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`What is a Role Playing Game?
`by Robert Corrina on 03/11/09 01:49:00 am
`5 comments
`
`Share on Facebook
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` Posted 03/11/09 01:49:00 am
`
`What is a Role Playing Game
`
`By Robert Corrina
`
`Edited by Zach Mandeville
`
`What is a Role Playing Game? The purpose of this essay is to examine the history, identify the contents,
`and project the future of the RPG.
`
`To qualify the following essay, it should be stressed that my motivation for writing this essay is, or was,
`quite pure. It was originally intended for my own use and perhaps the edification of members of my club.
`The motivation for posting this essay on various forums, on the other hand, is strictly mercenary. Indeed,
`this essay is posted with every hope that it will gain attention, the kind of attention that leads to career
`advancement.
`
`The fact that this method of posting essays is not one of the preagreed upon avenues to success is quite
`apparent. However, if you wish to utilize your response or lack of response to make this even more
`apparent I can only thank you in advance.
`
`As with any essay some of the topics, examples and criteria mentioned in the following paragraphs could
`easily be expanded. My goal will be to explain any one concept just enough to be clearly understood. Some
`topics may be written up as an interrelated series of essays in the near future.
`
`For many years I have harbored an ambition to design a game, specifically, a computerized role playing
`game. Understanding what a role playing game was seemed to be a vital and fundamental step in the
`design process. Thusly I have spent the last eleven years (part time) identifying and defining the
`components of the RPG.
`
`History
`
`While one may, quite accurately, point to HP Lovecraft, Greek mythology and certain Japanese game
`designers as strongly influential in the creation of role playing games. It is actually widely accepted that
`the RPG (pen and paper) began as a fan response to the popularity of the unauthorized U.S. release of âThe
`Lord of the Ringsâ. All this is exoteric, so letâs jump ahead to the first videogames. There were many
`worthwhile efforts on the Amiga. These largely began with group, or party, character creation then turned
`to a largely text based modes and systems. The Ultima series was perhaps the first to offer full graphical
`explore mode and battle mode. Newtopia Planning (Nihon) later recreated, reworked and refined âUltima 3:
`Exodusâ for the 8-bit Nintendo. The commercial success of this release called for several production runs
`and the first ever U.S. advertising campaign for a computerized role playing game to include television
`commercials.
`
`Thus far the history section has covered from 1950 to 1990. Sorry to leave off in 1990 but, for the
`purposes of this essay, the release and success of Exodus is the dividing line between the past and present
`of the RPG.
`
`Consider the access of the 1988 audience to video games. Access to the arcade required timing, money and
`possibly transportation. The arcade did not offer RPGs. The Atari offered a home version of a literally
`retarded arcade experience. The RPG lived only on the personal computer. The gaming audience did not
`have direct or full time access to a personal computer. At the time personal computers were considered to
`be neither for communication nor word processing nor even gaming but for âworkâ.
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`
`Supercell
`Exhibit 1009
`Page 1
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`5 captures
`11 May 2012 - 12 May 2014
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`The 8-bit Nintendo was a dedicated gaming machine. On this machine, the audience found, were not only
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`arcade games but also âcomputer gamesâ. With the release of Exodus, possibly the first RPG release free of
`fatal bugs, on the NES the audience had direct and full time access for the first time.
`2011 2012 2013
`To underline this crucial history: Tolkien, totally unsatisfied with the King Arthur legend becomes
`obsessed and decides he must invent a neo-mythology himself. Eventually, âLotRâ, after a modest UK
`release, is seized upon by publishing pirates and transformed into a torrential downpour of misprinted
`paperbacks. These paperbacks are widely popular and a huge commercial success. American fans wishing
`to reexperience âLotRâ create a new gaming concept, the pen and paper RPG. American garage
`programmers inspired by all of the above begin to design and program RPGs for the new personal
`computers. The prevalence of the 8-bit entertainment system allows some of these computer games to be
`ported from the PC audience to a wider array of gamers.
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`Definition of Terms
`
`âSystemâ n. Â For the purpose of this essay a system is a game feature.
`
`âModeâ n. For the purpose of this essay a mode is a system in which the player spends the majority of their
`game hours. The rules and objectives of a mode often change at least once in a game.
