So, I've been recently reading a lot about indie RPGs, and Dogs in the Vinyard, which is a game in which the players are Mormon peacekeepers in a weird west version of Deseret. It has a really interesting way to resolve interactions, in that conflicts are always escalating, either by the required dice increasing, or in that the conflict gets more dangerous (words->fists->guns). However, the specifics of exactly what goes on is up to the players, and has very little mechanical crunchiness. This is a common feature of most indie rpgs- beautiful resolution mechanics, and very little in the way of crunchiness. This makes them much better than traditional RPGs for storytelling. Moreover, because the mechanics are so elegant, they're easy to pick up, making the barrier to entry very low, as far as RPGs go. Furthermore, they're much more imaginative, easily lending themselves towards new players who aren't yet familiar with the constraints of a traditional system. Finally, they are much more varied and adaptable, able to work in any kind of universe, either because there is a system for the setting (see above) or because the rules themselves assume so much less than non-indie (D&D) systems
Nevertheless, Dungeons and Dragons remains the system of choice for the vast majority of RPG gamers, and, moreover, over time, it has developed to be more and more mechanical and rules-heavy. It's a system that moves slowly, inelegant mechanics, and is very closely tied to a swords and sorcery universe with very specific assumptions. Trying to change them causes all manner of silly effects and poor balance. Even for people who move away from D&D, the other systems that are commonly used (White Wolf, Rifts, and GURPS) are either tied extremely heavily to a universe, mechanically ungainly, and/or horribly unbalanced.
I refuse to believe that the main problem with indie RPGs is simple publicity, because you would figure that in such a situation, a system like the Dresden Files RPG, which is 1) an indie RPG, using the FATE engine and 2) has a super-popular book tie-in would be an enormous success. Moreover, it's not a stable equilibrium to assume that mere lack of popularity is holding these systems back, as popularity tends to bring popularity, meaning a system like Mouse Guard, which has gotten some exposure from the geek press, would explode and make a million bucks. However, these are self-evidently not the case, which leads me to believe that the "problem" with indie RPGs, in so far as there is a "problem," is the very things they cherish.
In my mind, people like to master complex systems, and they like to operate within rules. Coming up with a character and story is hard, and takes thinking in ways that most people don't do on any sort of a regular basis. On the other hand, operating within rules systems, and optimizing those systems are things that people (or at least people who play RPGs) do every day. The popularity of WoW may be due in part to skinner-box-esque mechanics and a mile-deep sheen of Blizzard polish, but, in another sense, the systems mastery aspect is facinating, and it's something that's very easy to sink your teeth into.
The systems mastery component goes deeper, as games like Minecraft or EUIII, which are effectively sandboxes of tools to play in, tend to cause a lot of fatigue and pose a large barrier to entry, especially at first (at least, that was what I experienced). D&D is easy to grasp, because it's all about killing monsters and accomplishing quests. The mechanics are built around the optimization of one's personal character and the murder of things that stand in the way. In comparison, DitV or Burning Wheel, which are designed for expression, rather than task accomplishment, don't lend themselves as much to this. I know this isn't an original observation, I don't think there's an easy way to make indie RPGs more popular without making some compromises, but it's quite interesting. After all, how many bugs that are bemoaned by designers, people who work with a product extensively, and even casual users turn out to be the very things that contribute to a formula's success.
See you in the funny papers!
Nevertheless, Dungeons and Dragons remains the system of choice for the vast majority of RPG gamers, and, moreover, over time, it has developed to be more and more mechanical and rules-heavy. It's a system that moves slowly, inelegant mechanics, and is very closely tied to a swords and sorcery universe with very specific assumptions. Trying to change them causes all manner of silly effects and poor balance. Even for people who move away from D&D, the other systems that are commonly used (White Wolf, Rifts, and GURPS) are either tied extremely heavily to a universe, mechanically ungainly, and/or horribly unbalanced.
I refuse to believe that the main problem with indie RPGs is simple publicity, because you would figure that in such a situation, a system like the Dresden Files RPG, which is 1) an indie RPG, using the FATE engine and 2) has a super-popular book tie-in would be an enormous success. Moreover, it's not a stable equilibrium to assume that mere lack of popularity is holding these systems back, as popularity tends to bring popularity, meaning a system like Mouse Guard, which has gotten some exposure from the geek press, would explode and make a million bucks. However, these are self-evidently not the case, which leads me to believe that the "problem" with indie RPGs, in so far as there is a "problem," is the very things they cherish.
In my mind, people like to master complex systems, and they like to operate within rules. Coming up with a character and story is hard, and takes thinking in ways that most people don't do on any sort of a regular basis. On the other hand, operating within rules systems, and optimizing those systems are things that people (or at least people who play RPGs) do every day. The popularity of WoW may be due in part to skinner-box-esque mechanics and a mile-deep sheen of Blizzard polish, but, in another sense, the systems mastery aspect is facinating, and it's something that's very easy to sink your teeth into.
The systems mastery component goes deeper, as games like Minecraft or EUIII, which are effectively sandboxes of tools to play in, tend to cause a lot of fatigue and pose a large barrier to entry, especially at first (at least, that was what I experienced). D&D is easy to grasp, because it's all about killing monsters and accomplishing quests. The mechanics are built around the optimization of one's personal character and the murder of things that stand in the way. In comparison, DitV or Burning Wheel, which are designed for expression, rather than task accomplishment, don't lend themselves as much to this. I know this isn't an original observation, I don't think there's an easy way to make indie RPGs more popular without making some compromises, but it's quite interesting. After all, how many bugs that are bemoaned by designers, people who work with a product extensively, and even casual users turn out to be the very things that contribute to a formula's success.
See you in the funny papers!
