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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 9033228" data-attributes="member: 6696971">“The description.” Of what? Its not clear to me.And I’m assuming “the description” isn’t idiosyncratic to a particular game, here? You’re applying “the description” (whatever that might be…I’m assuming this a stable phenomenon you’re envisioning…some routine thing that occurs in all games?) across all games I hope?To be clear, I’m not restating your concern (which isn’t clear to me what this concern is…is it the “matching a description to a rule” idea above?). I’m (a) differentiating procedures and rules (procedures are a particular subset of rules), (b) confirming pemerton’s historical usage of procedures vs rules, (c) and agreeing with that usage.All of the above that you’ve expressed looks to me to be mapping computer game design philosophy onto TTRPGs. I don’t think a wider reading of game mechanics (whether it be in physical sport, computer games broadly, or esports specifically) is helpful to TTRPG discussion or design.Take your “mechanics are actions players can take to change the gamestate above.” Ok, that omits Wandering Monster rolls, Camp/Town Event rolls, Monster Reaction rolls, Blades in the Dark Fortune rolls, NPC/Threat/Obstacle rolls during Contests or Conflicts, etc. That is a glaring omission of content generating dice rolls, which players don’t roll, that significantly change the gamestate. Binning them outside of “mechanics” seems like something computer game derived philosophy would do because these things are automated or fixed in that medium; therefore not a part of the user’s experience and not a fundamental, dynamism-infusing part of play as they are in TTRPGs.So, in the same way that I wouldn’t map a conversation about a pitcher’s delivery mechanics, or a BJJ player’s arm drag and top game mechanics, or a basketball player’s shooting mechanics, I don’t think its correct or helpful to use computer game design philosophy of esports jargon to attempt to capture either the fullness or novelty of TTRPG mechanics.</blockquote>

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