Are mechanics really important to good roleplaying experience?

[BryonD]

Not to me, unless you have a misguided concept about "interactive story equals railroading."

Then why ever pay for an RPG when there is no difference between that and something you can do on your own for free?

 

[Hjorimir]

But they can create the campaign. THey just don't alkweays create it. Just like they don't always ruin it.

Just an opinion, mind you, but I don't agree with that statement. Just because rules can define a foundation that does not equate to a campaign...not for me at any rate.

 

[mythusmage]

Mechanics are vital in that they establish what a setting is like, and how the inhabitants fit into the setting. This is true whether the setting is explicit, or implicit. That is, whether the setting is detailed and presented as such to the participants, or implied in the structure and functioning of the rules. Without mechanics, without a system a game has no form, provides no guide as to expectations regarding what behavior is acceptable and unacceptable in the context of the game. And with no guide as to how characters are expected to behave players are lost and find it hard to give direction to their character's lives.

It's not just a matter of our needing rules, we live by a set of implied rules we follow. Even when we think we are acting purely at whim. At the core we live by instincts we were born with that govern our behavior around others, even when we are certain we are acting of our own free will. This is even more true of our entertainments, where instinct can conflict with what our culture teaches.

Without mechanics the player has no reliable way to learn how he, as his PC, is expected to behave in the setting. To learn what is allowed and what is expected of him. Mechanics establish what is and is not possible, what is and is not allowed. Without mechanics a game becomes naught more than chaos, and chaos taken to its ultimate expression is nothing more than a dull, featureless waste.

 

[tetsujin28]

'Interactive story' isn't even my definition of a good time in an rpg.

And yes, I think systems make a big difference.

 

[churd]

I think it depends heavily on the type of game you are playing. If you are in a solo game that is mostly social interaction then, no, mechanics are not very important. However, if you are doing a mecha combat campaing or Ars Magica style game, then I think you need a mechanic more sophisticated than using paper-scissors-rock to determine outcomes of uncertian actions.

I see mechanics as the vehicle that drives the storytelling and different mechanics support different types of stories. Most people create stories based on the mechanic, but some choose a mechanic based on the stories they want to tell: e.g. if you want a setting where a powerful warrior fights dozens of foes at once, you are better off using D&D than GURPS fantasy.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I look at it this way.

Good mechanics are important, VERY important. The better the system, the less it interferes with good storytelling. Clunky mechanics keep drawing you out of the immersive interactive storytelling experience. In other words, they break the mood.

In other words, the more transparent the system to the story and its characters, the better. The ideal game system should be like a lens that allows the players to focus on the story being told.

 

[Azul]

Rules don't create a great campaign...but they can ruin one.

You hit the nail right on the head. Although unusually clever rules might actually enhance the game by bringing a new element into it (e.g. CoC's sanity rules) mostly game mechanics issues act on a campaign in a negative way. No matter how good the rules are, it is no guarentee of a good game experience... but bad rules can definitely spoil a game.

Could you play with a very "light" rules system? Sure, take a look at Over the Edge's very simple mechanics. Can you even skip on using dice? Sure, look at Amber. Can you skip on having rules altogether? Yes, but then you aren't playing a roleplaying game anymore since games by definition have rules. You are simply roleplaying, which is pretty much improv without an audience. Nothing wrong with that but it is a slightly different activity.

Rules are light the superstructure of a building. They help give it shape and keep it standing upright. Creativity and storytelling are what does all the finishing and decorating in the building.... they are what make it attractive and enjoyable. However, no matter how pretty your walls are, if the walls of your house fall over you won't like living there.

If you find the d20 rules set too heavy, look at the other RPGs on the market. Most RPGs have simpler rules than d20. Large, well-established games will often have more elaborate rules since they have had time to evolve them. Smaller press games tend to be simpler but there is a lot of variability among them.

I find it best to approach game mechanics as if it were a toolbox. Pick the right set of tools for the job you want to do and it will all go much better. Pick lousy tools or the wrong tools and it will irritate you to no end.

 

[ThoughtBubble]

Allow me to preface this with the statement that I spend a lot of my time immersed in mechanics.

Mechanics are a tool. They allow you to do certain things, and they have some restrictions. Bad mechanics can bring something down. Good mechanics are usually the ones that help the game get the right sort of 'feel' while making sense and usually being fairly easy to grasp (usually, not always).

Well set up they can enourage types of behavior, awareness of parts of the game, or types of role-playing. Badly set up, they can destroy all of the above.

Mechanics are also great because they tend to more visibly outline the basic premises and expectations of the game. CoC has sanity rules. Beating a 25 on a check means you did darn well. Using a bow in someone's melee reach leaves you open to get stabbed.

Are they necessarry? Not 100%, but I find that they're darn nice.

 

[Pants]

This is almost word for word what I was just about to type.

Ditto.
Damn you Quas for stealing my smart comment!

 

[Agback]

Mechanics are vital in that they establish what a setting is like, and how the inhabitants fit into the setting.

Mythusmage expressed this in terms that are more absolute than I might have used myself, but I agree with the thrust of his remarks. Game mechanics succinctly convey information about the game world, particularly about magnitudes. We all know that King Beowulf was pretty damned hard, because he pulled the arm off a troll and beat it to death with the soggy end, and later stabbed a dragon to death with a fruit knife. Game mechanics tell us exactly how damned hard he was.

This being the case, I fun that I am more comfortable playing diceless ior low-mechanics in realistic settings and genres, and that I want more mechanics in the more fantastic ones.