the Toy Dogma series has been interesting, whether it’s the meandering thread on The RPG Haven or the predictably venomous reactions from folks at Story Games. The comments on this blog have been illuminating as well, and…

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Toy Dogma 5.1

Posted on December 2, 2010 by admin

I want to look at moral stages of play some more. Let’s call them modes instead of stages. Even though the source literature is about overall moral development, I’d rather highlight discrete techniques, leave room for good people to wander into bastardry,…

Posted in RPG Theory | Tagged , , | 14 Comments

Toy Dogma 4

Posted on November 30, 2010 by admin

So last time, I stabbed at a working definition of what happens in tabletop roleplaying games:

  • In TRPGs, participants communicate using rules and customs to establish details about related fictional narratives that are not yet defined.

. .…

Posted in RPG Theory, The Miscellaney | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

From AD&D to Alt D&D

Posted on November 16, 2010 by admin

My AD&D1e game has been a chance to designing a fantasy game in the organic, iterative fashion that formed the basis for the earliest game designs and is probably still the most common type of private game design. I’ve got…

Posted in RPG Theory, Tabletop RPGs: Art Without Prestige | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments