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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ycore Rixle" data-source="post: 5295861" data-attributes="member: 675">I could imagine doing focus group studies with different rules sets and measuring their time spent roleplaying. But yeah, I doubt that anyone has ever done that. I'd at least like to hear SRM's arguments, say, if "evidence" is not the right word.As to the topic at hand, in the extreme cases, I think it's clear that system affects roleplay. Not too many people roleplay the yellow pawn in Sorry! But plenty of people roleplay their mini in D&D. So in the extremes, I think it's clear, the system affects the roleplay.Now, is that a useful way of thinking about this? I'd say so. I'd say the behavior we see in the extremes, in this case, does carry over to the means, or the middle of the spectrum where it's harder to differentiate amount and kind of roleplay. But I'm sure a lot of people would disagree with me.Here are some mechanics I've seen affect roleplay to an extent that I would consider "a lot": SAN checks in CoC, stunting in Exalted, Inspirations in Spellbound Kingdoms (my own game, full disclosure there), Intimacy dice in My Life with Master, the escalation mechanic in Dogs in the Vineyard, and even skills in D&D. Tons of players love to roleplay their skills, and if those skills weren't part of the system, I'm pretty sure there would be less of that roleplay. Maybe SRM and I just disagree on what "affect roleplay" means. To me, it is very broad. I'd say it means how the game system affects everything from the choice of genre to the frequency of roleplay in a session to the need for roleplay.Or maybe we just differ on what roleplay is. To me, roleplay is everything from narrating your character's actions in combat to talking in character with your estate's gardener and back to describing how your character's motivations drive him to finish combat with a killing blow or with mercy.So I still don't see how a system can "only in very limited ways" affect roleplay. To me the system changes the entire focus and frequency of the roleplay.(Also, wedgeski, what you're saying about the roleplay being a function of the group more than the system... I agree with that to a significant extent. The group makes all the difference, no doubt. But SRM went further than that. Maybe he didn't mean to - the main thrust of what he's saying seems to be along the lines of what you said. But I take exception to that one sentence where he went further.)</blockquote>

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