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<blockquote data-quote="Sunseeker" data-source="post: 7733153"><p>Suggesting that each encounter should be so unique as to not follow any standard game design elements is not only unrealistic, but that way lies madness.</p><p></p><p>Loops and atoms don't merely exist for the player. They also work as building blocks (much as atoms do in real life) for DMs. You can do many things with "fighting orcs" but fundamentally, "fighting orcs" could be your core atom here. It provides the player with an idea of what they're getting themselves into, and it provides the DM/game designer with an idea of what they should be regularly providing more of. </p><p></p><p>If Newbie were to come up to you and ask you "What id this D&D thing all about?" you are farm more likely to respond with something along the lines of "Being an adventurer traveling the lands, fighting interesting monsters, meeting interesting people and taking their stuff." These are the "atoms" of a game like D&D. Being an adventurer. Traveling/exploration. Fighting monsters. Meeting interesting NPCs. Taking their stuff. You would probably <strong>not</strong> tell Newbie that D&D is "Anything and everything and totally unique and different every time!" because while that might catch a few fish, fundamentally you haven't actually <em>told</em> them anything about D&D. If D&D can be everything it can also be nothing. It is if unique and different every time, there are no expectations of what a player might be interested in, maybe Newbie wants to kill some orcs, maybe Newbie doesn't. If you or D&D itsself doesn't tell Newbie what to expect, Newbie might just walk away.</p><p></p><p>The advice above is TOTALLY helpful with RPG design, both in terms of rulesets and campaign design. Not every game is going to appeal to every person, understanding what the "atoms" of your game are, the "fundamental elements" are helps give your game direction and helps give prospective players an idea of what they're getting themselves into.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Sunseeker, post: 7733153"] Suggesting that each encounter should be so unique as to not follow any standard game design elements is not only unrealistic, but that way lies madness. Loops and atoms don't merely exist for the player. They also work as building blocks (much as atoms do in real life) for DMs. You can do many things with "fighting orcs" but fundamentally, "fighting orcs" could be your core atom here. It provides the player with an idea of what they're getting themselves into, and it provides the DM/game designer with an idea of what they should be regularly providing more of. If Newbie were to come up to you and ask you "What id this D&D thing all about?" you are farm more likely to respond with something along the lines of "Being an adventurer traveling the lands, fighting interesting monsters, meeting interesting people and taking their stuff." These are the "atoms" of a game like D&D. Being an adventurer. Traveling/exploration. Fighting monsters. Meeting interesting NPCs. Taking their stuff. You would probably [B]not[/B] tell Newbie that D&D is "Anything and everything and totally unique and different every time!" because while that might catch a few fish, fundamentally you haven't actually [I]told[/I] them anything about D&D. If D&D can be everything it can also be nothing. It is if unique and different every time, there are no expectations of what a player might be interested in, maybe Newbie wants to kill some orcs, maybe Newbie doesn't. If you or D&D itsself doesn't tell Newbie what to expect, Newbie might just walk away. The advice above is TOTALLY helpful with RPG design, both in terms of rulesets and campaign design. Not every game is going to appeal to every person, understanding what the "atoms" of your game are, the "fundamental elements" are helps give your game direction and helps give prospective players an idea of what they're getting themselves into. [/QUOTE]
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