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+<!DOCTYPE article PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.2//EN"
+ "/usr/share/sgml/docbook/dtd/xml/4.2/docbookx.dtd">
+<article lang="fr">
+ <articleinfo>
+ <title>Les couleurs du système</title>
+ <subtitle>Une typologie des mécaniques du jeu de rôle</subtitle>
+ <abstract>
+ <para>La conception de jeux de rôle est un art, <quote>un
+ système de principes et de règles pour obtenir un effet
+ désiré</quote>. Toutefois, c'est un art encore dans ses
+ débuts. Bien que plusieurs modèles existent déjà pour décrire
+ l'expérience d'une partie de jeu de rôle, très peu a été fait
+ en regard aux mécaniques. Nous avons la description DKF,
+ quelques désignations en regards aux niveaux de concepts ou
+ des éléments de mécaniques mais à peu près rien au sujet des
+ objectifs de ces mécaniques, ou seulement sous une forme très
+ abstraite. Cet article a pour objectif d'explorer un seul
+ aspect des mécanismes de jeu, soit de déterminer quelles
+ qualités sont nécessaires ou au moins désirables dans tout jeu
+ de rôle. Ceci, je l'espère, permettra de jeter les bases pour
+ une plus grande caractérisation des règles, afin de soutenir
+ les discussions et l'évaluation de différents systèmes, et,
+ avec l'aide d'autres outils, de créer finalement un véritable
+ science du jeu de rôle.</para>
+ </abstract>
+ <keywordset>
+ <keyword>modèle GDS/GNS</keyword>
+ <keyword>jeu de rôle</keyword>
+ <keyword>conception de système</keyword>
+ <keyword>simulationisme</keyword>
+ <keyword>ludisme</keyword>
+ <keyword>narrativisme</keyword>
+ </keywordset>
+ <author>
+ <firstname>Fabien</firstname>
+ <surname>Niñoles</surname>
+ </author>
+ <copyright>
+ <year>2002-2005</year>
+ <holder>Fabien Niñoles</holder>
+ </copyright>
+
+ <revhistory>
+ <revision>
+ <revnumber>0.6 :</revnumber>
+ <date>2005-06-25</date>
+ <revdescription>
+ <para>Traduction de la version anglaise à partir de la
+ version 0.5r3.</para>
+ </revdescription>
+ </revision>
+ <revision>
+ <revnumber>0.5r3 :</revnumber>
+ <date>2003-06-02</date>
+ <revdescription>
+ <para>Ajout d'un paragraphe apropos du lien entre Beauté et
+ couleurs. Ajout de quelques mots-clés au document. Une
+ petite remarque a été ajoutée dans la section sur
+ l'adaptabilité.</para>
+ </revdescription>
+ </revision>
+ <revision>
+ <revnumber>0.4r4:</revnumber>
+ <date>2003-01-26</date>
+ <revdescription>
+ <para>Beaucoup de petites revisions mineures. Je me suis
+ trompé dans mes couleurs! Maintenant, le Magenta
+ Nostalgique est maintenant appelé le Magenta Expressif et
+ le Bleu Rêve est devenu Bleu Immersif. Je pense beaucoup
+ à ajouter un nouveau chapitre à ce sujet. Aussi, j'ai
+ modifié le titre puisque ceci est vraiment une typologie
+ des mécaniques.</para>
+ </revdescription>
+ </revision>
+ <revision>
+ <revnumber>0.3r2 :</revnumber>
+ <date>2003-01-10</date>
+ <revdescription>
+ <para>Ajout de la Brillance. J'ai déplacé la Transparence
+ dans la Brillance et ajouté une note au sujet de la
+ différence entre un système transparent une
+ <emphasis>Couleur</emphasis> Transparente.</para>
+ </revdescription>
+ </revision>
+ <revision>
+ <revnumber>0.2 :</revnumber>
+ <date>2003-01-10</date>
+ <revdescription>
+ <para>Première version publiée.</para>
+ </revdescription>
+ </revision>
+ <revision>
+ <revnumber>0.1 :</revnumber>
+ <date>2003-01-01</date>
+ <revdescription>
+ <para>Version inition (incomplète).</para>
+ </revdescription>
+ </revision>
+ </revhistory>
+ </articleinfo>
+ <section id="intro">
+ <title>Introduction</title>
+
+ <para>Quel est l'art de la conception de jeu. Le Webster 1913
+ défini l'art comme étant (entre autre) un système de règles et
+ de principes pour atteindre une fin désirée. Alors, quels sont
+ ces règles, ces principes, et plus important encore, cette fin
+ désirée? Pour cette dernière question, je pense qu'il peut y
+ avoir autant de réponses qu'il y a de joueurs. Bien que
+ plusieurs aient définis et décris en détails les motivations des
+ joueurs, peu a été fait en ce qui concerne comment ces buts
+ peuvent être atteints.</para>
+
+ <para>Le but de cet article est de faire un pas de plus dans cette
+ direction. Ce que j'essaye de faire est de répondre à cette
+ seule question: <quote>Qu'est-ce qui est désirable, sinon
+ nécessaire, dans tout jeu de rôle?</quote> Cette question est
+ très difficile car la plupart des jeux de rôle semble avoir
+ différents objectifs, différents environnements, différentes
+ façons de faire du jeu de rôle une expérience amusante et
+ agréable. Étrangement, toutefois, un certain consensus laisse
+ percevoir que cet obstacle initial sera le plus facile. Le plus
+ gros obstacle sera plutôt au niveau du vocabulaire, ou plutôt du
+ manque d'un vocabulaire commun parmi les concepteurs. Personne
+ ne semble avoir la même façon d'appeler les choses, que ce soit
+ en français ou en anglais. Aussi, les gens utilisent souvent
+ les mêmes mots pour parler de choses différentes, ce qui ne fait
+ qu'ajouter à la confusion. Alors, pour éviter ce problème, j'ai
+ choisi une approche légèrement différente: j'utiliserai une
+ métaphore artificielle, celle des couleurs. Hélas, une couleur
+ ne voulant pas dire grand chose pour un concepteur, j'y ai
+ adjoint un adjectif afin d'aider à en faire un outil de
+ communication suffisamment clair pour aider à la mémorisation et
+ à la compréhension du texte par un nouveau lecteur.</para>
+
+ <para>La première version de ce papier sera seulement au sujet de
+ la couleur des mécaniques, accompagné de quelques courts
+ exemples. Je planifie toutefois d'y ajouter d'autres éléments,
+ spécifiquement au sujet des différents aspects du jeu de rôle,
+ comme le liens entre les Couleurs et les typologies existantes,
+ comme le GNS. Mais pour commencer, nous devons définir ce
+ qu'est un jeu de rôle et son système.</para>
+
+ </section>
+
+ <section id="rpgdef">
+ <title>Qu'est-ce qu'un jeu de rôle?</title>
+
+ <para>This section is not about defining in details what's a role
+ playing game but mostly to propose a common vocabulary about
