What are RPGs?
RPGs are really hard to define. i've described them as a mix of board games and choose your own adventure books before; but admittedly that's a shitty definition. It doesn't really explain anything.
Game mechanics, not narrative, are are at the center of board games. (Although mechanics do tell a story.)
I’ve heard others describe them as interactive narrative, but it doesn’t quite fit either because mechanics drive narrative.
To me, RPGs exist in an amorphous middle ground between narrative and game systems.
Narrative doesn’t drive the RPG session. Practically speaking, narrative is the interface between rules systems and the players. Often times, rules, not story, dictate what happens in the narrative.
At the same time, game systems aren’t the sole driver either. If that were the case RPGs would be abstract like Chess. Narrative matters to us. It’s how we remember the game long after the session. It creates or greatly amplifies our emotional response to the game mechanics.
i've given up on coming up with a definition. I’m quite happy keeping things ambiguous. i'll define them on a session by session basis.
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