The related question that has been haunting me all year (probably longer) is: what kind of stories do I want to tell at the table?
(And thanks to @jdragsky.bsky.social I question even the way I frame the question)
So dear #TTRPG nerds: what are the features of the game you actually want to play?
(And thanks to @jdragsky.bsky.social I question even the way I frame the question)
So dear #TTRPG nerds: what are the features of the game you actually want to play?
Reposted from
Dr. Emily Friedman
We often use genre tags to set up expectations in TTRPGs, especially in Session 0.
But we may have different understandings of what those tags mean.
For example: you come to my 18C nerd homies wanting to play a Regency game, it’s gonna be VERY different than if you come to a group of BookTok fans.
But we may have different understandings of what those tags mean.
For example: you come to my 18C nerd homies wanting to play a Regency game, it’s gonna be VERY different than if you come to a group of BookTok fans.
Comments
The game I want to play is the game that is sustainable & deep, that is evolving/expanding/escalating. This doesn't mean "high level," but more severity/stakes/complexity. Ebbs & unfurls.
Non-linear statistical distributions.
Make me think, not just feel (simulation/narration balance).
"Who are our characters and what are they doing?"
Story is the excretion of determined character action, so I want TTRPGs that let characters take bold, effective actions, to which the world reacts.
Also: TTRPGs that allow for platonic friend-flirting!
I also like doing things that I am genuinely unsure if I can pull off.
From the beginning we wanted to tell hopeful stories about friendship for Honorbound. (3 musketeers in space) I'm now playtesting prompts about relationship complications and reconciliation.
Based on the prompts I wrote for Legends of the Khurst Riders, it is about redemption or the inevitable slide into madness.
Narrower focus should be a tool for indie games.
Overall, I don't want to fight the game. I do want the game to prompt emergent story beats.
Nothing wrong with beer & pretzels, but I want to make meaning with my friends ☺️
Also more generally the ability to take actions without the anxiety over real consequences I feel in life, but that comes with any TTRPG in my experience, while only some tick those first two boxes.
My love of Kamen Rider makes me want to tell stories about heroes struggling with the weight of power, so I want to play games where Doing Cool Stuff is always costly, & being earnest and mundane is the only way to offset that cost.
I also seek overall serious tone to this. I want game as an exploration of different perspectives in different circumstances.
I'm personally interested in telling stories of everyday people overcoming great odds over time.
My golden feature is a game I can *live* in - long-form story creation sharing intimate creative connection with friends.
Stuff like Bond Break Episodes from @zakbfree.bsky.social's Animon Story or Passions from REIGN
Combat 11/10
Social 11/10
Exploration 11/10
Bioessentialism Not Detected
And yeah, the same words have very different meanings.
"Science fiction" Star Wars vs StarGate say. Star Trek vs Andromeda. Babylon 5 vs Terminator.
It's a problem.
ttrpg features I want:
- compelling and fleshed out setting that I want to explore.
- fulfills the fantasy of being a capable and interesting character, whose choices matter.
- rewards smart play / allows getting better at
- rewards creativity
As a GM, I am finding I lean more and more to low impact systems, as I will likely have to be the main ambassador of explaining it to my table. A strong central mechanic that's easy to grasp is always a big plus.