+ what constitutes a role playing game, so that we can know what
+ we are talking about. A typical role playing game can be seen
+ to be constituted of two parts:</para>
+
+ <itemizedlist>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>a description of an imaginary universe called the
+ <emphasis>setting</emphasis>;</para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>a set of rules to handle events resolution in the
+ setting, called the <emphasis>system</emphasis>.</para>
+ </listitem>
+ </itemizedlist>
+
+ <para>Usually, the setting is divided in many more elements, like
+ the characters we can encounter in this particular universe, the
+ environment (either social, technological, historical and/or
+ geographical) in which those characters evolve, examples of
+ situations those characters can encounter, as well as notes
+ about the intended atmosphere of this universe. Some or even
+ all of those elements can be omitted or more or less detailed.
+ When most elements are omitted, or without specified with much
+ details, we call this kind of system universal or generic. I
+ prefer the second appellation because, although most generic
+ system pretend to be usable in any setting, they are often just
+ a generalization of one or many settings, sharing some common
+ elements. Except for this small difference, we will now only
+ talk about setting and generic setting as a whole, without
+ addressing more concerns about their internal elements. Is not
+ that those elements aren't important in designing a good role
+ playing game, but it's a way to stay on our focus.</para>
+
+ <para>Systems are also often divided into multiple parts,
+ classified in multiple differents ways, etc. Systems often even
+ contains some elements of setting, like particularity of the
+ environment. For now, we just want to consider systems as a
+ whole. We only make one distinction: system elements that
+ contain no element which can be considered part of the setting
+ would be called mechanics, and mechanics or system elements that
+ contains or describe part of the setting (including situational
+ elements like combat or character description) will be called
+ rules. This is certainly not enough for a more in-depth
+ exploration of system composition but it will be sufficient for
+ our purpose.</para>
+
+ <para>Meta-gaming elements are elements often external to a role
+ playing game. They included things like the location where the
+ game is set, the current mood of the players, their perception
+ of the reality, the quality (access, language, medium) of
+ communication between them, the presence of materials, their
+ relationship, etc. They are aspects of the gaming experience
+ which can be seen as out of the current setting but are still
+ part of the role playing experience. Some systems or even
+ setting elements can influence or help to make some meta-gaming
+ elements either less intrusive or more fun and interesting.
+ They can also adapt to accommodate some less optimal meta-gaming
+ elements, like the presence of a noisy environment. Meta-gaming
+ elements can often influenced both (although the designer have
+ mostly no control over them except written recommendation) and
+ some role playing games even used them to enhance the role
+ playing experience.</para>
+
+ </section>
+
+ <section id="colormodel">
+ <title>The color model</title>
+
+ <para>The color model are composed of the three primary additive
+ colors: red, green and blue. Just like any colors, some people
+ prefers some of them more than the others. That's OK, from
+ taste and colors, one can't discuss. However, we want to make a
+ small exception to this rule: we will supposed that everyone
+ will prefer bright colors instead of darker one. Brightness
+ represent the adherence of a system to a specific color (mix are
+ allowed). So, since we supposed that any color are at least
+ desirable, you'll always prefer a brighter mechanic instead of a
+ darker one, as long as it is of the right color. Take note that
+ a system that mix all colors will be white and bright. And a
+ system that have no color at all will be black. Maybe you still
+ prefer darker colors in real life (like most role players, if
+ you look at the way most of them are dressed up), but make a
+ small effort now or use negative vision. Elsewhere, you'll just
+ fall in the darker side of role playing game, full of munchkins
+ and rules lawyers. Are you sure you want to go there?</para>
+
+ <para>To help to better understand the concept behind each color,
+ especially when talking to a non-initiate, an adjective is
+ added to each of them. You are free to used it when you think
+ is necessary but try to make a link to this page for reference
+ so people know what you are talking about.</para>
+
+ <para>Here is the three primary colors and their definitions:</para>
+
+ <variablelist>
+ <varlistentry id="reddef">
+ <term>Consistent Red</term>
+
+ <listitem>
+ <para>Consistent Red is the color of system that are
+ consistent with the setting elements they are supposed to
+ describe. If your setting describe, or more often
+ suppose, swords as more lethal than daggers, the system
+ should respect this and not make daggers equally or more
+ lethal than swords. A dark red system tend to interfere
+ with <literal>Suspension of Disbelief</literal>. Break in
+ Suspension of Disbelief is a phenomena which can be best
+ described as players rolling their eyes toward you, the
+ mouth wide open in an expression of incredulity, and
+ leaving your table to never came back again (and no,
+ that's not because their lost their way to the
+ refrigerator). Red was chose because of the its relation
+ with this <emphasis>stop attitude</emphasis>, as well as
+ the tendency of very high red system to be a bit bloody in
+ action. <emphasis>This is not, however, a universal
+ characteristic!</emphasis></para>
+
+ <para>A good example of system with a strong red color is
+ <trademark>RoleMaster</trademark> with their very detailed
+ systems for med-fan universe<footnote>
+
+ <para>Really, I'm not sure if this is a good example.
