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+ The Impossible Dream
+
+
+ Player Goals
+
+*by Hunter Logan*
+Feb 10,2003
+
+
+*Player Goals*
+The Impossible Dream Installment #3
+by Hunter Logan
+
+Intro
+
+The topic of the day is player goals and my thoughts about how to
+support those goals in the game design. I suppose this also really
+addresses how to support a player's desired style of play. I know a lot
+of other people have tackled this. It has resulted in some rather large
+and impressive bodies of work filled to overflowing with good ideas. The
+most noteworthy efforts I know of resulted in grandiose three-fold
+theories called GDS, GNS, and GEN. These are among /The Things That
+Shall Not Be Named on rpg.net/, and for good reason. Mentioning them
+often brings about a massive flame war. But before you unleash the
+flames, rest assured I'm not going to discuss any of those.
+
+After a very long campaign of research and discussion, I have concluded
+that those esteemed (and oft reviled) theories don't work very well.
+There are a lot of reasons for this, but I'll save the debate for
+another day. Suffice to say, from my exploration of those works, I
+developed this list of player goals and suggestions for supporting those
+goals. Because we are roleplayers and this is about designing RPGs, I
+formatted the goals on the list as roles that a player can take during
+play. As always, this is the way I conceptualize these things. The list
+is hardly all-inclusive, but I think it covers a lot of the important
+bases and it's a good start.
+
+The Big List
+
+I don't think many designers consciously choose goals to support or not
+support from a list like this, but the list may be a useful tool. Some
+of the names are colorful, but this is out of appreciation, not
+derision. Thus, I present */The Big List:/*
+
+ * */Conqueror:/* Wants to kill monsters, smite the unworthy, and
+ otherwise demonstrate the character's superiority over the enemy.
+ The Conqueror really needs only three things to find happiness: A
+ weapon that inflicts heinous damage, plenty of character skill for
+ using the weapon, and ample opportunity to put both to good use.
+ This is more about what the character can do than what the player
+ can do. Also, the field need not be restricted to killing
+ monsters. It might include sneaking around and stealing stuff,
+ bartering with extreme efficiency, lying glibly, etc, etc. The
+ bottom line here is simple: When the Conqueror rolls the dice
+ within his character's area of expertise and gets good results, he
+ expects to see big fireworks. And I want to see them, too.
+ o Players who hold this goal in esteem may try to find what
+ they're looking for in just about any game they play. If
+ they can't find it, frustration may cause them to bend the
+ rules to get what they want. The methods don't have to be
+ pretty; they just have to produce the desired results.
+ o Designers can support this by writing the game so that great
+ expertise and good equipment consistently produce satisfying
+ results.
+ * */Creator:/* Wants direct control over various aspects of the game
+ world and what happens in the game. Creators want to set the scene
+ and determine the course of the action beyond the character.
+ o Most creators end up sitting in the GM seat and may feel
+ dissatisfied when denied the power to make things happen.
+ o It's pretty easy to give Creators what they want, but if you
+ want to put this in your game, this absolutely has to have
+ designer support. Without support, it's really not going to
+ happen. At least it hasn't ever happened for me.
+ * */Detective:/* Wants to gather clues and solve mysteries.
+ Designers can include means for players to find the clues needed
+ to solve the mysteries, but mysteries themselves are more a part
+ of the game world and the adventure than the game's system design.
+ So, designers can support this by writing adventures that include
+ mysteries for the player to solve.
+ * */Explorer:/* Wants to explore the game world. Explorers want to
+ see interesting sights, meet unusual beings, and encounter strange
+ things. The dedicated explorer is probably more interested in the
+ setting than in the game system. So, the designer can support this
+ by providing a great setting for the game.
+ * */Facilitator:/* Plays the game with the goal of helping other
+ players realize their goals for the game. This is most often a
+ goal for the GM, but players can choose to help the GM by playing
+ along when needed. The designer might want to consider providing a
+ bit of /Facilitator Training/ for GMs programmed to rule their
+ games with iron dice.
+ * */Gambler:/* Wants to take risks and experience the thrill of
+ rolling the dice. This is easily supported with mechanics that
+ provide a high degree of randomness in the outcome
+ * */Gatherer:/* Plays the game to gather as much reward as possible.
+ This may include experience points, levels, money, power, special
+ equipment, and other measures of increasing character ability or
+ character prestige.
+ o It's easy for designers to support the Gatherer by including
+ rules for character advancement and supplying items like
+ experience or levels that the player can gather.
