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Role-playing game theory

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Re: Role-playing game theory

#31

Post by forapurpose »

xionon wrote: post #18
forapurpose wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I love the idea of RPGs and have wondered about them as art. Thinking about your comment: One challenge of RPGs producing 'high' art, similar to literature, is that you need a talented, skilled artist. The art of literature can be reproduced and consumed on a large scale: James Joyce writes a book and everyone reads it. Most art that we experience is produced by people with 1-in-10,000 ability (as a guess; that would…

What you’re talking about is already happening with podcasts. A group of players get together, record their session, and publish. The bills are paid via advertising, donations, and sponsorships. The two most promenant ones I’m aware of are The Adventure Zone and Critical Role. The first leans heavily on family, personality, and humor; the second leans heavily on structure, characterization, and voice acting (all the…

Thank you! That is very helpful.

Re: Role-playing game theory

#32

Post by [deleted] »

dang wrote: post #28
sovok_x wrote: post #6

I see all those hypotheses but are those verifiable? Did they result in some solid explanations that allowed useful predictions to be made? Or do they play "my idea is better" game? (edit: yeah, silently downvote people asking questions... people shouldn't ask things. Or is it some sore I stepped on unknowingly?)

> (edit: yeah, silently downvote people asking questions... Would you please not break the site guidelines like this? Unfair downvotes suck, but for a comment like this it's almost always the case that users will give corrective upvotes, which leaves the complaint not only against the rules but factually wrong. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

[deleted]

Re: Role-playing game theory

#33

Post by prevedmedved »

tomkat0789 wrote: post #11

This made me wonder: what parts of our pop culture will be studied as rigorously as historical literature? Where will RPGs and video games fit in? Will some odd history professor in 2100 awkwardly DM a game for bored future college student equivalents?

No, but board games will be.

RPG's are escapism, while real art is hard work. (Fun, but still hard work.)

There is art involved in making and playing RPG's, but the end result is not artistic.

Re: Role-playing game theory

#35

Post by poloniculmov »

xionon wrote: post #18
forapurpose wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I love the idea of RPGs and have wondered about them as art. Thinking about your comment: One challenge of RPGs producing 'high' art, similar to literature, is that you need a talented, skilled artist. The art of literature can be reproduced and consumed on a large scale: James Joyce writes a book and everyone reads it. Most art that we experience is produced by people with 1-in-10,000 ability (as a guess; that would…

What you’re talking about is already happening with podcasts. A group of players get together, record their session, and publish. The bills are paid via advertising, donations, and sponsorships. The two most promenant ones I’m aware of are The Adventure Zone and Critical Role. The first leans heavily on family, personality, and humor; the second leans heavily on structure, characterization, and voice acting (all the…

There is also http://friendsatthetable.net/

Re: Role-playing game theory

#36

Post by muzani »

peterashford wrote: post #19

I've always felt that analysis of art is the surest way to kill it. Obviously, other people differ in this regard.

I've always loved analyzing art. Something about art tugs at the heartstrings. The search on what exactly tugs the heartstrings often teaches me a lot about myself.

Re: Role-playing game theory

#37

Post by Fnoord »

esoteric_wombat wrote: post #23

If you're interested in a more detailed survey of rpg theory I highly recommend the recently published "Role-Playing Game Studies: A Transmedia Approach" and specifically the chapter "RPG Theorizing by Designers and Players". For a much broader historical work there's also Playing at the World by Jon Peterson. For something more bite sized (and free) check out http://analoggamestudies.org/

Ladan's raiding research blog, about World of Warcraft raiding phenomenon [1]

[1] http://www.raidingresearch.co.uk/

Re: Role-playing game theory

#38

Post by batteryhorse »

gallerdude wrote: post #15
tomkat0789 wrote: post #11

This made me wonder: what parts of our pop culture will be studied as rigorously as historical literature? Where will RPGs and video games fit in? Will some odd history professor in 2100 awkwardly DM a game for bored future college student equivalents?

I'm under the belief that the original Star Wars will be studied alongside epics like The Iliad and The Odyssey. It was hugely impactful when released, reinterpreted the hero's journey for the 20th century, and even has its own holiday.

The Iliad and The Odyssey are historically accurate, it is actual history. Heinrich Schliemann proved this with his archaeological excavations.

Star Wars is just a kids story, you really cannot compare the two.

Re: Role-playing game theory

#39

Post by tgb »

batteryhorse wrote: post #38
gallerdude wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm under the belief that the original Star Wars will be studied alongside epics like The Iliad and The Odyssey. It was hugely impactful when released, reinterpreted the hero's journey for the 20th century, and even has its own holiday.

The Iliad and The Odyssey are historically accurate, it is actual history. Heinrich Schliemann proved this with his archaeological excavations. Star Wars is just a kids story, you really cannot compare the two.

I can't imagine what you mean by historically accurate with regards to tales of near-immortals, gods, monsters, etc. How could archeology show the story of one man's voyage to be accurate, let alone the sirens and cyclops that he sees on the way?

Re: Role-playing game theory

#40

Post by 131012 »

sovok_x wrote: post #6

I see all those hypotheses but are those verifiable? Did they result in some solid explanations that allowed useful predictions to be made? Or do they play "my idea is better" game? (edit: yeah, silently downvote people asking questions... people shouldn't ask things. Or is it some sore I stepped on unknowingly?)

The closest thing I got to "make useful predictions" by using rpg theories is to maximize enjoyment of the game by different types of player.

By reading the definition of theory, this is a slightly inappropriate use as the goal is not so much to explain why people are having a blast as to make them having a blast.

Maybe we start speaking about game engineering instead?

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