+ Any better suggestions welcome.</para>
+
+ </footnote>.</para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+ <varlistentry id="greendef">
+ <term>Fluid<footnote>
+
+ <para>Don't like this name but I want to avoid using
+ Simple in it, since Green is much more than only
+ Simplicity. Fluid is currently the only word I can
+ think.</para>
+
+ </footnote> Green</term>
+
+ <listitem>
+ <para>Fluid Green system are easy to learn and have often
+ low search and resolution time. They can however have a
+ lot of options to chose from, as long as those options are
+ clear and easy to handle. Those systems are often perfect
+ for beginners or people wanting quick pace systems,
+ without stopping to details. This is two good reasons to
+ give them the green color, this color being often
+ associated with beginners and speed.</para>
+
+ <para>A good example of a green system is <trademark
+ class="copyright">The Window</trademark>, a free RPG game
+ with very simple mechanics.</para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+
+ <varlistentry id="bluedef">
+ <term>Immersive Blue</term>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>Immersive Blue rules help to sustain a particular
+ atmosphere in a game. This atmosphere can be either
+ dramatic, heroic, epic, scary, peaceful, imaginative, or
+ all of them at the same time. Just like the Consistent
+ Red, blue rules are strongly associated with the setting.
+ Blue was chose because of its association with atmosphere
+ and emotions.</para>
+
+ <para>One of the bluest system that the author know is
+ <trademark class="copyright">eight</trademark>, a free RPG
+ where all of the few rules participate to the setting
+ atmosphere.</para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+ </variablelist>
+
+ <para>All of the three colors can be mixed together, in different
+ quantities. This give us 4 more different colors<footnote>
+
+ <para>Remember, this is the three
+ <emphasis>additive</emphasis> primary colors, just like your
+ television but unlike water painting, which used primary
+ <emphasis>subtractive</emphasis> colors.</para>
+
+ </footnote>:</para>
+
+ <variablelist>
+ <varlistentry id="yellowdef">
+ <term>Clear-Sight Yellow (Red and Green)</term>
+
+ <listitem>
+ <para>Usually, when you want brighter red, you compromise on
+ a darker green, and when you want brighter green, you
+ often compromise with darker red. So this color is quite
+ rare, and yellow rules are real pearl of wisdom. Yellow
+ systems are able to give a maximum of consistency and
+ details from your setting, without removing speed and ease
+ of play. They promised really good play for those who
+ like to explore different elements of the setting.</para>
+
+ <para>As I said, yellow rules are quite rare. Yellow
+ systems even more. I failed to see a system where this
+ color dominate. If you think you have one, please tell
+ me.</para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+ <varlistentry id="cyandef">
+ <term>Dramatic Cyan (Green and Blue)</term>
+
+ <listitem>
+ <para>One of the most popular color in new games presently.
+ The Cyan systems bring to front a very narrative aspect
+ with quick pace and easy rules. Consistent is not really
+ important since GM will just adjust the plot consequently.
+ This however give somewhat limited play and one should be
+ careful with the Suspension of Disbelief syndrome which
+ often augment with those kind of systems.</para>
+
+ <para>One popular example of Cyan systems are
+ <trademark>Nobilis</trademark> and the
+ <trademark>Storyteller</trademark> system (at least by
+ intentions).</para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+ <varlistentry id="magentadef">
+ <term>Expressive Magenta (Red and Blue)</term>
+
+ <listitem>
+ <para>A rare combination: Magenta systems tend to immersed
+ you into details. <emphasis>Many</emphasis> details. You
+ will be transport in a world where everything, actions or
+ materials, are described to the finest element. The trap
+ is that, too often, the lack of green in those systems
+ lead to a very hard to use and very slow progression of
+ the action. The players must be patient or the GM a real
+ expert to be able to handle such systems.</para>
+
+ <para>Good examples of those systems included mostly
+ science-fiction or military oriented settings.
