Can we make RPG money more interesting?
How can we use the messy, complicated actual history of systems of trade and obligation to make interesting stories?
Articles exploring various ideas for tabletop roleplaying games.
How can we express duels in a tabletop RPG?
A high-stakes, emotionally charged duel… desirable, no? But how can we get there?
Violence and 'evil races'
An attempt to get to grips with the history of D&D and fantasy fiction.
Expressing emotionally charged duels in a TTRPG - part II..!
A newer update on an old question, inspired by newer games. En garde, my friend.
Observations on MMO RP
A lonely girl thinks about the value of animations.
what’s the book for? part 0
A three hour long youtube video sends me on a journey into the nature of RPG sourcebooks.
what’s the book for? part 1
The beginning of an enquiry. Why do we use books in our games of pretend?
what’s the book for? part 2
We dive deeper, considering some narratives about RPG books and their purpose.
what’s the book for? - part 3
We consider some less obvious aspects of play and subculture, and the role of the book in it.
everything is roleplaying, except roleplaying, which is improv
An autistic woman finds a roundabout way to understand social life through a kishōtenketsu connecting RPGs, improv, wrestling, and kink.
a polemic
Transform games and make them your own, and use whatever material you want. Don’t let discourse tell you otherwise.
social mechanics and abstraction in RPGs
Not all mechanical abstraction has the same function.
what sort of game is an RPG? part 1: Suits and friends
Cracking open my books of philosophy and game design theory in the hope of figuring out how they square with that strange species of game, the RPG.
what sort of game is an RPG? part 2: goals
Zeroing in on Bernard Suits, I consider the various types of enjoyment pursued by RPG players, and whether they qualify as prelusory goals.
what sort of game is an RPG? part 3: unwritten rules
Continuing the inquiry into how RPGs function as games, I examine how Stephen Sniderman’s unwritten rules factor into the procedures of RPGs.
what sort of game is an RPG? part 4: restrictions
I return to Bernard Suits, and consider how voluntary restrictions manifest as rules to shape narration.
what sort of game is an RPG? part 5: balance
How do game design questions shift when approaching RPG land? Here we take a look at the tricky subject of game balance.
what sort of game is an RPG? part 6: design
How should responsibility be shared between game designers and players of an RPG? We face up to some hardline stances.
what sort of game is an RPG? part 7: play
How best to describe play that is not ultimately defined by a rulebook? We touch the nebulous and infinite.