`
`RPG n. Â An acronym which stands for Role Playing Game. For the purpose of this essay an RPG is a
`symbiotic  collection of âsystemsâ.
`
`For the purpose of this essay an RPG is a video game played on a computer or other electronic device.
`
`Minigame n. When a symbiotic system is not meaningfully integrated into the RPG it is considered a
`minigame. Therefore a minigame is an independent non-integrated system.
`
`Grind v. When a player deliberately triggers winnable encounters in hopes of gaining enough points to
`ameliorate the difficulty of future challenging battles.
`
`Grind n. The amount of repetitive activity the developer expects from the players.
`
`âRPG elementsâ n. A tag applied to games. Usually indicating that a character customization system has
`been grafted onto some other game
`
`type.
`
`Biofeedback n. For the purpose of this essay biofeedback is used loosely to describe the enjoyment that
`players, who obtain alpha state (This is the state of brain activity characterized by waves ranging
`from 8 to 13 cycles per second. Resembling a light trance, it is the condition one experiences
`during meditation.), derive from simple stimulus (input) response (output).
`
`RPG as Gestalt
`
`This essay proposes that the RPG, like the human animal, is a symbiotic collective.
`
`The possible systems of the symbiote being: Inventory management, story, explore mode, battle mode,
`character creation and customization, the save game system and the multiplayer system. Through
`integration the RPG becomes greater then the sum of its parts. Still, as a beginning, one must understand
`what each system is and why it is essential to the larger symbiote.
`
`Inventory Management is quite old, dating back to pen and paper character sheets. With the advent of the
`computerized RPG concept of key items (correspond to a specific obstacle) was added to upgraded weapons
`and armor items. Inventory management, while desirable, is actually a strange little puzzle game unto
`itself. Where it touches on the character customization feature this system of the symbiote becomes more
`integrated.
`
`The puzzle of sets is an attempt by the player to complete a matching set. The player is motivated by
`personal satisfaction or, more rarely, a bonus or key.
`
`The puzzle of completion is the compulsive journey to collect every single item in the game, regardless of
`the items utility, worth or prestige.
`
`The puzzle of optimization is the players logistical attempt to acquire and equip only the most powerful
`(and, due to the internet, popular) items for maximum utility in other game modes.
`
`Inventory management is a system unto itself (distinguishable from the character creation and
`customization system) and necessary to the RPG because of greed. Greed is one of the primary
`psychological motivators of the RPG player. âDiablo 2â (Blizzard North, PC and Mac, 2001), although not an
`RPG, utilized greed beyond what had previously been imagined. In âDiabloâ there were items of varying
`rarity that might be dropped upon the defeat of any monster. Also there were items with slots meant for yet
`more items. Yes, even the items had items.
`
`Now a single system has been covered but what is an RPG? Do the gamers and designers who champion a
`specific RPG as a ârealâ RPG have a basis for their rubric?
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`Supercell
`Exhibit 1009
`Page 2
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`Go APR MAY NOV
`An RPG is a collection of symbiotic systems. With this in mind, perhaps all interested parties can agree
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`11
`that entertainment value alone cannot qualify a game as an RPG. Thus a new rubric could be established.
`This new perspective could be based on how effective the symbiote is and on how many robust and
`2011 2012 2013
`integrated systems the symbiote contains.
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`Before listing further examples of agreeable and effective systems from game history the viability of a
`symbiote or gestalt should be established. For a game to be viable it must function for the gamer. If there
`is a serious underlying problem in the game programming, hardware and or interface which destroys
`stability and usability then it is disqualified.
`
`The story system of a game is simply a fictional novel or an anime that unfolds piece by piece every time
`the player completes a set of tasks. To discuss the story system one must first admit that all games have a
`story. There is an expectation among players that if a game is labeled an RPG it will have a robust story
`system. Conversely, players and industry observers expect a game with a strong story system to be an
`RPG. Unlike inventory management (a minigame that got promoted) the story system was the first true
`system.
`
`âTime Hollowâ for the (Tenky and Konami, DS, 2008) is almost entirely composed of story. I have chosen
`âTime Hollowâ as an example to illustrate the confusion of gamers in distinguishing between the story
`system and the RPG.