+ <trademark>Heavy Gear</trademark> can be described as one
+ of them under certain aspects.</para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+ <varlistentry id="whitedef">
+ <term>Pure White (Red, Green and Blue)</term>
+
+ <listitem>
+ <para>White system can be think as the perfect system and
+ can be easy obtain for a very limited and specific
+ setting. However, such settings are often very limited in
+ use and, as we will see later, white system tend to dilute
+ (we call this a lack of Tenacity) and get darker very
+ easily.</para>
+
+ <para>I have no really good example of such systems. As
+ said, most white system tend to became darker with usage
+ and/or a new color quickly dominate.</para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+ </variablelist>
+
+ </section>
+
+ <section id="freedom">
+ <title>Freedom</title>
+
+ <para>Since both the red and blue colors have deep root in the
+ setting, we also want to know how colors are affect by change to
+ the setting. For this, we defined two different movements or
+ degrees of freedom for the color:</para>
+
+ <variablelist>
+ <varlistentry id="tenacitydef">
+ <term>Tenacity</term>
+
+ <listitem>
+ <para>Tenacity represent how much a system retains the same
+ color when the setting change. This is a researched
+ quality for generic systems, but also for RPG with a very
+ diversified setting. Systems that are limited to a few
+ character types or situations (like only combat) doesn't
+ need a great Tenacity in their colors.</para>
+
+ <para>Example of system with a good Tenacity is
+ <trademark>GURPS</trademark>.</para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+ <varlistentry id="chameleondef">
+ <term>Chameleon</term>
+
+ <listitem>
+ <para>Chameleon systems are able to change their colors to
+ fit better with the new setting. This is a very rare
+ quality, mostly research for generic system.</para>
+
+ <para>The only system I know which try to be chameleon is
+ <trademark>Multiverser</trademark>, a system with a bias
+ parameter for fitting with different universes.</para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+ </variablelist>
+
+ <para>Both degrees of freedom can appear together for a particular
+ system and react differently. They can also keep their quality
+ only for a specific range of settings. For example, the D&D
+ system has a Tenacity mostly in general medieval-fantastic
+ settings.<footnote>
+
+ <para>I think the best way to describe of this components is
+ talking about inertia and direction changes, but this add a
+ new level of metaphor so I ended up inventing new terms that will
+ fit better with the metaphor. What do you think about?</para>
+
+ </footnote></para>
+
+ <remark>I currently doesn't like this section much. The old idea
+ behind adaptability is not well enough represent. But for this,
+ I should probably work a little more with the background
+ setting.</remark>
+
+ </section>
+
+ <section id="beauty">
+ <title>Beauty of the system</title>
+
+ <para>The colors aren't the only important qualities of a system.
+ One very important, if not the most important one, is the fun
+ factor. We are doing role playing for only one thing: having
+ fun. However, fun is a very personal thing where everyone have
+ opinion about. Some people can find one system fun and other
+ can find them dull. Since fun are <quote>in the eye of the
+ beholder</quote>, we use another quality related to our painting
+ metaphor that have the same characteristic: Beauty.</para>
+
+ <para>Why some people find something beautiful and not something
+ else? Well, there is too much factors to enumerate all of them,
+ but colors can have something to do with it. Someone can prefer
+ the red color, and another one will prefer a yellow color. Same
+ thing for mechanics. Some people can prefer Red Mechanics,
+ other want Yellow mechanics and dislike Blue mechanics. Could
+ you satisfy all of them? Well, the golden rule in RPG is that
+ if you dislike a rule, ignored it. It's very easy to ignore a
+ rule, less easy to change it or replace it. In the color
+ metaphore, this is equivalent to wearing colorized glasses. If
+ you have some white light and wear yellow glasses, you'll see
+ the world in yellow. But if you only have blue light, your
+ yellow glasses will block it and you'll see nothing. Same thing
+ for mechanics. White mechanics are good because you can please
+ everyone by simply using the right filter on everyone. If one
+ color is lacking, however, whatever the color of your glasses,
+ you will not be able to create it, except if the mechanics is
+ sufficiently <link linkend="transparency">Transparent</link>, a
+ matter we will see later in <xref linkend="brightness"/>.</para>
+
+ </section>
+
+ <section id="visibility">
+ <title>The visibility of the rules</title>
+
+ <para>Systems are composed of rules, but not all rules are
+ necessary of the same color. How each rule influence the global
+ system apparency is called the visibility of the rule.
+ Visibility represent mostly how often a rule can be used and
+ what will be their influence on the current game. This is an
+ important aspect when designing a role playing system. Often,
+ you can make a tradeoff in a not so much visible aspect of the
+ system without affecting the whole color. By
+ <emphasis>hiding</emphasis> such color into less visible aspect,
+ you can, for example, achieve an overall more reddish system,
+ without necessary affecting the green brightness.</para>
+
+ <para>Visible rules are often the resolution mechanism, combat
+ rules (in action oriented settings) and PC statistics. Less
+ visible rules are often the initial creation mechanism (you just
+ used it once) and evolution mechanics of the character (which
+ usually only happens at the end of a game).</para>
+
+ </section>
+
+ <section id="brightness">
+ <title>Brightness and Transparency</title>
+
+ <para>Before going further, a little more clarification is needed.
