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I've been watching a lot of APs (Actual Plays) recently and I've stumbled onto something. I've never really thought about the different categories that table top role playing games fall into. Let's see if we can break this down, because as of right now, I see about six different categories that games can be identified by, and some of them are concurrent.
Rules Light vs Crunchy
Games usually fall into one of these two categories, depending on how much mechanical thought needs to go into performing a game task. This classification easily becomes lumped into the next one, Narrative. A rules light game is often built around a very simple concept, allowing your imagination to go wild with possibilities. More crunchy games typically require more mathematical computation, or have complex rule sets that specifically how, when, and where you're allowed to do a given task.
Narrative vs Tactical
Do you need a flip map to play a game to keep track of character's positions and facing directions or can you just wing it by using Theater of Mind? The more narrative the game, the more you can fudge character actions. Character movement are more abstract, and these games tend to offer a more Fiction First stance, and can often feel very cinematic or like you're inside a movie. While tactical games focus on exact movement rules, these games are very realistic and you may feel as thought you're participating within a simulation.
Class vs Classless
Role playing games that allow you to quickly identify your character based on something like an archetype uses a Class mechanism, that is, you get a convenient package of skills and attributes that define your character, and often these character types are specialists in something specific. You can say that your character is a Pilot, and everybody knows that you can operate flying vehicles. Whereas a Classless system, relies on building your character with independent skills, and this allows you to have more control over what your character is capable of doing.
Generative vs Point Build
Building a character using the generative method, involves varying degrees of relying upon random roll tables. It's often best to walk into these games with a blank slate, and to create a story on the fly as you create your character. This is good if you're unfamiliar with a particular game system, just getting your toes wet, or if you don't really have any idea about what kind of character you'd like to play as. Point Build systems allow you to create a perfect replica of any fictional character you've already learned about. You have great flexibility and control over every minute detail of your character, however, the price you pay for this additional flexibility isn't only just a pool of points, if may take several hours, possibly even days of research to learn about all the options you have at your disposal just to create your character.
Authoritative vs Agency
Most games operate with a group of players and a single authority, the Game Master, who decides if character actions are available to be performed by a player or not. This person is not only responsible for ensuring a smooth and fun game environment, but also applying all the rules of a particular game system. One potential adverse effect of this set up can lead toward the mentality of Player versus the Game Master. While role playing is to be enjoyed by everybody at the table, it's typically counterproductive to turn the game into a competition to see if the Players "win" the game. The point is to have fun, to tell a story. Which is where a newer concept (to me) has been identified. That of Player Agency. There are some games that focus specifically on giving tools to Players to narrate the story, with the gentile guidance of the Game Master. Yes, the GM is still arbitrating the rules, but they aren't dictating the effects of results of the players actions.
Agnostic vs Lore-filled
The final contrast we'll look at is if a game system has been created around a specific set of lore, whether it be completely fictional or totally theoretical. Lore filled games often have rich options for character development, there's lots of places to explore, and typically lots of gadgets to discover. Most of the antagonists have already been created for the group, so the game can start without too much forethought. Plots are based upon the world that the game is located for. Setting agnostic games, however, can be played for any imaginable setting, in any genre. Don't like Fantasy, prefer Horror, you can totally do it! The trade of here, is that Agnostic settings usually take longer to get running because the Game Master (and sometimes with the help of the Players) needs to be mapped out beforehand.
What are your preferences? As I've built my library of games, I'm finding that I am preferring games that have more Player Agency in them, that are more cinematic, that allow for more theater of the mind, and are less reliant upon the use of Archetypes or Classes to build characters. And while I've had fun in setting based games, like Shadowrun, I'm finding more of my favorite games tend to be firmly within the agnostic space. I also have to say though, that despite the freedom that this gives me as a Player and Game Master, I'm finding that there is a ton of fun to be had in generative character creation. I guess I'm a flexible, fly by the seat of her pants, kinda girl. And that's okay.
Rules Light vs Crunchy
Games usually fall into one of these two categories, depending on how much mechanical thought needs to go into performing a game task. This classification easily becomes lumped into the next one, Narrative. A rules light game is often built around a very simple concept, allowing your imagination to go wild with possibilities. More crunchy games typically require more mathematical computation, or have complex rule sets that specifically how, when, and where you're allowed to do a given task.
Narrative vs Tactical
Do you need a flip map to play a game to keep track of character's positions and facing directions or can you just wing it by using Theater of Mind? The more narrative the game, the more you can fudge character actions. Character movement are more abstract, and these games tend to offer a more Fiction First stance, and can often feel very cinematic or like you're inside a movie. While tactical games focus on exact movement rules, these games are very realistic and you may feel as thought you're participating within a simulation.
Class vs Classless
Role playing games that allow you to quickly identify your character based on something like an archetype uses a Class mechanism, that is, you get a convenient package of skills and attributes that define your character, and often these character types are specialists in something specific. You can say that your character is a Pilot, and everybody knows that you can operate flying vehicles. Whereas a Classless system, relies on building your character with independent skills, and this allows you to have more control over what your character is capable of doing.
Generative vs Point Build
Building a character using the generative method, involves varying degrees of relying upon random roll tables. It's often best to walk into these games with a blank slate, and to create a story on the fly as you create your character. This is good if you're unfamiliar with a particular game system, just getting your toes wet, or if you don't really have any idea about what kind of character you'd like to play as. Point Build systems allow you to create a perfect replica of any fictional character you've already learned about. You have great flexibility and control over every minute detail of your character, however, the price you pay for this additional flexibility isn't only just a pool of points, if may take several hours, possibly even days of research to learn about all the options you have at your disposal just to create your character.
Authoritative vs Agency
Most games operate with a group of players and a single authority, the Game Master, who decides if character actions are available to be performed by a player or not. This person is not only responsible for ensuring a smooth and fun game environment, but also applying all the rules of a particular game system. One potential adverse effect of this set up can lead toward the mentality of Player versus the Game Master. While role playing is to be enjoyed by everybody at the table, it's typically counterproductive to turn the game into a competition to see if the Players "win" the game. The point is to have fun, to tell a story. Which is where a newer concept (to me) has been identified. That of Player Agency. There are some games that focus specifically on giving tools to Players to narrate the story, with the gentile guidance of the Game Master. Yes, the GM is still arbitrating the rules, but they aren't dictating the effects of results of the players actions.
Agnostic vs Lore-filled
The final contrast we'll look at is if a game system has been created around a specific set of lore, whether it be completely fictional or totally theoretical. Lore filled games often have rich options for character development, there's lots of places to explore, and typically lots of gadgets to discover. Most of the antagonists have already been created for the group, so the game can start without too much forethought. Plots are based upon the world that the game is located for. Setting agnostic games, however, can be played for any imaginable setting, in any genre. Don't like Fantasy, prefer Horror, you can totally do it! The trade of here, is that Agnostic settings usually take longer to get running because the Game Master (and sometimes with the help of the Players) needs to be mapped out beforehand.
What are your preferences? As I've built my library of games, I'm finding that I am preferring games that have more Player Agency in them, that are more cinematic, that allow for more theater of the mind, and are less reliant upon the use of Archetypes or Classes to build characters. And while I've had fun in setting based games, like Shadowrun, I'm finding more of my favorite games tend to be firmly within the agnostic space. I also have to say though, that despite the freedom that this gives me as a Player and Game Master, I'm finding that there is a ton of fun to be had in generative character creation. I guess I'm a flexible, fly by the seat of her pants, kinda girl. And that's okay.
