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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pawsplay" data-source="post: 4260134" data-attributes="member: 15538">I've finally sat down and jotted out my thoughts on RPG theory, and this is what I've come up with so far. Does anyone feel like commenting?My basic goals are to describe immersion and come up with a sensible way to talk about the metagame.---A definition of a role-playing game: 1.    Narrative Principle: A role-playing game takes the form of a narration, with play consisting of a series of logically connected events. 2.    Action Resolution: Critical game decisions are made collaboratively by using a set of rules. 3.    Immersive Persona: At least one player takes on the role of a specific character, making decisions "as if" that character. 4.    Freedom Principle: Any possible action that could be taken by a character can be adjudicated within the immersive framework of the game. The basic tasks of game design are:1. Achieve suspension of disbelief2. Engage the players3. Fulfill the expectation of excitementThe generalized goal of an RPG is a flow experience in an imaginary world. Examples of this flow experience include:1. Experiencing a character as being, seeing a world through the eyes of the imaginary character2. The thrill of victory in overcoming an imaginary obstacle3. The sense of the imaginary world having substance, logic, and importanceIn a role-playing game, any of these examples incorporate the active participation of the player.You“You” are a player experiencing the imaginary world of the game through an envelope of experience. This veil separates reality from imagination but connects them both. Hence, games are always experienced by the player, whether in persona or in their meta-game consciousness. Decisions “as if” someone is a character describe a player inhabiting the character through the envelope of experience. The player is ultimately authorial.Stages of the Game ExperienceThere are two stages of the game experience, design and immersion. Design is the meta-game stage. Design includes the creation of a world, objects, characters, and dramatic trajectories. The goal of design is to enable the Freedom Principle. Immersion is the state of experience participating in the game. Because a game takes place in an imaginary world, the goal of immersion is to engage the imaginary elements of the game.The two elements can occur simultaneously, but design must always precede immersion. StoryStory in an RPG has two parts, interpretation and decision-making. Interpretation can be divided into anticipation, experience, and history. Anticipation is the belief in likely future events. Experience is the understanding of the possibilities in front of the player. History is a recollection, with analysis, of what has transpired. Story in an RPG is similar to the experience in a fictional story. However, experience and anticipation are not simply guesses about the authorial intent. They also include the player’s input into the system. History is not simply a record of events, but also a recollection of participation and decision-making. The meaning imposed on a story is therefore contingent on each player. A final consensus is only possible when the game ends. Until then, intentionality prevents the players from having a unified interpretation. This leads to the maxim, "There is no plot."Decision-making has three stages: analysis, a goal-seeking decision, and feedback. Analysis is deciding on a goal or priority based on the player’s interpretation. Then, a goal-seeking decision is made. Immediately after, the player experiences a reaction to their action, and react in turn. Decision-making is circular within the game, as every decision follows another. The first decisions made in a game are necessarily meta-game ones because no analysis of the current game is possible if nothing has yet transpired. Instead, the player proceeds from desire, expectations, and an act of creativity. Similarly, a game can only end when the player is satisfied meta-game conditions have been fulfilled. Of itself, a story is indefinite.Interpretation and decision-making are circular. Interpretation leads to decision-making, and decision-making to interpretation. The player begins with an intention, and leaves with a fulfillment of this intention, whether this experience is evaluated as satisfactory or not. To reiterate, design must precede immersion.</blockquote>

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