`
`âTime Hollowâ is essentially a descendent of âMystâ or what is sometimes labeled âa point and click
`adventureâ. In other words, this is a game in which the player clicks on a limited and reoccurring series of
`background images in order to see the next part of the story. Unfortunately there are inevitable sticking
`points where the player cannot discern the series in which the objects are supposed to be clicked.
`
`Within the parameters of this essay âTime Hollowâ is basically a one system organism. (There is a little bit
`of a âfind the catâ minigame which does not qualify as an explore system.) The game is an extremely linear
`story. Is this an RPG?
`
`Certainly, the story is compelling and contains up to date sci-fi themes and sensibilities. Certainly the
`game is worthwhile as entertainment to the player. It is and well executed and educational for the game
`designer.
`
`Because of its merits one is sorely tempted to grant this one+ system game RPG status. But is RPG status
`some sort of generic prize or ribbon? No. The RPG is not a prize it is a genre, a definable genre. âTime
`Hollowâ is not an RPG nor does it even contain âRPG elementsâ.
`
`However, if a symbiote is admirable enough can its systems be dissembled and grafted seamlessly into a
`new symbiote?
`
`Whereas the story system provides motivation through plot devices, exploration provides the freedom to
`investigate the setting or game world. Here the designer decides who and what the player can interact with.
`The explore mode is an endangered species. It is the most subtle system and its value to the player is
`complex. The best way to understand explore mode is to look at âPokemonâ. Traditionally (and in the
`current release) the game begins with the character in his room. One of the playersâ choices (and likely the
`playersâ first impulse) is to leave the room and begin the adventure. There is a second choice, to search the
`room. In the search one finds a text prompt âYour wii is hooked up to the televisionâ and a dismissal âthe
`TV is offâ. The main purpose of these is to validate the searchability of the room and the game. Within the
`storage capacity of the device in the characters room is the explore reward, a potion. This reward has the
`potential to alter the mindset of the player
`
`âI knew to act with patience and tenacityâ
`
`âI have played RPGs before and have become wise in their loreâ, etc.
`
`Further it establishes early trust between player and designer. The player suspected there was a reward
`and the designer was thoughtful enough to anticipate this suspicion.
`
`The battle system is the game within the game. It is also the primary interaction that the explore mode
`delivers. The possible battle systems available to the RPG overlap entirely with the battle system available
`to any game. The problem is that it is generally considered unwise to be a pioneer. In other words it is
`advisable to use only battle systems whose RPG integration has been perfected. The chess like battle
`system and the menu driven battle system qualify. A menu driven/3D platformer hybrid battle system has
`been tried many times; I would not describe it as perfected. The choice the designer must make in regards
`to the battle system is what kind of control is most exciting for the player to have.
`
`A character creation and customization system is a method by which the player makes choices about the
`characters stat bonuses and appearance. This system is widely considered to be the âRoleâ in âRole Playing
`Gameâ. To prepare for the battle system the player optimizes and grinds. Grinding is generally rewarded
`with optimization âpointsâ which are the currency of the character customization system. But, instead of
`delving directly into the delightful minutia of the character creation system let us look at the ways in which
`a player attains a character. Consider the controversial âFinal Fantasy Tacticsâ (Square Soft, PS, 1997). An
`anathema to some and nostalgic gold to others this contribution to the RPG is that it contained no less
`than four ways to acquire a character. There were pregenerated or story characters. There were player
`generated characters, which were presented in the game as mercenaries. There was a monster recruitment
`option by which non-human enemies could be persuaded to join the team. And there was a sort of monster
`breeding side effect which was triggered randomly. Some of the monsters had utility or unusual properties
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`3/7
`
`Supercell
`Exhibit 1009
`Page 3
`
`
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`8/10/2020
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`Gamasutra: Robert Corrina's Blog - What is a Role Playing Game?
`Go APR MAY NOV
`that differentiated them from the other ally types. The chocobos could be used as mounts (a character
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`11
`would mount and assume the monsters movement and jump points). The fire monsters would heal rather
`than take damage from a magic fire attack. It is easy to see that âFFTâ including a remarkably robust
`2011 2012 2013
`character creation system.
