Role-playing game

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This article is about role-playing games as entertainment. See computer role-playing games for their digital counterparts or roleplay for a more general definition.
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Category:Role-playing games

A role-playing game (RPG) is a type of game in which players assume the roles of characters and collaboratively create narratives. Gameplay progresses according to a predetermined system of rules and guidelines, within which players may improvise freely. Player choices shape the direction and outcome of role-playing games.

Role-playing games are more collaborative and social than competitive. A typical role-playing game unites its participants into a single team that adventures as a group. A role-playing game rarely has winners or losers. This makes role-playing games fundamentally different from board games, card games, sports and most other types of games. Like novels or films, role-playing games appeal because they engage the imagination.

Because the terms "role-playing game" and "RPG" have both to some degree been co-opted by the computer gaming industry, traditional non-digital pastimes of this sort are increasingly being referred to as pen and paper role-playing games (PnP RPG or PPRPG) or tabletop role-playing games (TTRPG).

Contents

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Concept

At their core, role-playing games are a form of interactive and collaborative storytelling. Simple forms of role-playing exist in traditional children's games such as "cops and robbers," "dogs and mailmen," "cowboys and indians," and "playing house." Mature role-playing game participants are more sophisticated. Unlike a child who just wants to feel like a cowboy for a few minutes, a group of adults in a Wild West role-playing game will generate specific characters and an ongoing plot. Their goal is to reproduce the enjoyment of a Western film or a Western novel. Like the serial Westerns of old movie matinees, these episodic games often have weekly sessions that continue for months.

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Varieties

The oldest form of role-playing games were fantasy wargames, so named because participants used miniature figurines and scaled terrain grids to illustrate action in a way similar to that of tactical wargames. Whether or not these supplementary materials are still used, this variety of table-top interaction remains a dominant model for role-playing. Participants sit in a circle with refreshments and conduct the game as a social gathering. Tabletop games that emphasize plot and character over pencil and dice sometimes prefer the name storytelling game.

A LARP, short for live action role-playing, uses amateur theatrics. Participants act out their characters' actions, often in costume. LARPs de-emphasize dice rolls and rulebook references. Freeform role-playing games are a subgenre of LARP with minimal rules and strong character development.

Computer role-playing games are a genre within the Console game market and the computer game market. They develop character and plot more than other computer games. Players enjoy them alone or in small groups (see LAN party).

Internet role-playing games range from graphical games such as EverQuest to grass roots text based games. For a fuller discussion see Internet games or the articles MMORPG, MUD, MUSH, PBEM, play-by-post gaming, and online text based role playing game.

Computer-assisted role-playing games blend elements of tabletop gaming with computer gaming. Computers are used for recordkeeping and sometimes to resolve combat. People make plot and character decisions.

Some players consider Collectible card games to be a kind of role-playing game. This categorization is a matter of dispute within the gaming community.

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Game mechanics

Despite their generally collaborative nature, role-playing games have rules. Most use weighted statistics and dice rolls, and require the participation of a gamemaster (GM), whose role is to organize the game session, and act as the moderator and rules arbitrator. Characters in role-playing games are classified into two groups: player characters (PCs), controlled by players, and non-player characters (NPCs), controlled by the gamemaster. A group of characters adventuring together is often referred to as a "party."

Characters have unequal distributions of basic talents such as strength, agility, and intelligence. Each player adds a set of skills suited to the native talents and personality of his or her player character. These shape the character's choices and capabilities within the game. Game rules are usually balanced so that no individual character can excel in every area.

One Wild West gunfighter may become a quick drawing revolver marksman. Another develops into a mounted rifle expert. The party doctor learns negotiation and herbalism. The rogue lurks in the shadows. A doctor will be better at healing than a gunfighter. Some actions cannot be attempted without special skill. A rogue might try to bandage a wound, but only a doctor could neutralize a poison. The cumulative effects of talent, skill, and experience give a seasoned doctor a very high chance of success. Most games represent these factors with statistical odds that players record on a piece of paper called a character sheet.

Various types of skills correspond to specific game settings. A medieval rogue would be as likely to throw knives as a Wild West rogue. X-ray vision is more suited to science fiction. Asian adventures feature martial arts. Fantasy settings include simulated magic. While the rules vary and the fictional genre changes, most actual game sessions follow a familiar pattern.

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Genres

Role-playing games can also be divided into genres by the fictional setting where they take place.

