Sports as the Metaphor for RPGs
I have come to the conclusion that the right metaphor for a divide in RPG preferences and design is sports. Which divide? A few, but let’s start with games that reserve authority to the GM and those that shared that authority. A GMless story-game is like a pick up game where the two sides don't really keep track of points and players may even be added, dropped or change sides during the game. A full authority GMed game is like a competitive match which requires careful tracking and the presence of a referee. Both experience are fun. The type of fun is different.
Here's another metaphor. There are two types of wrestling: the “fake” pre-planned pre-spripted kind, and the competitive Olympic kind. Some role-playing games are pro-wrestling. They have preset and prescript ed story beats they want to hit. The play is still surprising because the participants didn't know exactly how they would get there, on exactly what the end would be – but the type of story wasn't in doubt, this is the pro-wrestling equivalent. Certain types of adventures as well as scenario games fit here. Athleticism (skill) is still key to part of executing the experience but it is principally about the performance itself.
Some roleplaying games are competitive wrestling. These games are rigorous and challenging. A player could lose at any point and the narrative (if there is one) is more like experiencing the real world, albeit with the option of becoming a new contestant (character). These games may simply be more deadly, but there’s a fair bit of variability here too. Let’s explore that with another divide.
Let's explore the divide in martial arts and how it can correspond to our metaphorical RPG experiences: sparring versus a “real” match. Sparring with a good natured partner is fun. It let's your experiment, try new things and build your instincts. You and your partner co-operate setting the terms and sharing authority. Just like a shred authority game where all participants ensure the fun and safety of each other. Sparring is a engaging experience in itself it parallels RPG with tense situations where the PC are in less serious danger. In sparring there is still a chance of injury – even if it is just bruises, and it will be obvious that you lost or won an exchange.
MMA is as real a fight as it can get within the confines of sport. There are RPG's that push the as real as possible agenda. These games often approach things in more grounded terms, promoting both strategic and tactical thinking. These games require a separate referee whose goal is to represent the world. These games are challenging and the stakes are as real as imaginary stakes can get.
These metaphors are not perfect. The point is that there are fans of all of these. Many will enjoy more than one type of experience. Some will have very strong preferences for one style of fun. Knowing what you like and perhaps more importantly what kind of experience you are about to have is very helpful to your enjoyment.
How did my thoughts get here?
I was reading Adventure, Conqueror King System Imperial Imprint Judges Journal and he uses a sports team metaphor on page 32 under the heading “Tabletop Campaigns are Team Sports, Not Social Events.”
Right around then then we added two sports themed games: Tournament Arc and 5- Star Match.
Tournament Arc is about the feel of being on a sports team through the end of season tournament. It uses the belonging out side of belonging engine pioneered in Dream Askew Dream Apart.
5- Star Match is a solo play wrestling game with a decent level of crunch. In it you create a pro-wrestling organization, its wrestlers and hold matches and events.
I also have ongoing game of Fight to Survive: Martial Arts meets Heart running with some of my old high school buddies.
All the games I mention are ones we distribute through Compose Dream Games. Should you pick one up, this author, who owns the marketplace gets 15%. The above are links to our Canadian site but all are also available through our UK Marketplace and our many Friendly Local Game Store partners.
Some version of this article may end up in a additional design thougts in a future version of Joshua’s game Fabrication: A Game that Makes Games (the alpha playkit is already available).
This article is in some ways a follow-up to RPGs are a Big Tent https://composedreamgames.com/forum/discussion/9184/rpgs-are-a-big-tent so you may wish to read that.
Comments
Yes to all this. I have mixed feelings about the necessity of having to cover the ground that different people have (and are allowed to have, without judgement) different approaches to play within the TTRPG space. I'd love if we could move on to developing a common language of those approaches so people could better find material that speaks to them.
As an addendum, just to be clear, the way the Internet discourse goes rhese days we certainly DO need analogies to help people understand that the medium has different routes to fun. An article like this helps, I hope.
Part of my desire to write this does come from being on the "front lines" talking with people at our booth and realizing that the shared language often isn't there.
Appreciate it. I hope so too!