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S/Z: On the Difficulties of RPG Theory & Criticism
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<blockquote data-quote="Hussar" data-source="post: 7922141" data-attributes="member: 22779"><p>Sigh. I must not be explaining my point well enough.</p><p></p><p>ANYONE can pick up the rules for baseball, follow the steps listed in the rules, and play baseball. For that version of baseball, every single step will be identical in every single game. One side will pitch until there are three outs, then the other side will pitch. This will alternate nine times (again, I'm presuming a certain form of baseball, there are variations) and, barring a tied outcome, the game will end. </p><p></p><p>Every time. Without fail. Everything you need to play that game of baseball is specifically elucidated in those rules. You will not need to create a single thing. At no point will the batting team take to the field and run interference. At no point will the catcher decide to leave the field in the middle of play. Nothing that any player is allowed to do during that game is not covered by the rules of that game. No player may change any rule during play. The umpire cannot suddenly decide that the game should end in the 5th inning because, well, he's tired and it's a good place to stop.</p><p></p><p>EVERY game of baseball (again, with allowances for variants) will be played IDENTICALLY.</p><p></p><p>This is not true of any RPG. Following the rules of that RPG will NOT create a campaign. The players at the table create that. The players at the table PLAY THAT campaign, the one the players at that table created and which cannot be created using the rules of the RPG at another table. </p><p></p><p>The second you decide on your setting - Boston c 1930 - you are going beyond the rules. The rules don't tell you to choose that setting. The rules tell you what you should do when things are in doubt. But, beyond that, the rules of an RPG don't tell you much at all. </p><p></p><p>It is the confluence of the rules of the RPG PLUS the players at that table that create the game that is played. And that game is always idiosyncratic to that table. Two tables could be using the exact same RPG rules and yet the two games share virtually nothing in common. Heck they might not even share genre - that's what the d20 ruleset is all about after all.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Hussar, post: 7922141, member: 22779"] Sigh. I must not be explaining my point well enough. ANYONE can pick up the rules for baseball, follow the steps listed in the rules, and play baseball. For that version of baseball, every single step will be identical in every single game. One side will pitch until there are three outs, then the other side will pitch. This will alternate nine times (again, I'm presuming a certain form of baseball, there are variations) and, barring a tied outcome, the game will end. Every time. Without fail. Everything you need to play that game of baseball is specifically elucidated in those rules. You will not need to create a single thing. At no point will the batting team take to the field and run interference. At no point will the catcher decide to leave the field in the middle of play. Nothing that any player is allowed to do during that game is not covered by the rules of that game. No player may change any rule during play. The umpire cannot suddenly decide that the game should end in the 5th inning because, well, he's tired and it's a good place to stop. EVERY game of baseball (again, with allowances for variants) will be played IDENTICALLY. This is not true of any RPG. Following the rules of that RPG will NOT create a campaign. The players at the table create that. The players at the table PLAY THAT campaign, the one the players at that table created and which cannot be created using the rules of the RPG at another table. The second you decide on your setting - Boston c 1930 - you are going beyond the rules. The rules don't tell you to choose that setting. The rules tell you what you should do when things are in doubt. But, beyond that, the rules of an RPG don't tell you much at all. It is the confluence of the rules of the RPG PLUS the players at that table that create the game that is played. And that game is always idiosyncratic to that table. Two tables could be using the exact same RPG rules and yet the two games share virtually nothing in common. Heck they might not even share genre - that's what the d20 ruleset is all about after all. [/QUOTE]
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