+ What is Brightness? How it affects the role playing
+ experience?</para>
+
+ <para>Well, Brightness in this model looks more like a spell of
+ Light, and is opposite, the spell of Darkness. Dark colors will
+ not only have a low effect but even make your settings and your
+ whole role playing experience <emphasis>darker</emphasis>, which
+ means less fun and less interesting. On the opposite way, a
+ brighter system will not only let your setting and GM talents
+ show up, but will enhance your experience, sustaining and even
+ creating a more fun and entertaining experience.</para>
+
+ <para>So one should not think that ignoring a color will do no
+ harm. All colors are necessary, but some settings and/or GM can
+ provide their own light to the role playing experience and so
+ don't need much. So, the point where a rule color switch from
+ being dark to bright really depends on the quality of the
+ setting and the talents of the GM. A beginner GM will find a
+ system very bright that a more experienced GM will find too dark
+ for him. This is however not a good reason to compare GM with
+ the color system. How a GM can make a system looks Greener,
+ Bluer or Redder for the players it's an open question not
+ address in this article. Same thing about the settings. But
+ it's clear that the brighter the system, the best it can help
+ the GM to make a good role playing experience for his players,
+ and fit the needs of more GM.</para>
+
+ <section id="transparency">
+ <title>Transparency</title>
+
+ <para>There is some system which depends a lot on the GM
+ abilities to bring some brightness to it. We call this
+ characteristic Transparency. A Transparent system let the GM
+ take more decisions about the right way to handle differents
+ situations. They have a very low strictness, often just
+ providing guidelines on how to interpret some results,
+ determine difficulty, or even how to resolve differents
+ situations.</para>
+
+ <para>There are two common misconceptions with Transparent
+ systems. The first is that Transparent System necessary
+ Green. This is not true at all. By letting the GM abilities
+ take care of many aspects of the role playing experience,
+ transparent system are mainly for mature and experienced
+ players, which is the opposite of some Green qualities.</para>
+
+ <para>The other misconception is that Green systems are
+ Transparent. This misconception is part due to the fact that
+ Green systems seems to go mostly with the flow that we have
+ the impression that the system is absent, the game going by
+ itself. This is a quality of Green systems, not Transparent
+ one, although that with a good GM, it can be seen this way.
+ In fact, transparent systems take more easily the color the GM
+ want and, for this, looks a lot like <link
+ linkend="chameleondef">Chameleon</link> systems.<footnote>
+
+ <para>Transparent system denomination is often in a more
+ broad context than here. The right definition seems to
+ vary a lot and so, I prefer to make my own. Generally
+ speaking, what people seems to call transparent systems
+ seems to be more a kind of either Bright Green or
+ Transparent systems in the Colors model. Try to not
+ confuse people by specifying clearly that you are talking
+ about Transparent Color systems.</para>
+
+ </footnote></para>
+
+ <para>Transparency, however, is not necessary a goal desirable
+ for any RPG system. As we have said, Transparent system can
+ be very hard on newcomers to RPG. They need some experience
+ from the GM and also the players to make the role playing
+ experience fun and interesting. Transparent systems provide
+ no light by them self, but also no darkness. So, if you're an
+ experienced GM or aim your game to experienced GM, transparent
+ system can be great.</para>
+
+ <para>Examples of transparent systems include <trademark
+ class="copyright">The Window</trademark> and <trademark>Hero
+ Wars</trademark>.</para>
+
+ </section>
+
+ </section>
+
+ <section id="red">
+ <title>The red color</title>
+
+ <para>Consistent Red elements of a particular system are hard to
+ define. The first thing to know when trying to set the red part
+ of a system (or to evaluate the red component of a system) is to
+ know what's the particular element of the setting which is
+ currently simulate and how this element must be and behave. For
+ most setting elements, the creator simply doesn't know.</para>
+
+ <para>A common assumption is to considered the setting as an image
+ of our reality. This assumption is good most of the time except
+ that there is also many parts, not always explicitly state as
+ so, that differs from our reality laws. For example, we want
+ our characters to be greater than normal, to have special
+ powers, to not die easily and we have this special race which
+ are incredibly big or small and which could not have survived
+ within our physical laws or those spaceships that can warp the
+ universe using an improbability motor. For all of this, as well
+ as for avoiding useless complication, we normally don't want our
+ system to be an exact simulation of <emphasis>our</emphasis>
+ reality. We want it to allow some break with our normal
+ physical laws and history, without affecting too much the
+ overall credibility of the setting. Players are usually ready
+ and even interest to accept such break with the normal rules of
+ our daily reality, in exchange of some fantasy.</para>
+
+ <para>But here an important word was said:
+ <emphasis>credibility</emphasis>. What's make a system
+ credible? A credible system act in a predictable way when you
+ ask it to simulate different setting aspects. If the setting
+ say that an experienced fighter will be able to resist easily
+ and with no danger to a peasant, the simulation should represent
+ this by giving greatest chance to the fighter to win against the
+ peasant. How much exactly is a matter of perception, but here
+ again, another important word was said: the system must be
+ <emphasis>predictable</emphasis>. With a predictable system,
+ the creator or the GM can adjust the representation of the
+ setting elements in the system, the way she expects them to
+ react, which is certainly the best way to have a credible
+ system.</para>
+
+ <para>Another important factor for reddish system is about limits.
+ The setting often put some limits on the capacity of many of its
+ elements. A fighter can't lift more than a certain amount of
+ weight and magic power couldn't change the past for example.
+ Those limits must be represent in the system. Although those
+ limits can often be directly imposed by the mechanics used in
+ the system, another way is to use a limitless mechanics and to
+ let arbitration imposed such limits. This make things more
+ complex a little but act like a chameleon mechanism to the
+ system. So the creator or the GM don't have to change the core
+ mechanics when the setting change, they just have to change the
+ few rules that set the limits.</para>
+
+ <para>Having a limitless mechanism also give another degree of
+ freedom to the system. Limitless mechanism act on a more
+ broader range of settings by definition and so have a better
+ Tenacity. Finding what's the limits of a system is a very good
+ way to evaluate both the red component of a system, as well as
+ its Tenacity. A system that have some setting elements out of
+ its limits doesn't have a bright red color, and a system that
+ have limits very close to the setting elements usually doesn't
+ have a good Tenacity neither. System that can move its limits
+ however without big modification also have a good Chameleon
+ freedom.</para>
+
+ <para>Finally, an important thing to understand about this color
+ it is that's not because you put more details that your system
+ became necessary redder! Details often just add to the
+ complexity, without giving any real brightness to the red
+ components. To add brightness to the red color, details must
+ really sustain a dissimilar assets to the setting elements
+ linked to it and this asset must be justified in the
+ setting.</para>
+
+ </section>
+
+ <section id="green">
+ <title>The green color</title>
+
+ <para>The green color is probably the color which is the more
+ affected by the <link linkend="visibility">visibility</link>.
