A brief history of the genre
What is an RPG? In short, it is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting, in which the participants assume the roles of characters and collaboratively create stories. Each player determines the actions of their characters based on their characterization, and the actions taken to succeed or fail according to the rules of the game.
There are three varieties of RPGs, as follows:
- Tabletop
- Live action
- Computer RPG (cRPG)
Tabletop and pen-and-paper (PnP) RPGs are conducted through discussions in a small social gathering. There is usually a Game Master (GM) who describes the game world and its inhabitants. The other players describe the intended actions of their characters, and the GM describes the outcomes. This is the format in which RPGs were first popularized, namely through Dungeons & Dragons (D&D).
Live Action Role Playing (LARP) is played more like improvisational theatre. Participants act out their character's actions instead of describing them, and the real environment is used to represent the imaginary setting of the game world. Some LARPs use rock-paper-scissors or a comparison of attributes to resolve symbolically, while other LARPs use physical combat with simulated arms. A movie can be considered a simple LARP; the difference being that in a movie, all actions are scripted, and the players do not have much decision-making to do, whereas in a LARP, the characters can change the outcome of their actions based on their decisions.
cRPGs are tabletop RPGs that have been translated into an electronic format. Early cRPGs influenced all types of electronic gaming, as well as spanning the role-playing video game genre. In short, a cRPG is a video game genre where the player controls the actions of the main character while immersed in a well-defined world.
This book will concentrate on the design and development of a cRPG.
Note
NOTE: Going forward, when we mention RPG in the book, we are referring to cRPG.
Computer role-playing games take their root from tabletop versions of the genre. Many of the same terminologies, settings, and game mechanics have been carried over from the original tabletop games. Some of these similarities include story-telling and narrative elements, where, throughout the story, the player character will continuously develop their skills and abilities to meet the objective of the game.
