Jack7
First Post
ESSAYS ON GAME DESIGN
Essay Four: The Heroic Impulse - Where Have All the Heroes Gone?
When I was younger I played games in which I took on the role of a Hero. Later on, when I got older I discovered RPGs (though that was a later term, at that time Dungeons and Dragons was the only such game really around) and started doing the same thing through that particular venue of the imagination.
Oh, on rare occasions I played the Anti-Hero and once I even played a villain, but it was not a normal enterprise to do so, nor a normal interest. Such activities were more diversionary and experimental than common personal practice. Either for myself as a player, or among the players who exercised the worlds I had created for them to explore. Heroism was the norm of play, and the norm of imaginary conduct. At times everyone played shtick, played comic relief, played ne’er-do-well, slack about, or even second-string. But most everyone played to be heroic as often as possible, most every real opportunity that presented itself.
But over time I noticed something changing in these games. In D&D in particular. Heroes went the way of the elder ages. Into lost memory, instead of into fresh action.
At first it seemed subtle. Characters were given new powers, new skills, and new capabilities. All of which seemed good and often were, as well as being utilitarian, pragmatic, and most of the time even effective. But it didn’t end there. Magic became practical (notice the definitional irony of the one transforming into the other), monsters became categorical, feats became statistical expressions of success and failure, and skills became not practiced capabilities but comparative gradations of chance. And heroism…
What then of heroism? Of manhood? Of valiantry and honor? Quo Vadis, Heroicus? Quo Vadis?
This made me consider, to ponder how even in the hallowed halls of human imagination one might define a thing so completely and precisely by effects, and yet possibly still lack all understanding of causes.
Is heroism not born of powers? Of feats? Of skills? Does not magic create heroes? What of class, or levels? Is the king not more of nature the hero than the squire?
Doesn’t becoming 30th level make one a hero? What about 15th level? Doesn’t that qualify me truly as a Paragon among persons? What about an Epic Destiny? Does this make one heroic? Important? Accomplished? At the very least in the imaginary sense?
Surely there is some mathematical mechanic that will render an acceptable definition of when and where heroism is most likely to bloom within the vineyard of a game designed to simulate heroism. And if this mechanic does not yet exist then we must encapsulate it quickly and proclaim and publish it throughout all the land so that it may become universal. So say we all…
And what of words? Many, many, many words. And titles, with fancy and clever phrases of nomenclature? Surely of all things words and titles and symbols of status and ranks of level and class and Orders ad infinitum make for real heroes? Why just look, I am a War-Forged, Angelic Avenger of 30th level with an Epic Destiny to one day save the World from the Spell Blight of Cumberfoot! Surely such emblazures of appellation make me immortal among all. One with whom to be reckoned, a hero profound. (I for one would never trade titles for action or status for deeds. Why you could never sell deeds for the necessary funds to buy upgraded armor or more magical swords.)
So heroism must be something very much like that. Like the clickity clack of the soft-shoe toe-taps of the ceremonial page as he leads the staid and proper procession before parliament, or the dreaded snicker-snack of the ferocious Bandersnatch as he lounges on the green grass in the bright sunshine to slurp up his curds and whey.
Or maybe the Heroic Impulse is more like numbers. It must be born of levels and ranks and progression charts, and when just the right admixture of powers and feats and spells and classes and races is finally achieved, then Presto-Change-o, magic, and we’ve given birth to heroes again! Yes, numbers is the answer. Definitely that. Or maybe not... Maybe it is the blending of many fancy titles with many obtuse and arcane calculations. Now there, mayhap is real magic. The kind we’ve all been looking for. And if that is the case then we are surely on the cusp of a new age of Aquarius!!!
So knowing all this and more, as surely we all do, I ask you then this one simple question – now that we’ve learned to tame magic with mathematics, and rank with ratio, and achieved boldness with balance, and have the very best alchemical suspension of status and powers and paragons and fate, where are all the Heroes?
