Defining RPGs: T Bone’s take
August 21st, 2007
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.)
Entry Filed under: RPG
2 Comments Add your own
1. T Bone | August 24th, 2007 at 12:32 pm
Hey, that’s my article! I ran across your site while performing a once-in-a-blue-moon Google search for my own site. (”How am I doing?” and all that.)
I appreciate the praise, though I’m sure my RPG definition has been used by others; it’s pretty mundane. And yet, effective, IOSO (in our shared opinion).
The post itself, though, is largely ignored – less than 50 reads so far. I thought the topic would be of more interest. *shrug*
To spark this reader’s interest, it’s hard to beat the subject of your latest post: SMS (single-malt Scotch). Mmm. I had the pleasure just once, and remember it clearly years later. Time to go re-experience; thanks for the reminder!
2. Alec Bings | August 27th, 2007 at 10:19 am
Hey T Bone,
Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoy your next tipple of Scotch. People can get easily as geeky about it as about games.
Thank goodness we don’t have to choose just one outlet for geeky impulses, eh?
–Alec
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