Robert Fisher
Just thinking out loud
On RPG complexity
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I used to think that I wanted role playing games to be simulations. I wanted rules that—except for the explicitly fantastic parts—gave realistic results. To that end, I sought games that had more & more complexity. I thought I was coming pretty close. Then a few things happened.
I noticed that half of the group learned all the complex rules for each new system we’d try. During the game, we’d have long stretches in which that half of us discussed the rules & how to apply them to the current situation. The other half of the group just sat there with blank expressions waiting for us to finish. They never complained, but I began to notice that they weren’t as engaged in the game as they could be because they had no desire to learn the intricacies of the rules.
I also played an on-a-lark AD&D2e campaign. The simplicity of the system was so refreshing in contrast to the other games I was playing.
I also began to realize that a simpler, more abstract rule could often give more “realistic” results than a more complex, detailed subsystem.
Could it be possible to have a minimalist system that gave passably “realistic” results & was simple enough that everyone at the table could master it?
(...to be continued...Free Kriegspiel...)
last updated 10 months ago #
