From the classic role-playing The following is the result of reflection on my preferred style of play that I have independently pursued by the whole RPG experiments over recent years and with whom I all stages of curiosity went through to dislike and finally appreciation. And that since Day 1. The points in it have no particular order, I have only tried to sort it fairly logical, and it is sometimes very difficult to separate from each other.
me is when combining only noticed how many restrictions are still attached to it and what is refining a variety of naturally grown over the years but everything requires at individual aspects.
plays honest: Tell-heavy indie role-playing out old school celled minimalist lightweight ago, but we love them, our "rules-heavy system." Everything else is just "light", is not it? Dozens of attributes, derived values, tons of skills. Finely chiseled character designs. Endless tables of equipment and every other action has its detailed rules. Many players, this helps when immersed in the game world. These are systems such as Midgard, DSA or Harnmaster and GURPS. Systems, which for decades have a permanent place in the hobby. Just "traditional" RPGs.
But "classic", which means the at all for me? If other role players say classic, then they might think of AD & D, to travel or even Tunnels & Trolls. But I started at the German orbit of role-playing games and classic to me means something completely different and I will try to fill that with little theoretical concepts with concrete content. I use "classic" not as a higher quality but because I so "learned" have. Classic for me is a limited combination of control and game world and round elements of style, which I like to refer in the future if the speech is from classic:
Classic, this is the simple basic mechanism builds on everything. One or more cubes with added bonuses and deductions against minimums or maximums. There are absolute values of time, kannn that the challenge level are compared. No Tarokarten, finger paint or play without rules.
Classic, which is the division of a character's attributes and skills. Attributes that represent the innate potential of an improvable most difficult character. Skills, on the other hand, are learned patterns that are rapidly expandable and flexible. The attributes in the game mechanics have an overarching impact on the skills.
Classic, which is the award of experience points with which one the characters may develop, either through stages of pre-defined options, or to pay for itself selectable character. The game character may be compared to the generation condition significantly by the accumulation of experience and game mechanics improve noticeably over the challenges. There are no ready threads, developed characters, each advance is earned.
Classic, which is the attack sample, the alternative sample, or climbing over speech sample. Unique, time-limited nature of actions are closely tested separately by using dice rolls. If necessary, several times in a row. Samples affect those changing game values of character, the content directly related to the cause of the event. Produced a hit with a weapon as injuries and costs no abstract hit points like "position in the fight," "Dramatic Spotlight," the desire for revenge "or similar. The rules make small steps and directly as possible so credible action sequences in the game world dar. The intent is to interpret the impact rule and thus avoid the misunderstandings in the game as much as possible. There is no space for manipulations of abstract is temporal, spatial relationships, such as the limitation of any of the available actions (cf. D & D4 Powers or Fate Aspects).
Classic, which is the focus on the game mechanics juridification the game world events. On the one hand is the equal treatment of players from representational perspective - the so-called playing off thus represents not a quality that decides between success and failure, but is a general, casual game destination - on the other is the uncertain element of tension in a dice game and the numerous tactics influenced , control parameters additional sources of fun dar. There are however no direct treatment of the character acts within the rules. The rules are based on the feasibility of the direct nature of actions at the table, not on the unification the game procedures. For example, there is no social combat systems in parallel with the combat rules of mechanical details of things you can not just implement this good (eg by playing). The focus on the detailed mechanical representation of fighting against just that reflects the importance of the game. The rules, however, seek to provide solutions for as many eventualities, regardless of the actual style of play of the round. This has the simple reason that there are no two rounds on the ground that behave the same and it makes more sense to provide a range of options available, than to write for one of these rounds a set of rules. The round must be aware of this responsibility. In the foreground is the perfect amount of playability is facing the most accurate, sophisticated implementation of the actual game events by rules, for example, by the separation of many skills, many action maneuvers, the mutual influence of feature values, or many other possibilities. The rules are binding as a reliable reference for all players.
Classic, the equipment is heavy. These are long tables with objects, magical as unmagisch, which are defined by many values and differ characteristically from each other. The equipment is another puzzle piece to individualize the character, the also play noticeable. The presence of equipment in the game world is reflected in the values that describe them, ie for the existence or the frequency of each item, there are internal reasons for the world game. As a result, among other balance of the game stats. There is no "shear over the ridge" of all the equipment classes or marginalization of decisions by "best choices" to make the alternatives obsolete.
Classic, which is the object of separation of GM and Player. The game leader entscheided on the application of the rules (not their interpretation!). It represents gamemaster characters and sets in motion events to the players reached exclusively respond with their characters can. The events may vary according to style of play established sequences and procedures meet or completely unstructured and open-ended consequences are. Players do not play a lead player character or allies. They also decide not over the course of action or in which situations now what consequences would have a particularly dramatic effect. Players make while playing no scenic facts (but may well contributions to the game world).
