D&D General GMing and "Player Skill"

[loverdrive]

Well chess, fighting games, and TF2 are all complete games in and of themselves. RPGs, despite “game” being in the name, aren’t really games. They’re game-creation engines. Adventures are games.

Spoiler: Tangent on semantics

I think the distinction is way more murky than it appears. A map (and its game mode) has tremendous impact on the actual process of play in TF2, and by choosing to play, say, koth_product over cp_process you choose what kind of experience to have (sniper-heavy slow and miserable experience, in this case) – the game as sold on steam is just a pile of options, The Game as played is a specific combination of them.

That aside, theories of games tend to be broadly applicable to all games in the genre. Whether you are playing Magic, Yu-Gi-Oh, Hearthstone or now sadly dead Elder Scrolls: Legends, you are still thinking about tempo, card advantage, depriving your opponent of resources, controlling the board, etc. The complete game you are playing determines the way you (or your opponent) gain card advantage or control of the board, but general principles still apply.

 

[MichaelSomething]

A good player should be ready for anything; especially when I'm GMing. Difficult combats! Social challenges! Eat a taco topped with cottage cheese and raisins! Bowling! Run a marathon while eating a tuna sandwich every mile! Quote Monty Python! Who knows what I'll come up!?! I sure don't!!!