+ o Further support can be included in the setting. A
+ never-ending supply of improved weapons, treasure, and other
+ specialty items will help keep the Gatherer hooked on the game.
+ o A word of caution: It's my experience that players often
+ build up a whole lot of goodies in a fairly short amount of
+ time. It seems that after a while, players reach a
+ /breakaway point/, a point where they have gathered so much
+ experience and so much good stuff that their characters are
+ unstoppable juggernauts unleashed on the game world. If you
+ plan to support the Gatherer's desires, you may also need to
+ plan for what happens as the characters become better,
+ stronger, and faster.
+ * */Negotiator:/* Plays the game to parley with NPCs and other
+ characters in the game. The assumption here is, the player
+ actually wants to do some of the talking for his character. The
+ designer can support this in rules and in the setting. In the
+ rules, the designer can pay attention to parley as an important
+ process in the game. In the setting, designer can provide lot of
+ interesting NPCs who want to negotiate.
+ * */Passenger:/* Wants to see the story unfold and find out what
+ happens next and hopes for a wild ride. I don't have much to say
+ about this, except to note that any player may choose to take this
+ position.
+ * */Personator:/* Wants to portray the character as fully as
+ possible from the comfort of the gaming table. From my own
+ experience and from talking to others, I think some players really
+ want to mentally /be/ the character. This touches on the ideas
+ about immersion. It's an exercise of the imagination, an attempt
+ to experience life in the game world from the character's point of
+ view.
+ o The player tries to put himself in his character's mindset
+ and contemplate events in the game as the character would
+ contemplate events in the game. Of course, this means that
+ the player's decisions and declared actions should be
+ exactly what the character would do in the same situation.
+ It's not perfect, but it's as close as a player can get to
+ "being there" from the comfort of the gaming table.
+ o I have read much discussion about the validity of immersion,
+ and I am not fighting that battle. I accept the intent
+ within its context. I have tried it. I never forgot I was
+ still me sitting at the gaming table, and I had fun. It is a
+ demanding way to play, so it is not for everyone. But it
+ certainly deserves some consideration for designer support.
+ Whether or not you choose to provide that support in your
+ game is up to you.
+ o There is one other danger with supporting this goal. Some
+ GMs may expect the players to be personators. A lot of
+ times, it's true and works very well; but other times, it
+ doesn't work. A guy who wants to play a smooth or suave
+ character may play the character because he's not smooth or
+ suave. Designers might want to include mechanical solutions
+ to this sort of problem. You can also handle this with notes
+ and examples.
+ * */Puzzle Solver:/* Plays to solve the puzzles that come up during
+ game play.
+ o Support for this is primarily written into scenarios for the
+ game. The designer can add puzzles to scenarios thus giving
+ the Puzzle Solver something to do.
+ o When puzzles are provided, it might be a good idea to also
+ include mechanical means of solving the problem. It's fine
+ to include the puzzle, but if the players can't or don't
+ want to solve the puzzle, it might be a good idea to supply
+ alternative means of resolution so that the game doesn't
+ grind to a halt.
+ * */Scientist:/* Plays the game as an experiment to see what will
+ happen. Scientists do things to evoke responses. They expect that
+ sometimes experiments will go awry. They know bad things may
+ happen to their characters or the game world, and this is okay.
+ The designer doesn't really need to support this sort of thing.
+ Players and GMs will do it or not do it as they see fit. Still, if
+ the designer does actively try to support it, the results might be
+ like Greg Costikyan's <http://www.costik.com/home.html> */Paranoia/*.
+ * */Storyteller:/* Plays to tell stories about the character in the
+ game world. Some storytellers want to end up with good stories
+ that they can reflect on or share with others about their
+ adventures in the game world. Others really want to tell the story
+ of their characters through play. They may want to show how their
+ characters overcome adversity or transform themselves over time or
+ something similar. I think there is room in roleplaying for better
+ support of the storyteller goal. The actual form of that support
+ may be similar to support provided for creators.
+ * */Tactician:/* Plays the game to solve tactical problems, outsmart
+ enemies, and overcome obstacles. Any resources available to the
+ player in the game can be used to solve tactical problems in the
+ game. Unlike the Conqueror, the Tactician is interested in using
+ his own personal skill to meet the challenge at hand.
+ o Tactical play does not necessarily mean wargaming. It's more
+ about decision-making and carefully exercising options on
+ limited resources in order to meet the player's goals for
+ the character in the game.
+ o The designer can support tactical play by providing
+ resources for the player to manage and tactical situations
+ for the player to resolve.
