Suggestion for addition to lexicon for table-top game design

[Daniel B]

Nothing big. It comes out of my work on my own RPG. Come to think of it, I can't imagine why it has not been suggested earlier what with the proliferation of computer RPGs since the 90's.

Following the from older terms, cut and paste directly from the Forge Glossary -

• Dial: A feature of System by which a given aspect of the imaginary material may be increased or decreased, in terms of Effectiveness, Color, or Points-of-Contact. Depending on the system, dials may be "spun" before play (in which case their value is expected to be fixed) or during play. The term was first presented in Champions Millenium.
• Switch: A customizable aspect of System which allows participants to allow it to be present or absent during play, often for the whole of that particular group?s play. A Dial with two settings (on/off). Also called a toggle. The term was first presented in Champions Millenium.

The new term -

• Meter: A feature of System that is produced as output and which measures or is intended to measure some aspect of the game. Some meters are strictly output, while others may also double as a dial or switch (e.g. such as experience points in D&D, which the GM can alter to affect the power level of the characters)

Ron, feel free to modify this definition to your heart's content if you decide to add it to the provisional glossary. Otherwise I'm hoping the term will catch on after I publish my work, as I think it will prove useful.


Daniel

[trick]

I'm curious as to why you called it a lexicon. It seems to me that dictionary or glossary would be more appropriate.

[Vulpinoid]

I actually think the difference between switches and dials is noteworthy.

A modification to a game whereby an effect is completely present, or completely absent makes for a simple and arguably more streamlined mechanism.

A modification to a game whereby an effect can be slid between two extremes makes for a game with deeper subtlety and stronger customization, but this often occurs at the expense of simplicity.

Both techniques are valid depending on the type of game being produced, and both have their place.

I think that to combine the two under a blanket term would undermine both of their values. To create an umbrella terms that encompasses both (but is then subdivided into the original terms), would be superfluous.

I'm guessing that discussions like this have occurred many years ago, and I'm probably just echoing the sentiments of an earlier generation of posters, but that's my 2 cents on the matter.

V

[Lance D. Allen]

Vulpinoid,

I don't believe he's suggesting a combination. He's pointing out other, related terms that are already present in the glossary.

Daniel,

Can you give me an example of a meter, preferably from an existing game? I confess to having a little trouble wrapping my head around your description.

[Vulpinoid]

Upon re-reading, I'll concede that point. It is a new term rather than a combination of two old terms...my mistake.

V

[Daniel B]

Hello,

indeed, it was intended as a new term, to supplement the other two (and not replace).

It's tricky finding stats that are "pure output" since most double as input. I haven't looked too deeply, but I believe D&D 4th Ed's Experience Points have become that. In v3+, XP could be stolen by certain undead and XP could be expended to build magic items or rogue traps, so it didn't really act as a very good meter, but if I'm not mistaken, XP acts purely as a measure of a character's level and is a meter.

From my own work .. I'm using Chits and a Void (discussed in another article .. at work so don't have time to link). The Chits are actively used by the players, the Void is manipulated by the GM to coax action, but there is a "void maximum size" that is strictly a meter. It represents the difficulty of the current quest that the players are on and should not be changed by either the GM or players, so it is not an input (i.e. neither dial nor switch).



Daniel

[Lance D. Allen]

Hm. To exercise my understanding of your term... XP wouldn't be a dial, Level would be. This is because XP is used as an input to determine level. I am not familiar with 4E, but I know that XP could be used as an input for the creation of magical items in earlier additions.

Is "Not an input" a requirement for something to be a meter? It seems like it is, from your explanation.

Another possible example: In one of my games, ReCoil, you set an in-game time limit for a mission as part of mission prep. This is used to measure the amount of in-game time will pass before the end of the mission. It does not fluctuate once it's been set, so it seems, despite the explanation, that it might NOT actually be a meter, as it doesn't act as a measure, but as a limit.

Yet another possible example: in my game Mage Blade, you have a number called the EndCount. There is a maximum value for EndCount which, when reached, signals that endgame must begin. EndCount gets input in the form of Rising Actions and Falling Actions, both of which are goals accomplished over the course of play which raise or lower EndCount. This seems like it would fall more securely under your definition.

If it seems like I properly understand, the next point to discuss is what particular value having a shared term for this sort of feature of System would add to discussions of game design. Part of me is reluctant to adopt it simply due to an aversion to terminology for terminology's sake, but if there's real value added, then I'm game.

[Daniel B]

Lance, you've got a point on limits versus meters. (Though, simply giving output should be enough to call it a meter, even if it also takes input .. like a touch-sensitive computer screen .. but might be utterly not useful as a meter in that case since the readings may be inaccurate as a result.)

I actually decided to start using the word as part of work on my own system, not arbitrarily. In D&D, it seems the GM is expected to monitor raw "player output" (such as squeals of joy and moanin' and bitchin'), and react and adapt the game. Further, it's expected the GM already mostly knows how to do that.

I didn't want to take that approach in my game, and instead give the GM actual system outputs in addition to the raw player output, so he has a better idea of what "buttons" to push on the system to bring about the necessary course corrections. With independent system outputs, he doesn't have to work so hard trying to interpret the players' reactions (or his interpretations may be more accurate).

Daniel

[Lance D. Allen]

Go take a look in the glossary at the term 'flags' and think about how your usage of this concept varies from that term.

Better yet...

...huh. It seems flags isn't in there. I'll try to define it in my own words, then...

A flag is a cue, explicit or implicit, given by a player to the other players (including or especially the GM) to show what he is interested in within the fiction. Some flags are mechanical, such as traits in Dogs in the Vineyard, or fanmail, or (my favorite) The Riddle of Steel's Spiritual Attributes. Other flags are non-mechanical, such as your own mentions of "squeals of joy" or "moaning and bitching".

While I can't yet see what particular benefit the term 'meter' has, I believe it is different than flags. Your "system outputs in addition to the raw player output so he has a better idea of what buttons to push" sounds more like explicit mechanical flags.

[Daniel B]

It is intended to be weighted more towards the mechanical aspect. However now that you mention it, "flags" would be a good word too. Maybe "flag" and "meter" would be the output-equivalent of the "switch" and "dial" inputs, respectively.


As for the benefit, I'll try to be more specific. I'm not using the "Big Model", and am instead approaching game design from the point of view that I want to appeal a few very narrowly defined player-types, as described by Richard Bartle: "Virtual Worlds: Why People Play" (I don't have the book on hand for more details on it, but a google search for Mr. Bartle will turn it up.)

Bartle puts forth the theory that people participate in virtual worlds as an exploration of their own identity. As they play, they should theoretically become more and more immersed in their characters and the virtual worlds, and that this immersion should hopefully progress at the same rate that their characters progress in that virtual world. If they immerse faster than their characters grow, or if the characters "win the game" faster than the players immerse, far less satisfaction will be derived from the game.

My intention is to make it so that the GM is aware of both the immersion-level of the players, as well as the rate of PC growth, so that he is better able to line the two up. (I also intend to rewrite all this stuff and embed it into the rules, so that GMs won't have to try and read all the gibberish I just spat at you! ;-D    )

Character growth is a lot easier to measure with my equivalent of experience points (which I'm calling Chits), versus the expected, or "ending amount" of growth by the conclusion of an adventure, called the "Maximum Void". See this article, Chits and the Void, for more information on these tools.

As for immersion, I haven't got a CLUE how to measure this yet, so I'm trying to develop a new flag / meter.

Daniel