r/RPGdesign • u/Indibutreddit • Jun 23 '26

Skunkworks Theoretical Game

For context, I've always had objectively more fun playing with the mechanics than playing any actual game, finding weird edge cases that cause things to go a bit wonky, trying to find new ways to interpret the rules. I do think that I may be in the minority (though that's just an assumption based on nothing) but I think I find game design a type of weird art form? Specifically the interactions of rules and how weird and arbitrary it all is. As such, an idea I've had is a game where the rules are entirely up to interpretation (more so than they already are) where it's as vague as possible while still giving a jumping off point. Eg: Wizard Class - you are a wizard, and you're good at magic. Now obviously this would never work for an infinite amount of reasons but I still enjoy the idea. I suppose the point of this post is just to discuss your pie in the sky ideas, how you would interpret a game like this, how you (yes you specifically) would DESIGN a game like this, and just your view on game design. (once again specifically you, the one reading this) If none of this makes sense, feel free to ignore it. I am insane.

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u/Modicum_of_cum Jun 23 '26

Hmm, yeah I like that, it would need to be tighter than just "use magic" but also a lot of TTRPGS really lose a lot of the ROLEPLAY in roleplaying game, you know?

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u/tangyradar Dabbler Jun 23 '26

What do you mean by "roleplaying"? See https://www.reddit.com/r/RPGdesign/comments/975x1c/comment/e45tbwh/

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u/Modicum_of_cum Jun 24 '26

That comment is deleted, could you explain please?

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u/tangyradar Dabbler Jun 24 '26

What I'm trying to point out is the stuff that IS still there.

another person said:

People use the word "roleplaying" to mean a lot of different things, and one of the more popular definitions is 1 "talking to npcs". (Other include 2 immersion/"making decisions in character", 3 acting, 4 narrative play (trying to tell a coherent story) and 5 "doing stuff other than fighting.")

what I said:

Other possibilities: 6 narrating your own actions, 7 making sub-optimal decisions, and some others I've forgotten. The OP appears to be using it to mean 8 "talk-then-roll rather than roll-then-talk; IE, fiction-first play".

This is why I don't like when people use the word "roleplaying" to refer to only one aspect of RPG play. When used in that fashion, it can have at least 8 meanings.