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<blockquote data-quote="clearstream" data-source="post: 9023627" data-attributes="member: 71699">Continuing this partial answer to why RPGs have rules, I've written that -Which positions a rule as a function mapping D to C. However, rules also do the job of inviting candidate Ds. An example might be found in rules for gaining a level. What I'm thinking of are cases where there's no natural experience to suggest a description of the sort that &quot;I climb the wall&quot; (to reach the top) or &quot;I swing my axe&quot; (to deal damage) seem to be. Level gaining is sometimes worded as an automatic mechanism and sometimes as a metagame move. To me the latter is the better framing as any supposed automatic mechanism still requires a participant to enact it (falling into what I've labelled &quot;description&quot;... what do I do, ludically speaking.)The following jobs still need to be done<ol>
<li data-xf-list-type="ol">Supply a candidate description... now clarified as itself subject to norms/rules</li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ol">Match that description to a norm/rule</li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ol">Read off the norm/rule the explicitly stated consequences, or propose fitting consequences</li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ol">If more than one consequence is possible, select one</li>
</ol>Mechanistic or procedural rules - such as the procedure to select among consequences - can be made to fit this picture, but possibly still require separate treatment. Along with rules that serve to simulate and those addressing other rules. The lense itself should be compared with other lenses.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="clearstream, post: 9023627, member: 71699"] Continuing this partial answer to why RPGs have rules, I've written that - Which positions a rule as a function mapping D to C. However, rules also do the job of inviting candidate Ds. An example might be found in rules for gaining a level. What I'm thinking of are cases where there's no natural experience to suggest a description of the sort that "I climb the wall" (to reach the top) or "I swing my axe" (to deal damage) seem to be. Level gaining is sometimes worded as an automatic mechanism and sometimes as a metagame move. To me the latter is the better framing as any supposed automatic mechanism still requires a participant to enact it (falling into what I've labelled "description"... what do I do, ludically speaking.) The following jobs still need to be done [LIST=1] [*]Supply a candidate description...[I] now clarified as itself subject to norms/rules[/I] [*]Match that description to a norm/rule [*]Read off the norm/rule the explicitly stated consequences, or propose fitting consequences [*]If more than one consequence is possible, select one [/LIST] Mechanistic or procedural rules - such as the procedure to select among consequences - can be made to fit this picture, but possibly still require separate treatment. Along with rules that serve to simulate and those addressing other rules. The lense itself should be compared with other lenses. [/QUOTE]

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