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`The save system is a file which allows the game to be initialized at a point other then the default point.
`This file is created by the designer as part of the play experience thus the save system is not considered
`cheating. The minutia of character creation needs to be reflected in the save game system. The save game
`system encapsulates the designers philosophy and understanding of psychological appeal. Furthermore
`the designer must prioritize which parts of her design necessitate tracking from one gaming session to the
`next.Â
`
`Ask any sports video game fan about the importance of tracking statistics and the importance of designer
`priorities as they relate to regard for the players will become clear. Finally, the designer must decide what
`information is integral to the game but also hidden from the player.
`
`The Multiplayer System is game designed with multiple inputs so that more then one player can
`participate in the game simultaneously. There are two distinct types. The first type involves a cooperative
`mode. The second involves a competitive battle mode. Â Same site multiplayer systems refer to games played
`as a group in a gaming venue or in one of the playersâ homes. The advantage to the designer in this
`situation is that a group tends to assume the highest enjoyment level of any individual in their group. In
`other words they gain the best suspension of disbelief. To enjoy any entertainment one must suspend ones
`own disbelief.
`
`To understand the use and abuse, the power and the providence, of the site to site multiplayer system one
`must remember two facts: Firstly, the system is the newest and the youngest system, the metaphorical
`baby of the RPG family. Secondly, the system, or more accurately, the technology backing the system has
`not always functioned properly or reliably. The internet, wireless technology, the networking ability of
`operating systems themselves did not function circa 1995. A few short years later the system and the
`underlying technology began working nearly perfectly and remains to this day (2009) a monument to
`human ingenuity and determination. At the absolute vanguard of the success and reliability of this system
`was blizzard entertainment. One must remember that, before blizzard, any game company claiming to offer
`site to site multiplayer capability had been lying. Regardless, gamers returned again and again with dollars
`in their hands. They were more and more skeptical, bracing themselves for disappointment each time.
`
`So, upon their arrival, it seemed that Blizzard had made the impossible possible. A disc from Blizzard
`meant that everything was going to work. It was the literal panacea, the puss in boots, of desktop
`computer gaming. No longer did the gamer have to be some sort of MacGyver to have any hope a
`multiplayer experience. No wonder that a celebratory attitude prevailed among the gaming audience. One
`can only hope that the individual specialists who perfected these technologies shared in the companies
`eventual and well deserved success.
`
`Human achievement tends to involve taking one step forward and two steps backward, so it was with the
`site to site multiplayer system. The enthusiasm for the new multiplayer system and the concurrent rise of
`3D came at the expense of all other systems, integration and design.
`
`The Future
`
`If you are looking for what is wrong with a game simply discover what cheaters are doing to change the
`experience. This section will begin by covering cheating in a single player context. Fundamentally the
`cheater disputes the designers implementation of the explore system and/or the save system. The most
`understandable dispute is a consequence of the designers not including an explore or save system at all. In
`this case cheating becomes a surrogate system. Consider such a game; assume it contains a âlightning
`power upâ which is located at the midpoint of the game. The player has played to this midpoint and gained
`the power up but then had to shut the game off for some reason. Through cheating the player can cause
`the game to initialize in such a way that he has the âlightning power upâ at the beginning. Notice that the
`player now has the power up from the starting point, something the designer never intended. The player
`becomes curious and wishes to compare this enhanced experience with the standard game experience. He
`begins to experiment, the process of discovery is engaged and a rudimentary explore system is born.
`
`A more complex dispute between cheater and designer occurs when an explore system is included but the
`cheater has deemed it banal fare. Further, if the cheater is highly technical and the cheating method is
`undeveloped or underdeveloped then he may seize the opportunity to explore the very code of the game
`and plumb its secrets. This process may include reading strange arcane languages, sifting thorough vast
`âdata dumpsâ for the proverbial needle in a haystack and employing (or even creating) applications to assist
`him in these tasks. Phase two involves trial and error, input and output, all to determine what type and
`amount of cheater code the game immune system will accept. Phase three includes actually employing the
`forbidden powers in the game and spreading the newly discovered dark magic to other cheaters via the
`internet.