+ o I now refer you to Brian Gleichman's article, Elements of
+ Tactics
+ <http://www.rpg.net/news+reviews/columns/elements01nov02.html>,
+ for more information.
+ * */Wargamer:/* Wants to break out the miniatures and play a wargame
+ as part of the RPG experience. A designer can support this by
+ including rules for using miniatures and providing a combat system
+ system that is really a war game within the RPG. The wargamer can
+ roleplay, but he still wants to fight that battle in the most
+ traditional way.
+
+Other Factors
+
+ * */Design Goals:/* What do you want your game to do? Why are you
+ designing a game? If you are reading this article, you probably
+ already have answers for those questions. Yet, your goals are
+ factors that will impact on your design. If you haven't thought
+ about them, you might want to do that.
+ o Only you know why you want to design a game. No one else can
+ tell you.
+ o It's probably a good idea to articulate your goals in
+ writing. This will save you time later. Also, you can
+ include these notes and all the other stuff that affects
+ your thought process as designer notes at the end of your
+ game. Doing that will make Brian Gleichman very happy
+ if/when he reviews your game. It will also give everyone
+ else who looks at your game further insight into the ideas
+ behind your game.
+ * */Coherence:/* This is all about building a game that supports
+ your design goals. For me, /coherence/ is a blanket term. You can
+ strive for /coherence/ on several levels.
+ o A coherent game plays efficiently. That is, the play flow is
+ smooth and the mechanics work. One step segues into the next
+ and the players can play through anything that comes up
+ during the game. I think my whole column is predicated on
+ the idea of achieving this sort of coherence for any game
+ you decide to design.
+ o A coherent game has clear, comprehensible rules and
+ mechanics. The best game design in existence is useless
+ unless you write the rules in such a way that a player can
+ use your book to learn to play your game.
+ o A coherent game has rules, mechanics, and play examples that
+ support the designer's goals. Here is the pay off for
+ writing your goals: You can critique your own work. You can
+ compare what you've written to what you intended. If your
+ game fulfills your intended goals, then you have probably
+ written a coherent game. If you have doubts or you're too
+ close to the project, get someone else to read it.
+ * */Complexity:/* Brian Gleichman has written a very good article
+ <http://www.rpg.net/news+reviews/columns/elements20sep02.html> on
+ this very topic. If you haven't read it, I think you should. I
+ agree with his statements, and I will be referring to them here.
+ Also, I will use his terms without changing them. As Brian says,
+ people have a threshold for complexity. I think simpler is often
+ better, but other people like more /complexity/. It's up to you to
+ decide how much complexity to add to your game.
+ o Complexity of Implementation: This is the complexity of the
+ actual mechanical steps required to play the game. If a game
+ becomes too complex, some players may choose to simplify the
+ mechanics.
+ o Complexity of Mass: This is the number of options,
+ exceptions, and special cases written into a game. Really,
+ there is a point of balance for mass. Insufficient mass may
+ make for sparse gameplay. Too many options means it may take
+ longer for a group of players to master all the nuances of
+ the game, or that some of those options will be discarded. I
+ prefer a relatively simple implementation with a lot more mass.
+ o Complexity of Concept: I agree with Brian that RPGs are
+ complex in concept by their very nature. Excessive
+ complexity (in implementation or mass) is not the /Kiss of
+ Death/ for a game. I have found that when people like a
+ game, they will adjust it to suit their own tastes. A simple
+ game can be made more complex, and a complex game can be
+ simplified.
+
+# */Verisimilitude:/* This is really all about realism and maintaining
+/Suspension of Disbelief/ in your game. I am not going to fight over
+whether or not SoD exists. I accept it within its context. That is, you
+can watch a movie, read a book, or play an rpg and evaluate for yourself
+whether or not the presentation, handling, and outcome of events is
+believable within the context of the source material. This does not mean
+you have lost contact with reality or anything like that, but it is
+important to the perceived verisimilitude of your game.
+
+ * I think it's a goal of design to produce a game system that
+ produces results consistent with what should happen in the game world.
+ * There are many ways to approach the same goal.
+ * No game system, no matter how complex or detailed, can perfectly
+ model the resolution of events in the game world. The best we can
+ hope to do is provide a set of rules and mechanics that allows our
+ audience, our players, to produce satisfying results when playing
+ our game.
+ * Verisimilitude in a game system does not necessarily equal
+ realism. I think our purpose as designers of games and game worlds
+ is to find ways to present games so that players may play in our
+ game worlds and attain satisfying results that sustain their SoD.
+
+Now, I have deluged you with food for thought. Next time, I'll talk
+about resolution mechanics. Thanks for reading.
