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<blockquote data-quote="Hussar" data-source="post: 8179684" data-attributes="member: 22779">Let me take another stab at this, although, I get the feeling I'm not going to get much traction.The reason that [USER=30518]@lewpuls[/USER]' list doesn't really work is that he's trying to define RPG by what you do while playing.&nbsp; The problem with that is, it's like trying to define genre by trope - sure it can work sometimes, but, for most genres, you define by theme - what is the story about, not by whether or not it ticks the genre checkboxes.To me, what differentiates an RPG from all other games is that you cannot play an RPG out of the box.&nbsp; You simply can't.&nbsp; Someone has to define the campaign - whether that campaign is a single night (a la Dread) or fifteen years (a la some D&amp;D campaigns).&nbsp; Someone has to create characters based on that campaign.&nbsp; Someone has to define some sort of plot or action.&nbsp; THEN you get to play an RPG.Thus, even if you use the identical rules for two different campaigns, they may look absolutely nothing like each other.&nbsp; Unlike other games where the initial point is defined by the game itself, RPG's don't (as a general rule) have a single initial point from which play progresses.&nbsp; Can you role play in a board game?&nbsp; Of course you can.&nbsp; But, what separates that board game from an RPG is the fact that every time you pull out that board game, your initial premises will be the same (within a given tolerance of same) whereas your initial points in an RPG might be completely different.&nbsp; And most likely will.RPG's can't be defined by what you do in game because what you do in game resembles too many other games.&nbsp; It's the fact that you use the rules of an RPG to construct a game that will be idiosyncratic to your table at that point in time and likely can never be reproduced.&nbsp; Sure, modules allow for shared experiences across tables, but, even then, unless we're talking about the most railroaded, linear scenario, there will be massive variance between one table's experience of a module and another's.&nbsp; Because each group is building a new game every time they sit down to start a campaign.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Hussar, post: 8179684, member: 22779"] Let me take another stab at this, although, I get the feeling I'm not going to get much traction. The reason that [USER=30518]@lewpuls[/USER]' list doesn't really work is that he's trying to define RPG by what you do while playing. The problem with that is, it's like trying to define genre by trope - sure it can work sometimes, but, for most genres, you define by theme - what is the story about, not by whether or not it ticks the genre checkboxes. To me, what differentiates an RPG from all other games is that you cannot play an RPG out of the box. You simply can't. Someone has to define the campaign - whether that campaign is a single night (a la Dread) or fifteen years (a la some D&D campaigns). Someone has to create characters based on that campaign. Someone has to define some sort of plot or action. THEN you get to play an RPG. Thus, even if you use the identical rules for two different campaigns, they may look absolutely nothing like each other. Unlike other games where the initial point is defined by the game itself, RPG's don't (as a general rule) have a single initial point from which play progresses. Can you role play in a board game? Of course you can. But, what separates that board game from an RPG is the fact that every time you pull out that board game, your initial premises will be the same (within a given tolerance of same) whereas your initial points in an RPG might be completely different. And most likely will. RPG's can't be defined by what you do in game because what you do in game resembles too many other games. It's the fact that you use the rules of an RPG to construct a game that will be idiosyncratic to your table at that point in time and likely can never be reproduced. Sure, modules allow for shared experiences across tables, but, even then, unless we're talking about the most railroaded, linear scenario, there will be massive variance between one table's experience of a module and another's. Because each group is building a new game every time they sit down to start a campaign. [/QUOTE]

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