10/8/2020 Role-playing game theory - Wikipedia

Role-playing game theory

A role-playing game theory is the ludology of role-playing games (RPGs) where they are studied
as a social or artistic phenomenon. RPG theories seek to understand what role-playing games are,
how they function, and how the process can be refined in order to improve the gaming experience
and produce more useful game products.

Contents
About
History
Notable examples
References

About
Role playing games are an ever-expanding phenomenon which stake no particular claim to
boundaries. Role playing games come in an immense array of various types and categories which we
will briefly delve into; the first of which being the traditional table top RPG. These games, or more
specifically, "(TFRPG), has its historical basis in miniature war gaming",[1]:3 referring to games like
Warhammer 40,000, played on a table top with miniature figures. The battles unfold by rolling dice,
using rulers, tokens and various other devices to perform a wide array of desired actions. The second
RPG to be analyzed is known as CSG or collectible strategy game. This type of RPG has a much
broader context than that of a TFRPG due to the fact that it draws elements from both types of RPGs.
A CSG is defined as "a setting and a system, but the setting resides in the background, while the
system is integrally tied to some of the collectible material artifacts, such as cards, miniature figures,
paper dice, pre-formed plastic constructibles and even pinback buttons".[1]:5 These types of games are
played using special attributes which are associated with the particular collectible being used. You
can place these collectibles in an attack or defensive position, roll dice to perform a specific action
and much more. Note that this type of RPG is typically associated with CCG or collectible card games
(e.g. Magic: The Gathering). The final type of RPG to be discussed appeared around the 1970s and is
known as OVCG or Online Video and Computer Game. OVCGs are defined as RPGs that "require
either a personal computer or gaming console in addition to gaming software, rather than source
books, cards, or dice".[1]:6 OVCGs did not reach full maturity until the 1990s, when games played
cooperatively via large networked servers were available. Current examples of these games include
World of Warcraft (Blizzard), Rift (Trion Worlds), and Star Wars: The Old Republic (BioWare).[1]

History
The first organized critical reflection on role-playing games and academic research on them from
their inception in the mid-1970s through the 1980s focused on examining and refuting the early
controversies surrounding the hobby at the time. Arguably, the first examination of the field in
clinical terms came with the publication of Shared Fantasies: Role Playing Games as Social
Worlds[2] by Gary Fine. Gary Gygax, co-originator of the hobby with Dave Arneson, published two
books on his philosophy of role-playing, Role Playing Mastery: Tips, Tactics and Strategies in 1989,
and Master of the Game in 1990.

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In 1994–95 Inter*Active (later renamed Interactive Fiction) published a magazine devoted to the
study of RPGs. In the first issue Robin Laws called for the creation of a critical theory for role-playing
games.[3] By the late 90s discussion on the nature of RPGs on rec.games.frp.advocacy had generated
several theories of RPGs which spread to other sites and influenced theorists in France and
Scandinavia. The Scandinavian RPG scene saw several opposing ideological camps about the nature
and function of RPGs emerge, and began having regular conventions on live-action role-playing
games where RPG theory was featured prominently, called the Knutepunkt. The first Knutepunkt was
held in Oslo in 1997 and the annual convention is still being organized today.

In the 21st century, self-defined "Indie role-playing" communities such as the Forge[4] grew on the
internet, studying role-playing and developing the GNS Theory of role-playing games. Knutepunkt
has continued to grow and an annual collection of articles on role-playing has been published since
2003. Many games, especially those from indie writers, are now written with a conscious awareness
and incorporation of RPG theory.

Notable examples
Some RPG theories include:

Threefold Model
Developed at rec.games.frp.advocacy from 1997 to 1998; proposed by Mary Kuhner, and
FAQed by John Kim. It hypothesizes that any GM decision will be made for the purpose of
game, or drama, or simulation. Thus, player preferences, GMing styles, and even RPG rulesets
can be characterised as Game-oriented, Drama-oriented or Simulation-oriented, or more
usually as somewhere between the three extremes. It is sometimes called GDS theory.[5]
Strictly, GDS theory is concerned with players' social interactions, but it has been extrapolated
to direct game design, both in and out of the world of RPGs. A game can be classified
according to how strongly it encourages or facilitates players reinforcing behaviors matching
each category. Game designers find it useful because it can be used to explain why players
play certain games.

