D&D 5E [+] Explain RPG theory without using jargon

[Ovinomancer]

I couldn't find an article with that title (yet). Do you mean perhaps this article?

Theory 101: The Impossible Thing Before Breakfast

Yes, the one the question originated from. That the one. Was on phone, hard to search for the link.

 

[Cadence]

Have you ever heard of anyone else taking RPG theory particularly seriously?

Which makes me wonder if any of the seriously interested people on here have checked out the Springer book by William White that @Snarf Zagyg has brought up in another thread.

Tabletop RPG Design in Theory and Practice at the Forge, 2001–2012

This book provides an introduction to the Forge, an online discussion site for tabletop role-playing game (TRPG) design, play, and publication active during the first years of the 21st century. The book offers an accessible account of the Forge’s development as a site of participatory culture.

link.springer.com

I had no idea until reading the author blurb that there was a journal of role-playing.

Aims and scope: Aims and Scope | International Journal of Role-Playing
(The bottom of the page mentions a variety of past sources of scholarship. Knutepunkt has apparently been publishing things since 2001).

Google scholar to articles: Google Scholar

 

[Campbell]

My personal issue with Vampire is that it billed itself as a game of personal horror, but delivered a game of figuring out conspiracies and byzantine politics. Also for some reason it provided players with cool mechanical buttons, but then shamed them for caring about the cool mechanical buttons. Also bizarrely had an incredibly complex combat system that felt like a war game. Not to mention extremely shady instructions for the GM to keep players in line and railroad them through stories you have already written.

I bought into all that for time. It was some of the most frustrating experiences I have ever had and not just gaming.

I actually adore the current edition which is far more transparent and provides hooks to make the game more about the player characters.

 

[Charlaquin]

Yeah, I totally get what you mean by the cultural sensitivity issues. And I really don't have strong feelings about Masquerade vs Requiem, the former hits my nostalgia buttons better, but I don't think the clan arrangement is better in any real sense. But I was never so focused on the clans to begin with.

Requiem Second Edition is pretty solid as (just to keep things on topic) an example of what I understand to be a “high-concept sim.” The mechanics are a little complex, but they do an excellent job of mechanically expressing the fiction they represent. And it’s very focused on emulating the descent into monstrosity angle, so… maybe not so appealing if you were more into the “superheroes with fangs” style of play than the “woe is me, I’m eternally cursed” style. Not sure what’s up with Masquerade 5th edition (or “VV” as they called it) because, again, I bounced off with the change of publishers. But I’ve heard that they actually did a pretty good job of modernizing the mechanics.

 

[Ovinomancer]

The [+] was added after a few responses.

Yes, but that post certainly set the tone.

 

[Campbell]

Requiem Second Edition is pretty solid as (just to keep things on topic) an example of what I understand to be a “high-concept sim.” The mechanics are a little complex, but they do an excellent job of mechanically expressing the fiction they represent. And it’s very focused on emulating the descent into monstrosity angle, so… maybe not so appealing if you were more into the “superheroes with fangs” style of play than the “woe is me, I’m eternally cursed” style. Not sure what’s up with Masquerade 5th edition (or “VV” as they called it) because, again, I bounced off with the change of publishers. But I’ve heard that they actually did a pretty good job of modernizing the mechanics.

Requiem Second Edition is pretty much a distillation of everything I wanted Vampire to be. Relatively transparent mechanics that do what they say, more carrot than stick and focused on the more personal side of being a vampire.

 

[niklinna]

Which makes me wonder if any of the seriously interested people on here have checked out the Springer book by William White that @Snarf Zagyg has brought up in another thread.

Tabletop RPG Design in Theory and Practice at the Forge, 2001–2012

This book provides an introduction to the Forge, an online discussion site for tabletop role-playing game (TRPG) design, play, and publication active during the first years of the 21st century. The book offers an accessible account of the Forge’s development as a site of participatory culture.

link.springer.com

I had no idea until reading the author blurb that there was a journal of role-playing (role playing writ large).

Aims and scope: Aims and Scope | International Journal of Role-Playing

Google scholar to articles: Google Scholar

I would, but keeping up with this thread is taking up all my time! ;-) It is on my queue though.

It's so damn hard to just read a book these days....

 

[niklinna]

Yes, but that post certainly set the tone.

And how!

 

[Vaalingrade]

My personal issue with Vampire is that it billed itself as a game of personal horror, but delivered a game of figuring out conspiracies and byzantine politics. Also for some reason it provided players with cool mechanical buttons, but then shamed them for caring about the cool mechanical buttons. Also bizarrely had an incredibly complex combat system that felt like a war game. Not to mention extremely shady instructions for the GM to keep players in line and railroad them through stories you have already written.

I bought into all that for time. It was some of the most frustrating experiences I have ever had and not just gaming.

I actually adore the current edition which is far more transparent and provides hooks to make the game more about the player characters.

The beauty of Vampire was to never play as intended and just play The Matrix with Fangs.

 

[kenada]

I never played Vampire, but I played both the first and second editions of Mage: The Awakening. I enjoyed both, but I was probably a “bad player”. My characters always ended up suffering Wisdom loss. I figure what I was doing was thematically appropriate.