+ Putting a green element on a low visibility aspect of your
+ setting will probably not affect your gaming experience very
+ much, but putting a bright green element on a very visible
+ system can totally change it.</para>
+
+ <para>The green color is the only one who addresses only system or
+ meta-gaming aspects. The setting isn't touch by it, at least
+ not directly. Its importance however is very high if you want
+ to let the setting take some place since a dark green system
+ often take all the place in the game, taking away all the other
+ elements. The Green color help a lot to not let the system
+ impede into the role playing experience.</para>
+
+ <para>There is many way to make a system greener, some of them
+ being quite opposed to each other and more a question of
+ balance. For example, a complex formula can be replace by a
+ chart for a better access, but too many charts is slower than
+ using a generic formula. There is also a learning curves that
+ can change the color aspect: a system can have a very stiff
+ learning curve (making it very dark green for a beginner) but
+ once learn and some practice add to it, becoming very quick and
+ easy to use (bright green). The best is to have both aspect
+ together (smooth learning curve and fast resolution time) but
+ it's all a question of tradeoff.</para>
+
+ <para>Using character classes, not only make the system greener,
+ but can also help to aboard the setting. Using derived
+ attributes instead of summing them in play can also help, as
+ long as they aren't too much. This method is especially useful
+ for high visible elements of the system. There can be many
+ gaming help also like a good index, summary charts for most
+ visible elements, especially on the player character sheet or
+ the game master screen. Multiple rolls or too much dice can
+ also slow down the game, as well as too complex formula or too
+ many factors. Try to combine them when needed in just one roll
+ and avoid adding unnecessary randomness. For example, use the
+ success margin of a <literal>to hit</literal> roll instead of
+ rolling another dice to determine the level of damage can help
+ if the margin of success is easy to determine, or in an
+ opposition roll, let only one opponent roll instead of both: the
+ result will automatically determine the result of the other
+ guy.<footnote>
+
+ <para>This is good only if that make sense, like in a strength
+ test. If they are some chance for both opponents to fail
+ simultaneously, just allowing this kind of rolls could
+ tarnish the red color of your system.</para>
+
+ </footnote></para>
+ </section>
+
+ <section id="blue">
+ <title>The blue color</title>
+
+ <para>This color is clearly the more difficult to talk about.
+ Blue is the less <link linkend="tenacitydef">tenacious</link>
+ color and is mostly based on the setting elements. More over,
+ contrarily to the red color, there is no clear common ground of
+ setting elements that we can consider to be desirable for most
+ settings. So, the only way we can speak about the blue color,
+ is by speaking about genre.</para>
+
+ <para>Genre is a very vague term defined as a specific kind of
+ artistic work. For our concern, we will define genre as a set
+ of different setting elements share between many settings.
+ Genre can overlap between them and a setting can have different
+ genres at the same time. The most common elements addressed by
+ rules are the following:</para>
+
+ <variablelist>
+ <varlistentry id="risk">
+ <term>Risk factor</term>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>The risk factor is a common concern of many genres.
+ It measures the importance or consequence of decision by
+ the players. A very risky setting will put players on
+ their toes, carefully thinking about any decision. Rare
+ and scarce resources (like hit points), with very hard
+ actions difficulties and possibility of botches, increase
+ this aspect. High risk factor is popular in the horror
+ genre and some very <emphasis>realistic</emphasis>
+ setting.</para>
+
+ <para>On the other side, a low risk setting will encourage
+ players to try different things and take risk. Generous
+ resources or a resolution mechanism allowing impossible
+ actions to be succeed (like destiny points) are different
+ ways to achieve such goals. Low risk factor is especially
+ popular in the so-called epic and heroic genres.</para>
+
+ <para>It's not very clear how Fortune mechanics (mechanics
+ primarily based on random elements) can affect this
+ aspect. A very high fortune system may allow incredible
+ success but also incredible fumbles. So, how much an
+ open-ended dice affect this factor is not clear at all and
+ can vary.</para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+ <varlistentry id="destiny">
+ <term>We are heroes</term>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>Heroism is for characters that are kind of chosen by
+ their Gods. They aren't allow to fail easily nor even to
+ die. For this, they often have a kind of Destiny points
+ that can be spent at critical moment to avoid a fatal hit
+ or succeed a critical action. They can also be more
+ powerful than most of the other characters, either by
+ greater statistics, special gifts, or a systematic
+ advantages against their opponents. Sometime, this
+ systematic advantage is replace by a systematic
+ disadvantage towards minor NPC, which are treated as a
+ single opponent, how many they are. Those advantages
+ aren't necessary reserved for PC. Important NPC have
+ often similar advantages and so, constitute greater
+ adversaries for the PC.</para>
+
+ <para>This aspect is part of many genres, including heroism,
+ action movies, super heroes and often space opera. They
+ are often link with a low risk factor, although not
+ necessary.</para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+ <varlistentry>
+ <term>Temptation of the Dark Side</term>
+
+ <listitem>
+ <para>Temptation is an important part of many fantasy
