The rpg-theory tag has no wiki summary.
5
votes
3answers
264 views
Do universal rules systems without any implied setting whatsoever exist?
Is it possible for a system to be universal without implying anything about setting? If it isn't, why?
There are lots of universal systems, but they all seem to have mechanics that pin down ...
12
votes
3answers
511 views
What is “RPG Theory?”
I first encountered this term a couple of months ago. A site search here found it tied into the gaming social contract here. Now that I've found it over here, I'd really like to know.
What exactly is ...
27
votes
7answers
707 views
What makes a character/creature/power/ability/etc. over-powered?
In generic terms, what makes something, regardless of what game it's being used in, over powered?
I hear the term a lot, and while I can recognize it when I see it in-play (often due to someone ...
20
votes
7answers
472 views
What is an example of a “Pure” Simulationist system?
According to the GNS Theory, there are three main different sorts of games: Gamist, Narrativist, and Simulationist. I won't bother giving their descriptions here because the link sums them up better ...
22
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9answers
983 views
What's the difference between a roleplaying game and a board game?
What's the difference between a roleplaying game and a non-roleplaying tabletop game?
An RPG using miniatures looks (at a glance) a lot like a non-RP miniatures game. Some RPGs use cards, but ...
0
votes
0answers
110 views
Is Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door a JRPG or normal RPG? [closed]
I've played this game a lot on my PC after losing it for the GameCube, but I can't seem to find information about it. But, is the game a JRPG (Japanese RPG) or normal RPG?
5
votes
4answers
328 views
RPG Systems with Attribute-based learning speed
I'm a first time poster (but an old time lurker on stackoverflow).
I'm implementing a RPG system (personal use only) that is currently in beta testing.
The idea for skills and progression is that ...
18
votes
4answers
345 views
What analyses exist of capitalist economies in “modern” setting RPGs?
A number of questions exist on stack-exchange discussing feudal economies in RPGs, indicating a number of essays regarding feudal economics in RPG.
What equivalent essay analyses exist of game ...
11
votes
5answers
333 views
How do I return enjoyment to self-defeating strategies?
This question inspired by Self-defeating Strategy that posits:
What happens when players outwit their enemies, leading to their
easy defeat? In most other games, this is a perfectly valid, ...
6
votes
2answers
534 views
How can I make sure my character is awesome enough?
This question pulls quite a lot from Brian Ballsun-Stanton's paper on constrained optimisation (i.e. making your character awesome), so that might be a good thing to read.
I know that in D&D ...
13
votes
7answers
577 views
What qualifies exploration gaming?
In the run up to DnD Next the designers seem to have categorised gamers and/or classes that focus on Combat, Roleplay and Exploration. See this quote from Mike Mearls:
"Setting aside mechanics, I ...
39
votes
10answers
1k views
What characterizes a “Modern” role playing game or gaming system?
I recently read about D&D clones in another question (I forget where I saw it) and noticed comments referring to gaming systems that were clones of D&D as "Old School" while others ...
5
votes
1answer
560 views
What is/are the basic mathematical models for skill-check based systems?
It seems that there is some model-agnostic thinking around skill-check based systems, and I'm interested in finding out what designers use to model them.
Ignoring the dice for a moment, and stating ...
9
votes
5answers
316 views
Have there been any games specifically designed in response to Edwards' “Big Model”?
Love it or hate it, the Big Model (and the GNS theory that is the root of the model) has become a part of the RPG landscape. As a frequent GM, I actually find the model useful for thinking through ...