`
`âŚ
`
`To create a truly rich RPG experience one must constantly reexamine the promise and disappointments of
`pen and paper. The weaknesses of the pen and paper RPG are deep and many. I think the following quote
`from the preface of âD&D Players Companion: Book Oneâ (1984) encapsulates these problems nicely:
`
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`4/7
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`Supercell
`Exhibit 1009
`Page 4
`
`
`
`8/10/2020
`
`Gamasutra: Robert Corrina's Blog - What is a Role Playing Game?
`Â The original ideas were both simple and complex. They were simple, giving the briefest
`Go APR MAY NOV
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`11
`instructions for various new concepts, but complex in their implicationsâŚ. Lacking time,
`space, and experience with the new game system, the designers left much for future
`2011 2012 2013
`development â and their future has now become our present.
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`Every pen and paper RPG begins with either this admission of unplayabilty or a promise that all the
`readers wildest dreams are about to come true. They then proceed to deliver more of the same. At the end
`of the day customers are and were paying for permission to engage in pretend time. Here is the great
`negative of the pen and paper RPG. And yet, what a tantalizing problem this negative is for an enlightened
`game designer to solve.
`
`For the positives, the first is obvious, the invention of the character creation and customization system.
`Randomly creating characters is pure fun and a game unto itself. Any time a designer combines gambling
`with creative user input it is easy to score points. The second positive, has gone unrecognized by most
`game designers. The RPG architecture implies a game that does not have to end.
`
`âŚ
`
`Anyone can create a robust system but all endeavors are for nothing if the system is not integrated. Sadly,
`the afore mentioned character creation system of âFinal Fantasy Tacticsâ is a prime example of poor
`system integration. The character generation system was at odds with the battle system, the save system
`and the story system. The lack of integration caused a destructive chain reaction and any positive effects
`gained from including a robust system were lost. Specifically, the player was offered four ways to acquire
`characters and, predictably, began a process of accumulating all four types. To accommodate this influx
`the save system should have supported a vast amount slots in its character roster but the designers
`allowed for only 32 slots. There were almost that many story characters and so the player soon found
`himself forced to dismiss characters he had spent a great deal of time, thought and grind acquiring. There
`seemed to be some cruel recognition of this dichotomy in the pitiful pleas of the dismissed characters
`asking if they had done something wrong. But there was no hope, the story characters continued to be
`foisted onto the player and were undeletable. Similarly the battle system allowed only from three to six
`characters to be deployed in a battle. Any monster (including a chocobo mount) would be counted towards
`one of these slots. Because the monsters were vastly weaker then the other types of characters their
`availability in the game broke the illusion of choice.
`
`Thoughtful refinement and improved integration were needed but never implemented in any future release
`of âFFTâ nor in any other title. Therein lays great opportunity for the future designer.
`
`âŚ
`
`Limitation and risk are great friends to both game design and narrative. For example the characters
`inventory should be limited. Thus gaining an item slot or a storage container is enabled as a medium
`reward. Further the storage container could begin as a risk as well as a privilege. So there is a chance for
`the storage to be robbed by an npc. If the designer stops here it is a sign of amateurish understanding of
`limitation and risk, this will be interpreted as senseless player abuse, which it is. To complete the thought
`the designer must add hooks to this incident. It must be possible for the player to track down the random
`burglar and even regain his items. Once the player pursues these events there is every reason to catch the
`player with a subplot hook or even a plot hook. The point is that limitation and risk lead to incident and to
`the egalitarian designer incident is an illusion used to draw the player into the game world.
`
`I propose that stringent limitations should govern game narrative. To play a role the role has to be defined.
`The virtual risk that the player is willing to endure can be matched to this limited narrative. This narrative
`formula is complex and I will provide an essay on the subject.
`
`âŚ
`
`It is vitally important for the design to contain an availability of viable strategies or multiple and
`customizable strategies for battle system success. If these paths were properly implemented the designer
`could arouse the playersâ suspicions that the character creation and customization system includes these
`strategic possibilities. Then the player can pursue these possibilities as part of the games process of
`discovery. Â Ultimately, as an extension of customization, the battle system would be perennially fascinating
`instead of a potential for player burn out.