Fantasy role-playing games draw their inspiration almost exclusively from fantasy literature, such as the works of J. R. R. Tolkien. The setting in these games is usually a world with a level of technology similar to that in Europe sometime between years 800-1400. Fantasy elements include magic and supernatural creatures, such as dragons. The genre can be subdivided into high fantasy where supernatural events are commonplace, and low fantasy where there are little or no supernatural aspects. Because the world's most popular role-playing game is part of this genre, it is the most played role-playing genre.

SF role-playing or sci-fi role-playing games are inspired by science fiction literature. The setting is generally in the future, sometimes near future but also quite often in the far future, though in many cases the setting bears no connection to the world we live in, e.g. Star Wars. Common elements involve futuristic technology, contact with alien life forms, experimental societies, and space travel. Psionic abilities (i.e. ESP and telekinesis) often take the place of magic. The genre can be divided similarly with science fiction literature into sub-genres, such as cyberpunk or space opera. SF is the second most played genre after fantasy.

Historical games take place in the past. Settings that have been explored in role-playing games include Feudal Japan, Maya civilization, Arthurian Britain, Ancient Rome, and Victorian era.

Horror games take their inspiration from horror literature. Horror Roleplaying can be divided into two major groups. The first is inspired by the works of H. P. Lovecraft, focusing on humanity's fight against malevolent, extra-dimensional entities. The second focuses on playing supernatural creatures, mostly preying on humanity, such as the books of Anne Rice. The setting in these games is often contemporary or from the 19th or 20th century. Creating the correct mood and suspense is important in these games.

Superhero role-playing games are inspired by superhero comic books and graphic novels. The setting is generally the present, sometimes near future or past, though in many cases the setting is significantly different from the real world. Rubber science, viable mutants, and space aliens are all common in the genre. The RPG games themselves usually have the players as super heroes, saving the common people from crime and supervillains. The genre can be divided into sub-genres that mirror comic book genres: for example, Golden Age where the heroes are always virtuous and morality is black and white, and Silver Age where the distinctions are less clear.

Humor games are based on creating situations which are funny. Humor is not usually a genre in itself (although it can be), but a modifier added to other genres.

  • Prominent titles: Toon, Paranoia

Universal games are based on creating a generic system that can be adapted to any genre. In practice, universal games are typically biased toward a specific style or genre and adaptable to others.

Several games combine different genres. Ars Magica can be considered a fantasy role-playing game in a historical setting, Shadowrun combines cyberpunk with fantasy elements whereas steam punk games combine elements of science fiction with history. DragonMech combines elements of steampunk and fantasy into a single genre of its own. There also exist games unique enough that they do not fit comfortably into easily-defined genres, but these are rare.

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See also

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Famous writers

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Famous artists

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Famous players

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Events

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Types of games

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Lists

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References

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External links

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Lists and reviews

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Community

  • RPG Wolfpack - An online community dedicated to the design and creation of many forms of role-playing games.
  • Role Players Gaming Network - An online games-server and forums community for role players.
  • Federation Klingon Alliance - A Star Trek derived RPG group which has been in existence, in varying forms, since 1993.
  • RPG Forum - Discussions about online RPG games
  • RPG.net - One of the largest general role-playing game fan-sites.
  • indie-rpgs.com - "The Forge"; maintained by Ron Edwards, this site for Independent Role-Playing Games includes discussion forum, articles, and other resources.
  • Nightendale RPG Network An expansive OTBRPG network, featuring Dynasty Warriors, Blood of Britain and the Malibora Chronicles. They also cater for other styles of text based roleplaying.
  • Lakeland Role Playing Guild - an active community of gamers
  • FreeRoleplay.org - a site for developers and players of open-source RPGs; includes a mailing list
  • FavGames.com - a site for players of MMORPGs, including World of Warcraft, DAOC, EverQuest 2 etc.
  • The UCIP - a community of mostly Star Trek RPGs both via IRC and eMail.
  • rpggateway.com - RPG directory.
  • Federation Reborn - An active roleplaying community that participates in primarily Star Trek rp's, but also Star Wars and Stargate
  • DHTML RPG, a site for DRPG game developersca:Joc De Rol

cs:RPG (hra) da:Rollespil de:Rollenspiel (Spiel) eo:Rolludo he:משחק תפקידים es:Juegos de Rol fi:Roolipeli fr:Jeu de rôle ia:Joco de rolo it:Gioco di ruolo ja:ロールプレイングゲーム lt:Vaidmenų žaidimai nl:role playing game pl:Gra fabularna pt:RPG sk:Hra na hrdinov sv:Rollspel tr:Fantasy role-playing zh:角色扮演游戏 ru:Ролевые игры ko:테이블_롤플레잉_게임

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