And when in God’s name are they finally coming back?
Essay Four: The Heroic Impulse - Where Have All the Heroes Gone?
When I was younger I played games in which I took on the role of a Hero. Later on, when I got older I discovered RPGs (though that was a later term, at that time Dungeons and Dragons was the only such game really around) and started doing the same thing through that particular venue of the imagination.
Oh, on rare occasions I played the Anti-Hero and once I even played a villain, but it was not a normal enterprise to do so, nor a normal interest. Such activities were more diversionary and experimental than common personal practice. Either for myself as a player, or among the players who exercised the worlds I had created for them to explore. Heroism was the norm of play, and the norm of imaginary conduct. At times everyone played shtick, played comic relief, played ne’er-do-well, slack about, or even second-string. But most everyone played to be heroic as often as possible, most every real opportunity that presented itself.
But over time I noticed something changing in these games. In D&D in particular. Heroes went the way of the elder ages. Into lost memory, instead of into fresh action.
At first it seemed subtle. Characters were given new powers, new skills, and new capabilities. All of which seemed good and often were, as well as being utilitarian, pragmatic, and most of the time even effective. But it didn’t end there. Magic became practical (notice the definitional irony of the one transforming into the other), monsters became categorical, feats became statistical expressions of success and failure, and skills became not practiced capabilities but comparative gradations of chance. And heroism…
What then of heroism? Of manhood? Of valiantry and honor? Quo Vadis, Heroicus? Quo Vadis?
This made me consider, to ponder how even in the hallowed halls of human imagination one might define a thing so completely and precisely by effects, and yet possibly still lack all understanding of causes.
Is heroism not born of powers? Of feats? Of skills? Does not magic create heroes? What of class, or levels? Is the king not more of nature the hero than the squire?
Doesn’t becoming 30th level make one a hero? What about 15th level? Doesn’t that qualify me truly as a Paragon among persons? What about an Epic Destiny? Does this make one heroic? Important? Accomplished? At the very least in the imaginary sense?
Surely there is some mathematical mechanic that will render an acceptable definition of when and where heroism is most likely to bloom within the vineyard of a game designed to simulate heroism. And if this mechanic does not yet exist then we must encapsulate it quickly and proclaim and publish it throughout all the land so that it may become universal. So say we all…
And what of words? Many, many, many words. And titles, with fancy and clever phrases of nomenclature? Surely of all things words and titles and symbols of status and ranks of level and class and Orders ad infinitum make for real heroes? Why just look, I am a War-Forged, Angelic Avenger of 30th level with an Epic Destiny to one day save the World from the Spell Blight of Cumberfoot! Surely such emblazures of appellation make me immortal among all. One with whom to be reckoned, a hero profound. (I for one would never trade titles for action or status for deeds. Why you could never sell deeds for the necessary funds to buy upgraded armor or more magical swords.)
So heroism must be something very much like that. Like the clickity clack of the soft-shoe toe-taps of the ceremonial page as he leads the staid and proper procession before parliament, or the dreaded snicker-snack of the ferocious Bandersnatch as he lounges on the green grass in the bright sunshine to slurp up his curds and whey.
Or maybe the Heroic Impulse is more like numbers. It must be born of levels and ranks and progression charts, and when just the right admixture of powers and feats and spells and classes and races is finally achieved, then Presto-Change-o, magic, and we’ve given birth to heroes again! Yes, numbers is the answer. Definitely that. Or maybe not... Maybe it is the blending of many fancy titles with many obtuse and arcane calculations. Now there, mayhap is real magic. The kind we’ve all been looking for. And if that is the case then we are surely on the cusp of a new age of Aquarius!!!
So knowing all this and more, as surely we all do, I ask you then this one simple question – now that we’ve learned to tame magic with mathematics, and rank with ratio, and achieved boldness with balance, and have the very best alchemical suspension of status and powers and paragons and fate, where are all the Heroes?
And when in God’s name are they finally coming back?
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