tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695527399731010011.post52067893519761047..comments2024-03-23T15:19:07.016-05:00Comments on Walker's Retreat: Tabletop RPGs: Best Kept SimpleBradford C. Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810129226163375188noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695527399731010011.post-32993190009728851452017-03-14T19:48:57.048-05:002017-03-14T19:48:57.048-05:00I've discovered over the years that if the pla...I've discovered over the years that if the players understand the basic mechanic(s), and I play the fair & impartial interpreter of what they see/sense/feel and paint pictures for them in their theater of the mind, then life is grand at the table. <br /><br />Single-page character sheets that have reminders or prompts about what to roll and when can help (during inactive points, novice players scan the sheets and pick up stuff).<br /><br />Simple mechanics that work in one direction seem to be best (roll over number; roll under number), but as long as players can read my 5"x 8" note card with "all the RPG rules *you* need; I've got the rest", then we can all figure it out together.Man of the Atomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15936961988929608221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695527399731010011.post-30334887005525320142017-03-14T08:11:25.670-05:002017-03-14T08:11:25.670-05:00Lowering barriers to entry ought to be one of the ...Lowering barriers to entry ought to be one of the major characteristics of TRPGs. As it can be for CRPGs (the detailed characterization typical of the latter is routine for video gamers). But simplicity, in general, is antithetical to money-making. RPG publishers who want to make a living must continue to sell product, and a major category of product is additional rules. See "RPGs are prisoners of capitalism" on my Youtube Game Design channel (https://youtu.be/fZy6Lvc7kxY)<br /><br />One reason why I never designed a typical RPG is "too many words". The only attempt I made, to write rules to be used in conjunction with a boardgame, has turned into a Basic Role Playing Game (which isn't likely to be published as a separate item).Lewis Pulsipherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11998403221823705918noreply@blogger.com