+ settings (either medieval, modern or space opera) and
+ represent the struggle of passion where a character lost
+ control upon herself. It is usually represented with a
+ counter that count down (sometime without even the
+ possibility of reversal) and make the player lost the
+ control over her character. Each time the player do
+ something wrong or are in contact with a temptation, the
+ counter can decrease (may be after a failed test) and the
+ PC must check if it doesn't fall in the dark side (often
+ represent by some frenzy). The check usually represent
+ just a temporary lost of control, but when the counter
+ goes down to zero, the PC is, must of the time, considered
+ a NPC, and the player must create a new one.</para>
+
+ <para>Temptation can also take another aspect of opposite
+ values (like Chastity and Lust) going from one side to the
+ other. Each test failed reinforce the Value on the
+ victorious side, making each new test either more harder
+ to resist. It's usually very hard to change the balance of
+ the pairs of value otherwise.</para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+ </variablelist>
+
+ <para>This list is very partial and mostly presented here as
+ examples of blue color rules. A more complete study of genres
+ and their support in system elements are expected in a future
+ project, not yet plan however. One important thing to note is
+ that the system is not the more important part into getting the
+ right atmosphere to a setting. The GM style and the setting is
+ often far more important. The blue color is more about how a
+ system can support such atmospheres but doesn't necessary create
+ neither guarantee it at all.</para>
+
+ <section id="metagaming">
+
+ <title>Meta-gaming elements</title>
+
+ <para>Meta-gaming elements can be as important to a role-playing
+ game as the system or even the setting. Why not rules can
+ used them as well to encourage a better role playing
+ experience? In the color model, system that encourage some
+ positive meta-gaming elements are considered bluer. This is
+ mostly because positive meta-gaming elements often also
+ encourage to create a better atmosphere for game play.</para>
+
+ <para>Although citing every way a system can encourage the usage
+ of positive meta-gaming elements to sustain a good playing
+ experience is not the scope of this article, a good example
+ how this can be achieve is by rewarding (either in direct
+ action bonus, or gain of some resources like Destiny points or
+ XP) for good role playing attitude (good description,
+ character sacrifice that increase the drama, etc.), extra work
+ on the character background, or log keeping for the group,
+ etc. Some games even have very specific mechanism for
+ meta-gaming, like <trademark>Marvel Super Heroes</trademark>'s
+ Humor Points. One could even encourage other players to
+ participate into this kind of rewarding by allowing them a
+ certain amount of points to give each session to other
+ players.</para>
+ </section>
+
+ </section>
+
+ <section id="gds">
+ <title>GDS-derived model and colors</title>
+
+ <para>The GDS model, also known as <ulink
+ url="http://www.darkshire.org/~jhkim/rpg/styles/faq_v1/faq1.art">Threefold
+ model</ulink> was created to address the concern that many role
+ players have diverse interests in role playing games. How those
+ aspects are exactly defined or even named vary between people,
+ and how those aspects must be addressed by role playing games
+ vary even more, to the point of complete contradiction between
+ different opinions. However, I will try to see how system can
+ sustain the different interests expressed in the models, using
+ the colors. It's clear that, by definition, all colors are
+ important, but we will try to see why they are, and how much,
+ relatively to each other, for each group of interests.</para>
+
+ <section id="gamist">
+ <title>Gamist interests</title>
+
+ <para>Gamist interests can be seen as mainly defined by challenge
+ and fair play. Importance is set to being able to have
+ relatively large set of options to influence the game (and
+ make the challenges interesting), to be able to have good
+ knowledge of the situation for fair decision, and some
+ measurable goals must be set to determine a condition of
+ victory.</para>
+
+ <para>This is probably the most difficult aspect to determine
+ the right color, but will we go for the <link
+ linkend="red">Red</link> color. This color is important to
+ provide a good environment for fair play. If the rules are
+ incoherent, your players will begin to play by the rules
+ instead of letting them go in character, to have some chance
+ of winning. You'll recognized this by sentences like:
+ <quote>I do this since it gives me a greater bonus</quote>
+ instead of <quote>I do this since it puts me in a better
+ position.</quote></para>
+
+ <para>The <link linkend="green">Green</link> color is also
+ important, as long as it doesn't remove dissimilarities of
+ assets. The player should be able to distinguish between
+ different options here and there and their decision shouldn't
+ be simply based on pure luck. Green rules can still lead to a
+ very good set of options with a lot of complexity in it.
+ Think about games like chess. Also, green rules allow someone
+ to more quickly be efficient, so the mental abilities of the
+ players become more important than it's knowledge of the game
+ rules, although this can also be taken as an element of
+ competition that please to some gamist oriented
+ players.</para>
+
+ <para>Finally, the <link linkend="blue">Blue</link> color can
+ sometime help to give players some goals to reach. This
+ shouldn't be neglected although, sometime, the goal
+ of gamers can be in a more <link
+ linkend="metagaming">meta-gaming</link> level.</para>
+ </section>
+
+ <section id="dramatist">
+ <title>Dramatist interests</title>
+
+ <para>Dramatists interests are mostly toward the story line.
