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Message: <blockquote data-quote="mythusmage" data-source="post: 2804342" data-attributes="member: 571">I'm going to keep defending my definition. Because, from the alternatives presented in this thread, it's the simplest definition out there that takes into account what's important in an RPG.Yes, others emphasize certain aspects, but those aspects arise from the basic definition.What do you do? You play a character.Where do you play that character? In an imaginary world.How does that world work? How do you determine what a character can do? You have a system of rules that describe how the world works and as part of that description regulate what a character can do.To elucidate: Your character lives in an imaginary world. What he can do and what the world is like is established by a body of rules usually referred to as a system. The system consisting of game mechanics and descriptions of how the mechanics are used.Some emphasize story creation (my preferred term), but without character, world, or system story creation would not be possible at all. The fact it is possible is a consequence of character, world, and system and therefor cannot be considered basic to RPGs.Let me put it this way, 'story' is an outcome of play. Without character, world, and system play (as we know it) would not be possible at all.Take a look at those RPGs you currently own. Note what each includes; character, world, and system. You may find some games that call themselves RPGs that exclude one or more of those elements, but by the definition I've proposed (the 2nd of two) they do not count as RPGs. They may well qualify under the first definition, but not the second. And it is the second we're working with right now.So you've got RPGs as a whole and RPGs of the type discussed on these boards. Type one being the set of RPGs, type two being a sub-set of type one.Tell you what. Shut down your computer and go do the dishes. Or mow the lawn, something like that. Sometimes when you find a problem giving you trouble taking your mind off it and doing something that occupies your attention actually helps you to solve that problem. One of the strange ways our brain works.</blockquote>

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