+
+
+ What do you think? <http://trio.rpg.net/pf/list.php?f=110>
+
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+ Topics Author Date Latest Reply
+ cooldog cotangent
+<http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=98&t=98> (1) new
+cranial_index 01-31-2006 20:46 01-31-2006 20:46 new
+ CORONA <http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=97&t=97> (1) new
+corn_chamomile 01-31-2006 20:25 01-31-2006 20:25 new
+ Fendi Spy Bags WHOLESALE@WizardReplica.com
+<http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=95&t=95> (1) new 514
+12-02-2005 10:55 12-02-2005 10:55 new
+ Designer Handbags Wholesale@WWW.WIZARDREPLICA.COM
+<http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=94&t=94> (1) new 868
+11-14-2005 19:41 11-14-2005 19:41 new
+ REPLICA HANDBAGS LOUIS VUITTON REPLICA WHOLESALE@
+<http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=93&t=93> (1) new 794
+10-20-2005 21:37 10-20-2005 21:37 new
+ Death/playing style
+<http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=92&t=92> (1) new Searcher
+09-22-2003 11:35 09-22-2003 11:35 new
+ Death and actual immortality
+<http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=89&t=89> (3) new Cpl Ferro
+07-19-2003 08:53 01-13-2006 15:22 new
+ Non-death death
+<http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=85&t=85> (5) new Sérgio
+Mascarenhas 07-18-2003 03:07 07-23-2003 02:38 new
+ Thanks, Hunter
+<http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=80&t=80> (4) new Allan
+Sugarbaker 07-16-2003 00:18 07-17-2003 19:34 new
+ Realism <http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=74&t=74> (3) new
+Robin 06-20-2003 01:23 06-25-2003 02:34 new
+ Something you might have mentioned.
+<http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=65&t=65> (3) new Yamo
+06-19-2003 16:13 06-19-2003 18:11 new
+ BTW, excellent column, Hunter!
+<http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=63&t=63> (2) new flyingmice
+06-19-2003 13:11 06-19-2003 18:13 new
+ Armor and Damage Thereto
+<http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=56&t=56> (2) new The Student
+06-19-2003 08:45 06-19-2003 11:44 new
+ Armor <http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=54&t=54> (9) new
+flyingmice 06-19-2003 08:29 06-20-2003 06:12 new
+ Death spiral and unconsciousness
+<http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=53&t=53> (7) new Torben
+Mogensen 06-19-2003 07:31 06-20-2003 06:52 new
+ lucky or skilled
+<http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=51&t=51> (2) new rhyme
+05-12-2003 18:49 05-13-2003 09:25 new
+ Absolute, unopposed and opposed
+<http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=48&t=48> (2) new Torben
+Mogensen 04-16-2003 02:19 04-16-2003 09:26 new
+ 0-9 open ended = brilliant!
+<http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=31&t=31> (8) new Vibropod
+03-12-2003 10:41 07-18-2003 01:28 new
+ Smooth rerolls
+<http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=27&t=27> (10) new Torben
+Mogensen 03-12-2003 00:47 03-16-2003 23:57 new
+ Resolution Mechanics
+<http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=25&t=25> (8) new Kyle
+Schuant 03-11-2003 22:14 03-29-2003 21:28 new
+
+ Go to Top <http://www.rpg.net/pf/list.php?f=110> | New Topic
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+
+ Newer Messages
+<http://www.rpg.net/pf/list.php?f=110&t=98&a=1&> | Older Messages
+<http://www.rpg.net/pf/list.php?f=110&t=25&a=2&>
+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+ Previous columns
+
+ * #8: True Death </news+reviews/columns/dream17jul03.html> by Hunter
+ Logan, 17jul03
+ * #7: Assessing Damage </news+reviews/columns/dream19jun03.html> by
+ Hunter Logan, 19jun03
+ * #6: Putting Theory to the Test
+ </news+reviews/columns/dream12may03.html> by Hunter Logan, 12may03
+ * #5: Resolution Mechanics II
+ </news+reviews/columns/dream14apr03.html> by Hunter Logan, 14apr03
+ * Resolution Mechanics I </news+reviews/columns/dream11mar03.html>
+ by Hunter Logan, 11mar03
+ * Player Goals </news+reviews/columns/dream10feb03.html> by Hunter
+ Logan, 10feb03
+ * Balance of Power </news+reviews/columns/dream20jan03.html> by
+ Hunter Logan, 20jan03
+ * Play Flow First </news+reviews/columns/dream01jan03.html> by
+ Hunter Logan, 01jan03
+
+
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