`
`Tic-Tac-Toe is a game with only one path to victory. Although it offers 5 million permutations, chess is also
`a game with only one path to victory. There is almost no difference between these two games. Except this
`one difference, the easily mystified human brain tells us that these two games are completely dissimilar.
`This trick of the mind is the illusion of choice that the enlightened designer must seize upon.
`
`When a player sits at a chess board he eagerly anticipates: taking control of the center, robbing his
`opponent of material, taking advantage of his opponentsâ mistakes, checking the enemy king in an attempt
`to cause panic, promoting his pawns and finally keeping all his pieces protected in a web of his own design
`etc. To oversimplify matters, and at the danger of being taken literally, all the designer need do is offer
`three of the above six choices, a limited subset of chess, to the player as strategic options of the gamesâ
`battle system. Of course, to keep the design subtle, the player should unknowingly make these choices
`under the guise of other choices. Again, for the sake of simplicity, he could be choosing the first when he
`chooses his character, the second when he chooses an ally and the third could be tied to some narrative
`choice.
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`Supercell
`Exhibit 1009
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`Go APR MAY NOV
`For example, the player has his first character but he is interested in gaining board control. The player
`https://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/RobertCorrina/20090311/83491/What_is_a_Role_Playing_Game.php
`11
`notices that among the possible allies is a giant. Guided by his intuition and backed up by his experiences
`in the game the player believes that the giant will take up multiple squares on the chess board. The player
`2011 2012 2013
`recruits the giant and gets into a battle to test his theory. The giant does indeed take up multiple squares
`and acts as an obstacle to the enemy pieces movement. All that remains is for the player to refine, perfect,
`expand or even change his strategy.
`
`5 captures
`11 May 2012 - 12 May 2014
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`f đŚ
`âž About this capture
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`There are two caveats to employing multiple and customizable strategies for battle system success. The
`first is that the subtle choices must match up thematically with the strategic options they represent (the
`giant takes up space). To do otherwise would be repugnant and defeat the entire purpose of a character
`generation and customization system. The second caveat is that, while maintaining the concept of unequal
`forces and rejecting the misguided notion that the designers job is to make things âfairâ, no combination of
`three choices above should result in useless garbage.
`
`This is a hypothetical example of how to employ, innovate and integrate one of the most familiar RPG
`battle systems. To answer the question from a previous section, yes, this essay proposes that all the finest
`systems from game history can be utilized in this way.
`
`âŚ
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`Unlike TV, movies, comics and works of fiction the suspension of disbelief for the gaming audience
`becomes more difficult to maintain with each game release (successful or unsuccessful) and with each
`passing year. Luckily the solution to this problem is manifest. The RPG should be reinstated as a genre
`and imbued with the level of craftsmanship which all audiences demand. Designers should learn from and
`use the world of cheating and piracy to the fullest advantage. Games should be created, in both complexity
`and content, for adults. The players bear part of this burden and so they must give up denying that their
`knowledge and imagination are equal to the designers.
`
`
`
` Comments
`
`Bart Stewart
`
`
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`11 Mar 2009 at 9:41 am PST
`Some very interesting ideas here. I look forward to seeing the individual sections expanded.
`
`In the meantime, I'd like to suggest a couple of thoughts for this current essay:
`
`1. In a piece of this length, it's helpful to include a "Conclusion" section that briefly and clearly
`answers the question posed by the essay's title.
`
`2. After reading through this essay, I was surprised that roleplaying was never described in terms
`of actively "playing a character in an invented world." Some of the system-elements of games
`commonly considered to be RPGs were mentioned and discussed, and that's appropriate. But what
`about understanding what "playing an RPG" means from the perspective of the player?
`
`What, for example, is a "role?" Is it a generic function, like a fighter or a thief, with clearly
`delineated gameplay? (Numerous younger gamers, whose only experience of RPGs is playing one
`online computer game such as World of Warcraft, have insisted to me that this is the only valid
`definition.) Or should "role" be understood in its dramatic sense, where an actor who takes on a
`role pretends to be a specific individual character with a unique personality and history? When we
`talk about designing a "roleplaying game," which of these definitions of "role" should be used to
`guide decisions a