Contemporary Simulationist TTRPGs [+]

[Aldarc]

"Simulationism" - in the sense that the players of a RPG should have no aspiration beyond experiencing the fiction, as some combination of mechanics and GM narration present it to them - seems to have become a predominant orientation in the early-to-mid 1980s, and to have continued, perhaps in fluctuating degrees, since then. Classic D&D was not this sort of game: the aspiration of a player of (say) Tomb of Horrors or Gygax's Castle Greyhawk is to beat the dungeon, and thereby earn treasure and thus experience points. The fiction is a means to an end, not an end in itself.

FWIW, I think a fair number of players approach APs in a similar way: i.e., "beating the adventure path."

 

[pemerton]

FWIW, I think a fair number of players approach APs in a similar way: i.e., "beating the adventure path."

Seems plausible! But there is also a strong normativity around "munchkin", "optimiser", "power gamer" etc. As if trying to make moves that the game permits, in order to succeed at the game, is some sort of departure from ideals. That normativity didn't exist in the early days of RPGing!

 

[GobHag]

"Simulationism", in the sense that the mechanics of a RPG should yield the fiction with little need for anyone to decide/inject their own view, has always been a minority approach to RPGing I think. RQ, RM, GURPS etc exemplify this, but they have never been predominant. 3E D&D seems to be the closest that D&D got to this, but it has so many other mechanical elements (both inherited from earlier D&D as well as of its own invention, like multi-classing and feats and so on) that it isn't really a sim game in this sense.

I mean those three are pretty big name games. I'd also say that the prolifreration of very detailed equipment list back then as a sign that Simulationism was the norm in design.