Reddit reviews Role-Playing Game Studies
We found 4 Reddit comments about Role-Playing Game Studies. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
We found 4 Reddit comments about Role-Playing Game Studies. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Yes! I'm a student studying RPG design, so I like to think I have at least a vague idea of what I'm talking about.
Some various sources, some paid and some free:
That's a pretty good list of theory and texts and stuff.
One of the ways to learn good RPG theory, I've found, though, is to just read good RPGs.
It's also highly worth digging through acknowledgements and credits of your favorite RPGs and then tracking down the names mentioned. If you're reading a big, hefty RPG, like D&D, pay special attention to any consultants, specialists, or other people listed under strange credit areas.
Anyway, when you eventually dig your way through all of this, I'll probably have read some more, so hit me up if you want more suggestions. Those top seven or eight things are probably the best place to start.
Edit: my personal list of games was rather reductive, as several commentators have called me out on, so I've removed it. Go read lots of RPGs.
>The problem with RPG design theory is that there are barely any references to speak of.
Look, that's both not entirely true if you actually put in the effort (and you can find many resources right here on this reddit) and not an excuse.
Like any field of study, RPG design can't spontaneously burst forth from a void of knowledge. It stems from other fields of study - in this case game design (RPG Design is, after all, roleplaying game design?), game studies, storytelling, writing, &c.
It's okay if that's not your objective, but from you writing the article and bothering to post it here, I figure you're trying to get somewhere with your methodology, right? At least to validate it, subject it to scrutiny. If your objective is to develop something that other people can rely on and refer to, you should find something to back it up.
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Please, don't interpret this as an attempt to shut you down. Much on the contrary, I like that you wrote this. I'm all for people writing stuff, thinking about RPG design, &c. but when you write something so, as you put it, other people can benefit it I think it's only responsible to do some proper research and hold it to a higher standard.
Two books come to mind, though I've not read either so I don't know how useful they'd be for your project:
And here are a couple of newcomers:
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List of studies: http://www.rpgstudies.net/
Recent book on the topic: https://www.amazon.ca/Role-Playing-Game-Studies-Transmedia-Approach/dp/0815369204