+ They tend to consider a good story as the most important part
+ of role playing, with interests directed more toward a good
+ drama then victory or even verisimilitude. The system must
+ give them greater control upon the events with, if possible,
+ mechanics to create good climax and interesting endings, while
+ sustaining the right atmosphere for the game.</para>
+
+ <para>The must important color of dramatist is <link
+ linkend="blue">Blue</link>. A blue system have a lot of
+ elements to favor climax and atmosphere. The <link
+ linkend="green">Green</link> color is also important since it
+ usually give a little more control in the hand of the GM, and
+ doesn't impede too much into the flow of the game. Finally,
+ the <link linkend="red">Red</link> have still an important
+ part to play to enforce some verisimilitude of the story, as
+ long as this doesn't contradict with the goals of the
+ story.</para>
+ </section>
+
+ <section id="simulationnist">
+ <title>Simulationnist interests</title>
+
+ <para>Simulationist interests are also called Explorer interests
+ and I tend to prefer this latter term. Explorers are mostly
+ interest in discovering new setting elements, but also, to a
+ minor extend, some elements of the system or even meta-gaming
+ aspects (like how players react to RPG situations).</para>
+
+ <para>For Simulationists, the <link linkend="red">Red</link>
+ color is the more important. An inconsistent system will
+ invalidate the exploration experience, making the situation
+ sound not very believable. The <link
+ linkend="blue">Blue</link> color is also very interesting for
+ this kind of interests, allowing them to better immerse into
+ the game world, sustaining the experience by itself. Finally,
+ the <link linkend="green">Green</link> color is seen more like
+ a default necessity, the system must be fluid enough to not
+ impede into the exploration experience.</para>
+ </section>
+
+ <section id="gdscolors">
+ <title>Summary</title>
+
+ <para>So, Gamers are mostly Orange (Red, Green and Blue),
+ Dramatists are Turquoise (Blue, Green, Red), and
+ Simulationists are Purple (Red, Blue and Green). This is very
+ near the <link linkend="yellowdef">Clear-Sight Yellow</link>,
+ <link linkend="magentadef">Dramatic Cyan</link> and <link
+ linkend="cyandef">Expressive Magenta</link> of the <xref
+ linkend="colormodel"/>, seen before. Those colors are called
+ complementary of each other and make me think that the colors
+ model is complementary to the threefold model about role
+ playing games and so shouldn't be ignored when designing game.
+ It make in contrast the fact that's different kind of
+ interests can be addressed by the same system, although some
+ tradeoffs are often necessary.</para>
+ </section>
+
+ </section>
+
+ <section id="history">
+ <title>A SCARy history</title>
+
+ <para>The story of the color model begin with a heat discussion
+ between me and Cédric Lemaire on the createurs-jdr mailing list.
+ The thread subject was about what's a better system, or what's
+ can be ameliorate in a given system, regardless of personal
+ taste. We quickly find that we were talking about different
+ things using the same words, and so that we need to find a
+ little bit of vocabulary. After some work, we find up four
+ qualities upon which we agree that can only be an asset for any
+ role playing games, with particular definition for each, since
+ some of this qualities aren't very well defined when applied to
+ role playing game.</para>
+
+ <para>Months passed and I began to follow the English RPG forums
+ on Game Design. I found a lot of new theories about RPG but
+ nothing like the four qualities we have ended up on the French
+ mailing list. I decide to make an attempt to translate them and
+ call this system SCARF, including a new fifth quality to it, the
+ Fun factor. SCARF stand for Simplicity, Coherence,
+ Adaptability, Realism and Fun, and the definition were very
+ conceived (for example, a better definition of Realism should
+ have been Consistency between setting and system). The awaited
+ flame war that follow were bigger than I was expecting and I was
+ a bit surprise. On a somewhat impulsive reply where it seems
+ that all this mess where mostly a question of vocabulary, I
+ ended up to suggest that the SCARy Qualities were replace with
+ colors. I set Green for Simplicity, Blue for Coherence, and Red
+ for Realism. Adaptability was declared to be Tenacity.</para>
+
+ <para>It ended up that I really like the system. True, this were
+ more opaque than the precedent, but the color metaphor bring
+ with it many different aspects, especially the some undiscover
+ one, like the fact that Adaptability wasn't truly a Quality by
+ itself, but a Quality over the other Qualities. I promise to
+ get back with a more develop version of the SCAR color model and
+ return to the createurs-jdr mailing list. One post and a few
+ replies later, I quickly added new aspects to the Tenacity
+ model, dividing it between Tenacity, Chameleon and Transparency.
+ A remark about <trademark>Légendes</trademark> as a bright green
+ system once you pass the creation rules made me think about the
+ Visibility of a rule. Some more thoughts, and reading from the
+ Forge make me push Transparency was move from the colors freedom
+ to the Visibility section and finally to Brightness section
+ (which was mostly create the same day, with the Darkness Spell
+ metaphor add to it.).</para>
+
+ <para>That's all for the moment folks, but I think the color model
+ doesn't have entirely reveal itself and can still reserved some
+ good surprises. More works on it is to come soon, I
+ hope.</para>
+
+ </section>
+
+ <section id="ack">
+ <title>Acknowledgements</title>
+
+ <para>I would like to thank Cédric Lemaire, with which I develop,
+ in the context of a very heat flame war, the SCAR model, the
+ createurs-jdr mailing list members for their first commentary on
+ this system, John H. Kim, Brian Gleichman and Ron Edwards for
+ their wonderful works on RPG theory, and the members of the Art
+ of Game Design RPGnet forum for their inspirational comments that
+ lead to the colors model.</para>
+ </section>
+
+</article>
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