Ran into a bit of "what is PbtA really" conversation elsewhere, probably kicked off by current Critical Role-related events? Anyhow here's a picture.

#RPGTheory #rpg #ttrpg

I wrote a new #TTRPG #RPGTheory post for my substack: A Roleplaying Game Is Not a Conversation

https://ttrpgteleology.substack.com/p/a-roleplaying-game-is-not-a-conversation?sd=pf

#RPGTheory #RPG #TTRPG

"Combat systems" in ttrpgs!

One way to model combat in rpgs is as fight choreography: we, the players, work together as collaborators to make the fight dynamic and engaging.

Another way is as a minigame you can win and lose: a resource management game, a gambling game, a game of tactical daring, chicken, rock-paper-scissors, whatever.

A third way is to model some aspect of real-world violence, to comment on it or to bring it to bear on the game's play.

Attention Kiwi TRPG creators! #KiwiRPG is now accepting members:

https://www.kiwirpg.com/community/apply-to-join-kiwirpg/

#ttrpg #gamedesign #podcast #streaming #ap #actualplay #rpgtheory

We're having an organisational hui this weekend, so apply now if you want to be part of that!

#RPGTheory

A little bit of talk around here about an old blog post of mine, "Rules vs Vigorous Creative Agreement," and it reminds me of one of my favorite things I've ever said about rpg design. It's from a different thread, a few years later:

"When we want to let our characters off the hook, we need rules to threaten them; when we want to kill our characters, we need rules to protect them."

The idea that we choose game rules in order to be frustrated by them is funny to me, and not untrue!

THE INDIE RPG NEWSLETTER

133: February's Itch Roundup!
also, theory strikes back!

by @thomas

https://open.substack.com/pub/ttrpg/p/133-februarys-itch-roundup?r=17bjv&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

#RPGTheory #ttrpg #ItchGames #IndieRPGNewsletter

THE INDIE RPG NEWSLETTER

132: Axes of Game Design
more theory than anyone should be legally allowed to possess

by @thomas

https://open.substack.com/pub/ttrpg/p/132-axes-of-game-design?r=17bjv&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

#ttrpg #IndieRPGNewsletter #CallOfCthulhu #ApocalypseKeys #RPGTheory #Crowdfunding #RPGZines

Putting together IKEA furniture is not immersive. It may be consuming, but it's not immersive.

#RPGtheory

#RPGTheory

Hey fellow game creators!

Have you given much thought to, what are people going to want from games 5 years from now?

Right now we're seeing a boom in online play, which makes a ton of sense, and I don't think it'll go away... But as conventions and in-person games come back to us, what do you speculate people will look for in new rpgs?

#RPGTheory

What's the hardest TTRPG you've ever played?

TTRPG Essentialism is a thing, which - in essence - tries to encapsulate and reduce the variety in #ttrpg to a very confined idea of playing a session. #rpgtheory #rpgdesign .

https://commonfortress.com/2022/11/21/rpg-essentialism-and-further-explanation/

I saw this thread on Twitter about a psychology paper studying the phenomenon of people using selective enforcement of rarely-enforced rules as a way of punishing transgression of not-technically-codified social norms. I haven't read the full paper yet, but it seems relevant to how some TTRPG stuff works.

https://twitter.com/ana_gram_/status/1590729470193061889

https://psyarxiv.com/yfsed

#psychology #philosophy #RPGTheory

I listened to this podcast episode while half asleep so I didn't fully absorb everything that was said, but it struck me that there may be Philosophy of Law parallels with RPG Theory topics I'm interested in. Apparently there has been disagreement between the "positivist" (from "posit", ie things explicitly proposed) and "natural law" positions that seemed analogous to treating each game's rules as unique things vs. instances of "True Roleplaying".
#Philosophy #RPGTheory
https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/2022/11/07/ep303-2-hart-law/

RT @PaulCzege
How about some #RPGtheory?

I think by far the hardest thing for RPG gamers is being able to look at a game's mechanics and procedures and perceive if they're inspired and good.