RPG Conversations and Metaphor
The role of word, gesture, and tone in the exchange of information is the essential ingredient in any RPG – even the very limited ones in choose your own adventure books and computer-based versions. Take it away and the RPG can no more happen than a game of Crazy Eights can take place without cards.
RPGs: not just happy accidents
Often, in our zeal to define the nature of RPGs, gamers can get caught up in those specifics and forget about – or worse deride – those enjoyably investigating some other part or parts of the elephant.
RPG’s are a Conversation?
Are RPGs a conversation, really? The short answer is yes, but in the many years (over 30) that I have been having conversations about this conversation, the topic has been able to race off in a lot of different directions. While that has been good for my personal experience in thinking about the abstract and concrete aspects of the topic, it has also demonstrated that the whole idea can be slippery and, of course, even small parts of it can strike some gamers as being useless. What I have found is that coming to terms with this idea not only helps with playing RPGs for enjoyment, it helps with understanding what they are, why a game works well in some contexts but not others, what is and is not worthy of your time as a participant, how to match games and interests, and even for playing them for other purposes, such as education. Not bad for a throwaway line like, “RPGs are a conversation,” right?
Casting Shadows 