Defining RPGs: T Bone’s take

I wanted to put up a link to send readers to T Bone’s nifty definition of roleplaying games. As he observes, many people offer definitions. T Bone’s is new and different: the third way to enjoy a story.

I like the definition because it’s story oriented—which mirrors my own gaming orientation and strikes at what I think is the differentiator for roleplaying games. Also, it’s pithy and cleverly worded.

Of course, it’s not a perfect definition. You can’t have a perfect definition of something that keeps redefining itself, morphing and changing, and blurring its own boundaries. But T Bone’s definition makes an excellent and usable contribution to the conversation.

T Bone is talking specifically about tabletop RPGs, not CRPGs. No CRPG has come close to caputring what T Bone defines, making the definition even more useful. Innovators wishing to bring new dimensions to computer games should consider how they can bring the shared storytelling experience to their games. The stabs that have been taken so far don’t come close to capturing those vivid, memorable moments that have emerged around kitchen tables.

(And no, I don’t think D&D 4th edition’s computer gametable will get the job done, although it and its many competitors are a step.)

2 comments August 21st, 2007