Classic, which is to limit the perception of the game world on its own character. One sees, hears and knows only the things that experienced by the character in the game world as well. The Round knowledge of the player does this not come into play. Cube samples and values determine the events more than the personality of the player who tries to align his character, rather than vice versa. No 11-foot pole tricks against trap doors for the stupid Orkcharakter when the dice say something else. The game mechanics juridification has precedence over the representation of the character. Conversely, for the players but also "what the player character can, he can." can have in a classic role-playing game it not prescribe the possible prohibiting actions, eg the case in which a player character to sell any magic items for trade price, because the playing style of the system this is covered but no longer deliver game world why. Or that a player character to perform an act can not because it does not appear dramatic enough. All this has a positive effect on the identification with the own player character.
Classic, that's the adventure in miniature. The focus is always on the small community of the player characters. The remit of the players on the grounds of "think in the game world," limited to their characters, is so they make no decisions for allies (eg in militant clashes) are behind both practical considerations to the team captain, and the intensification of the player experience. Armies, economies and borders are at best moved in the final. Battles and personalities appear as high degree of large events on the schedule. The problems revolve more around things that affect the characters acute or to persons who have personal contact with the characters. The characters are everyday heroes in their fantasy game world, the fight only after a long journey, an essential place in it.
Classic, the "games for the moment". There is no overarching structure, not a goal on the game must also run the evening. No plan, which executes it. Scenes have no roles or have concluded be. The importance and purpose of a game scene follows organically from the game. A conversation in the tavern, for example, must find neither in the overall structure of a story, yet it must meet certain requirements theatrical. The current mood of play determined by the importance of a game scene for the evening game. If it has all round fun with their characters play off the purchase of a mule, then there is no reason for this formal, functional purposes (such as the drama) cut off. The round does not help the game scenes on the variety of moods of the game in the evening and does not force a fair, in which all content to aufmerksamkeitserheischender themselves on opportunities which be sound, want to be marveled at even time intervals. Classic role-playing is relaxing and not sports.
Classic, these are plausible, consistent game worlds. All events can be traced in a comprehensible context. Is it as magical items, so there is someone who has produced, this has some cost, which he brings a certain way come again. There are no separate game world elements, but they fit logically into the whole and interact with each other. It is the responsibility of the director track of these interactions. The game worlds are often a reflection of our world, the focus is on catchy and familiarity, not alienation and curiosities. This also makes it easier to put yourself in the game world.
These are the things I expect when I am with a round of 'classic role-playing game "put together. It sounds very special, one might think, but it was just a personal list of my likes and words such as "detailed" and often there is a matter of interpretation. However, I've mostly moved in classic rounds on the Internet for years watching the player base and do not see large, unified common ground where you can find any, but need not.
I count Midgard RuneQuest, DSA or Shadowrun, among other things to these classic games. I'm not saying that they meet the requirements identical or error-free. God does not know, quite the opposite! And that is exactly my concern in this matter. In my experience with the product landscape of RPGs for that particular type of role-playing game has suffered greatly. Almost all types of role-playing have benefitted greatly by the movements of the last 10-15 years or even added. Even the ancients' old-school players with new editions or new designs of their playing styles through the "Retroklonwelle" pulled their advantage. And players, the movie-like dramatic role playing games have driven the careful handling with game mechanics anyway vorrangetrieben in recent years.
But what do the classic role-playing? You stagnate. No progress, no self-reflection of the claims, no new solutions to old problems. Instead, there is a spin from the defects, regurgitation of the contents and ignoring complications. A languish in the bottom of the limited horizon. Gambling problems in the round are partly covered decades-old game experience and abducted and soft from the conscious perception. Each small change is fought and clinging to trivia, systems are defined by small things and recognized. So be eg DSA DSA is no longer if there is no 3W20 Samples would have. As the hobby would depend on it. It lacks any distance to your own playing style.
Where is the "System Does Matter" Revolution of the classic role-playing? Where the retro wave? Where are the invigorating, high-quality products competing against DSA and co? Where are the so-called rule-laden Heart Breaker remained that the Internet was flooded, the only timid attempts of then sit down with our own classic standards apart?
The classic role-players are already a frugal folk. They are also the Musikantenstadl visitors of the role play. The only alternatives in the forums on the old, used classic dinosaurs are proposed to be exactly that: "not classic". And that is exactly what a classical player would not just get.
The things that I've taken from the theory useful discussions on the role-play in the last few years, I have always been applied to the classic game, and they helped me to know I appreciate it. But this Thoeriediskussionen yes the classic game than unconscious, ill-conceived and unstructured stigmatized and marginalized. We hear from the "sausage games" or the "peasant Gaming". It has invested much energy in particular to the meme in the world to put that in fact every role player on a stylization of the rules interested, would be as they would want the game "in the way". But I want to remind you that hide behind a classic role-playing concepts and claims, as well as behind any other style of play. Now would also be nice to eventually see that this kind of role play and a modernization experiences.
could look like such a modern classic game? Is it that perhaps (I can think of at least one that has tried it)? If you this kind of classic game familiar to you? Where precht against her? If you have any ideas to let us in the comments area or in know rsp-blogs forum .