GEN Theory
Developed at Gaming Outpost in 2001 largely by Scarlet Jester. It hypothesizes a top and
bottom "tier" of play, with the top tier being dominated by "Intent" which is divided into Gamist,
Explorative, and Narrative. It was influenced by threefold and GNS theory.[6]

The Big Model or Forge Theory

Developed at The Forge from 1999-2005 largely by Ron Edwards – It hypothesizes that
roleplaying games are modeled by "The Big Model" with 4 levels: the social contract,
exploration, techniques and ephemera, with creative agendas governing the link from social
contract to technique. In this theory there are 3 kinds of creative agenda, Gamist, Narrativist,
and Simulationist agendas. It is detailed in the articles "GNS and Other Matter of Role Play
Theory," "System Does Matter," "Narrativism: Story Now" "Gamism: Step on Up" and
"Simulationism: The Right to Dream" by Ron Edwards, at the Forge's article page.[7] The Big
Model grew out of GNS Theory, a variant of the Threefold Model.

Color Theory
Developed by Fabien Ninoles in 2002, was developed on the French createurs-jdr mailing list. It
is an inheritor of SCARF theory and SCAR theory, which then interacted with English language
theories. In this theory the goals of system design are thought of as the primary colors of TV
light - Green for simplicity, Blue for realism, Red for consistency, with notions like adaptability,
tenacity, brightness, and visibility being extensions of the metaphor.[8]

Channel Theory
Developed by Larry Hols in 2003; hypothesizes that game play is made up of "channels" of
various kinds such as "narration," "moral tone" or "fidelity to setting." It developed in part as a
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criticism of the three style theories.[9]

Wunderkammer-Gesamtkunstwerk (Wu-Ge) Model

Proposed by Lars Konzack of University of Copenhagen as a framework for analysis and
design of RPGs, this model examines a role-playing game both as a composite whole
(Gesamtkunstwerk) of four art forms: Sub-Creation (setting), Ludus (game system),
Performance, and Narrative; and as a "cabinet of curiosities" (Wunderkammer), a metaphor for
their capacity to smoothly incorporate any player-suggested concepts into their imaginary
space.[10]

The Turku School

Developed in Turku, Finland, especially by Mike Pohjola from 1999 to the present. It advocates
immersion ("eläytyminen") as the primary method of role-playing (especially live action role-
playing), and artistic exploration as the primary goal. The Immersionist style is thought to be
distinct from dramatist, gamist, and simulationist styles, and dramatism and gamism are
thought to be clearly inferior styles of role-play, fit only for other mediums besides
roleplaying.[11]

The Meilahti School

Developed in Helsinki, Finland, by Jaakko Stenros and Henri Hakkarainen from 2002 to the
present. It defines role-playing in a way that encompasses many different forms, and shuns
normative choices about what the right or best forms are. "A role-playing game is what is
created in the interaction between players or between player(s) and gamemaster(s) within a
specified diegetic framework."[12]

