A good RPG is basically unfettered storytelling imagination with rules. Huh? Isn't that a paradox? Well, sort of. Giving your fantasy world a set of guidelines in the form of rules and dice rolls, gives the GM and the players permission to experiment.
Looking at it another way, suppose there were no rules. "Guys, this is just a free-flowing story session. Go. Say anything." It's sort of like trying to start an oyster with no grain of sand. There's nothing to latch on to. There is no context. And more to the point, you're operating in a world that doesn't feel realistic. (Realism vs. fantasy in an RPG, whole other topic.)
Now, we could have a whole discussion around how many rules. And it would be a good discussion. But idea of rules is essential.
There's also the question of dice in an RPG. That random factor. The unpredictability of life. There's always a chance, isn't there? The chance of success. The chance of failure. You can stack the deck, but there's always a chance. And that is a key ingredient isn't it? I think so.
There is the argument that dice can ruin a good story. I admit, it happens. But it's that air of unpredictability that I argue motivates players as players. It lends an edge to the story that wouldn't exist if one could always control the outcome.
Looking at it another way, suppose there were no rules. "Guys, this is just a free-flowing story session. Go. Say anything." It's sort of like trying to start an oyster with no grain of sand. There's nothing to latch on to. There is no context. And more to the point, you're operating in a world that doesn't feel realistic. (Realism vs. fantasy in an RPG, whole other topic.)
Now, we could have a whole discussion around how many rules. And it would be a good discussion. But idea of rules is essential.
There's also the question of dice in an RPG. That random factor. The unpredictability of life. There's always a chance, isn't there? The chance of success. The chance of failure. You can stack the deck, but there's always a chance. And that is a key ingredient isn't it? I think so.
There is the argument that dice can ruin a good story. I admit, it happens. But it's that air of unpredictability that I argue motivates players as players. It lends an edge to the story that wouldn't exist if one could always control the outcome.
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