What is a Roleplaying Game?

Posted on Dec 8, 2009 | 0 comments

Nearly every Roleplaying Game book has a very strange section in it; called “What is a Roleplaying Game?” Like most gamers I just took this for granted, but when I started to plan Free Spacer, I started to wonder if this section was even necessary. I’ve never run across a novel with a “What is Narrative literature?” section or a Cookbook with a “What is a Recipe book?” section. Although, back in the day they had a similar chapter in Choose your own Adventure books; so does this mean that “What is…”sections are only for oddities? Are Roleplaying games so strange that every book requires a section to explain itself?

Is it evangelism? Are we trying to spread the word and bring others into the hobby? Still doesn’t make sense that RPG books have a “What is…” section. You’re already holding the book, perhaps you looked at it out of curiosity in the store, but are you going to flip to the “What are…” section?

So yes, Free Spacer won’t have a “What is a Roleplaying Game?” section. Instead it will have a treatise on Science Fiction RPGs.

Although I still don’t know why so many people want to tell you what a Roleplaying Game is when you already bought the book, I to tell you here, first the Dictionary Definition, then my definitions:

1. RPG or TRPG; Referring to Traditional Roleplaying games, Table-Top RPGs or Pen & Paper RPGs. A TRPG is played by a group of people each taking the role of a Player Character (PC) with one as the Game Master (GM). Each player declares their actions and dialogue as it pertains to their characters role in the world and story. The GM is responsible for describing the fictional world, people, and creatures around the PCs and the results of their actions.
2. Story Games; these are also sometimes called RPGs, but have a much simpler game mechanics centred on giving players more narrative control.
3. LARP; Live Action Role Playing refers to a RPG where players get up and act out their roles. Game Mechanics are even simpler than Story games and players often dress in costumes and use props.
4. Wargames; never called RPG, but important to know about. Wargames are the genesis of RPGs; Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson invented RPGs as a way to play out battles and tell stories with a single character rather than an army. Besides their historical link, some RPGs use miniatures in the same manner as Wargames do.
5. CRPG; Often inaccurately called RPGs, Computer Roleplaying Games require little roleplaying, but trace their mechanics back to the TRPG.
6. MMORPG; a Massively Multi-player Online Roleplaying Game is basically a CRPG that you play online with massive number of players. MMORPGs usually have less story, but online player interactions.

Do you want more definitions? Try John H. Kim’s excellent “What is an RPG?” website or if you like Podcasts you can try Fear the Boot’s seven part series on RPGs for “non-gamers”: Ep#1, Ep#2, Ep#3,Ep#4, Ep#5, Ep#6, and EP#7.