References
1. J. Patrick Williams; Sean Q. Hendricks; W. Keith Winkler (21 March 2006). Gaming as Culture:
Essays on Reality, Identity and Experience in Fantasy Games (https://books.google.com/books?i
d=i7UBWz6LBK4C). McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-5406-8.
2. Shared Fantasies: Role-Playing Games as Social Worlds ISBN 0-226-24943-3 / 0-226-24943-3
ISBN 978-0-226-24943-8 University of Chicago Press 1983
3. The Hidden Art: Slouching Towards a Critical Framework of RPGs (http://www.rpg.net/oracle/essa
ys/hiddenart.html) by Robin Laws
4. The Forge Forums - Index (http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/)
5. The Threefold Theory FAQ (http://www.darkshire.net/jhkim/rpg/theory/threefold/faq_v1.html) by
John Kim
6. Everything You Need to Know about GEN Theory (http://www.darkshire.net/jhkim/rpg/theory/three
fold/GEN01.html) by Scarlet Jester
7. The Forge’s article page (http://www.indie-rpgs.com/articles/), with the key articles to GNS
Theory/Forge Theory
8. Color Theory (http://harmonies.tzone.org/articles/colors/colors.html) by Fabien Ninoles
9. Channel Theory (http://carrollsweb.com/crkdface/) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/2011070
8122239/http://carrollsweb.com/crkdface/) 2011-07-08 at the Wayback Machine, by Larry Hols
10. Konzack, Lars (14 May 2015). "The Wunderkammer-Gesamtkunstwerk Model: A Framework for
Role-Playing Game Analysis and Design" (https://www.academia.edu/15815581). Academia.edu.
Retrieved 29 June 2016.
11. The Turku School (http://www2.uiah.fi/~mpohjola/turku/)
12. The Meilahti School (http://www.saunalahti.fi/~hohakkar/meilahti/)

Further reading

Thorbiörn Fritzon & Tobias Wrigstad (eds.). Role, Play, Art -- Collected experiences of role-playing
(http://jeepen.org/kpbook). Stockholm, Sweden. ISBN 978-91-631-8853-4.
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10/8/2020 Role-playing game theory - Wikipedia

Petter Bøckman & Ragnhild Hutchison (eds.): Dissecting Larp. Knutepunkt 2005. ISBN 82-
997102-0-0 (print) ISBN 82-997102-1-9 (online) http://knutepunkt.laiv.org/
Markus Montola & Jaakko Stenros (eds.): Beyond Role and Play. Solmukohta 2004. ISBN 952-
91-6842-X. https://web.archive.org/web/20060615144314/http://www.ropecon.fi/brap/
Morten Gade, Line Thorup & Mikkel Sander (eds.): As Larp Grows Up. Knudepunkt 2003.
ISBN 87-989377-0-7.
https://web.archive.org/web/20060718051716/http://www.laivforum.dk/kp03_book/
Mackay, Daniel. The Fantasy Role-Playing Game: A New Performing Art McFarland, 2001.
(ISBN 0-7864-0815-4)
Fine, Gary Alan Shared Fantasy: Role Playing Games as Social Worlds University of Chicago
Press, 1984 (ISBN 0-226-24943-3)
Porter, Greg. "Where We Have Been and Where We Are Going" (http://www.rpg.net/oracle/essay
s/wherewevebeen.html). RPGnet. Retrieved August 16, 2013.
A Brief History of Fashion in RPG Design (http://www.darkshire.net/jhkim/rpg/theory/fashions.htm
l) by John Kim
An articles compendium about role-playing games theories (http://www.darkshire.net/jhkim/rpg/the
ory/) by John Kim
Markus Montola and Jaakko Stenros (eds.) Playground Worlds (http://2008.solmukohta.org/pub/Pl
ayground_Worlds_2008.pdf), Solmukohta 2008. ISBN 978-952-92-3580-3 (pdf ) "Key Concepts in
Forge Theory" by Emily Care Boss.
Williams, P., Hendricks, S., & Winkler, K. (2006). Essays on reality, identity and experience in
fantasy games (https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=i7UBWz6LBK4C&oi=fnd&pg=PA1
9&dq=roleplaying%20game%20theory&ots=YIs5Cci6IY&sig=vLzlRWNWvTqRI12m9zV9M9kFeU
0#v=onepage&q=roleplaying%20game%20theory&f=false) (ISBN 978-0-7864-2436-8)
Montola, Markus (2008). "The Invisible Rules of Role-Playing. The Social Framework of Role-
Playing Process" (http://ijrp.subcultures.nl/?page_id=208). International Journal of Role-Playing
(1): 22–36. ISSN 2210-4909 (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/2210-4909). Retrieved 30 October
2016.

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