Previous Topics

7/16/2002 contracycle: tight framing
How tightly can we frame a game, as play event rather product? Assuming a fair amount of GM/player distinction, if I as a GM said something to the effect of…
In RPG Theory
Participants: contracycle, amiel, Ron Edwards, Gordon C. Landis, Mike Holmes, Michael Hopcroft.

7/16/2002 contracycle: treason by the book
Well, I'm not entirely sure about the appropriateness of this post, but I've come across a marvellous book for historically interested gamers. I'm not sure it is actually RPG theory,…
In RPG Theory
Participants: contracycle, Ron Edwards.

7/5/2002 contracycle: Magic & the Metagame
We've been discussing the metagame fairly extensively of light, and from time to time we have also touched on some of the hardy perennials of FRPG, what makes a good/mysterious/flexible/magical…
In RPG Theory
Participants: contracycle, Le Joueur, Jack Spencer Jr.

6/5/2002 contracycle: CD burners
Theres been some discussion round cutting CD's for games. Not much, but some. As it happens, browsing a techie catalogue, I see you can get a mass batch copier for…
In Publishing
Participants: contracycle, Clinton R. Nixon, A.Neill, Ron Edwards, Clay.

5/31/2002 contracycle: Wielding the Axe
OK, so I downloaded the charsheet and took a look. My first response is "too many attributes". This means I'm probably going to have a go at a TROS Lite…
In The Riddle of Steel
Participants: contracycle, Bob Richter, Jaif, Jake Norwood.

5/29/2002 contracycle: Split (again) from old discussion
[quote] No, we think that Simulationism is a form of retreat, denial, and defense against the responsibilities of either Gamism or Narrativism. [/quote] I disagree in the most violent possible…
In GNS Model Discussion
Participants: contracycle, Ron Edwards.

5/23/2002 contracycle: premise rides again
I extracted this from the RPGnet thread, 'cos it caught my eye: Joshua Neff wrote: Basic Lit 101 stuff: if there isn't some sort of moral/ethical/emotional question being addressed,…
In GNS Model Discussion
Participants: contracycle, Joe Murphy (Broin), Ron Edwards, joshua neff, Valamir, Paul Czege, Christopher Kubasik, Le Joueur, Bankuei, Matt.

4/9/2002 contracycle: dynamic settings
Lots have people mentioned their interest in dynamically created settings during various discussions about desired fantasy worlds. There have been a number of attempts at world-building manuals and systems, but…
In Indie Game Design
Participants: contracycle, Wolfen, Ron Edwards, Buddha Nature, Matt, Mike Holmes, Bob McNamee, Paul Czege, Matt Steflik, J B Bell.

4/3/2002 contracycle: pure visuals
This is a fairly out-there thought I had a while ago and I just want to ask what people think of the idea. This has to do with the Matrix…
In Publishing
Participants: contracycle, Mike Holmes, Ron Edwards, Tyrant, Le Joueur, Laurel, Eugene Zee, Seth L. Blumberg, RobMuadib, Misguided Games.

3/12/2002 contracycle: model proposition
Well, having spent some time trawling through RPGnet, and participated in various back and forths here and there, I thought I'd take the opportunity to lay out a diffiuclty I…
In GNS Model Discussion
Participants: contracycle, Valamir, Mike Holmes, Le Joueur, Ron Edwards, Laurel, Gordon C. Landis, Marco, Mytholder, Walt Freitag.

2/15/2002 contracycle: Nothing
I'm posting this in actual play for lack of anywhere else; its just a topic that might be of interest to the world-builders and scene-designers and so forth, and becuase…
In Actual Play
Participants: contracycle, Mike Holmes, Marco.

1/29/2002 contracycle: known outcomes
So a thought on the implementation of the HW mechanic. There's something I've been toying with but presents some social contract concerns which I'd like to poll opinions aboyu. On…
In HeroQuest
Participants: contracycle, Ron Edwards, Bankuei.

1/18/2002 contracycle: Differing goals
[quote="Ron Edwards"] As another example (that is often missed), I am perfectly happy with the notion that primarily Simulationist play can <i>include</i> the concept of "story" as a context or…
In GNS Model Discussion
Participants: contracycle, Ron Edwards.

1/15/2002 contracycle: Matrix Gaming
Well, I thought that it wasabout time I pushed out another gaming idea I've been tangenmtially working with for a bit. This is the concept of Matrix Games as pioneered…
In RPG Theory
Participants: contracycle, Ron Edwards, Paul Czege, J B Bell.

1/3/2002 contracycle: Using Kickers & Bangs
Question: do kickers strinctlyn have to occor BEFORE PLAY BEGINS? Is the kicker necessarily the fist instance of play? I would say not. Working on an experimental scenario, I was…
In RPG Theory
Participants: contracycle, Paul Czege, jburneko, Ron Edwards, Ben Morgan, hardcoremoose, Mike Holmes, Daredevil.

12/30/2001 contracycle: using R-maps
Hey, I just had a thought about a way to possibly use relationship maps. I'm sitting here with a copy of the L5R GM's survival guide, which includes a breakdown…
In RPG Theory
Participants: contracycle, Ben Morgan, Ron Edwards, Gordon C. Landis.

12/20/2001 contracycle: Demonology 101
Hiya, I just wanted somewhere to ask some questiones sepcifically about demons and their function in Sorceror. I have two concerns: The structure of the game embeds one, possibly more,…
In Adept Press
Participants: contracycle, Eric, Ron Edwards, Clinton R. Nixon.

8/17/2001 contracycle: player character premises
Hiya, Just wanted to ask if people are conscious of the character premises brought to the table by players. I imagine the root concept of a character is/strongly related to…
In RPG Theory
Participants: contracycle, jburneko, Ron Edwards, TrizzlWizzl, Blake Hutchins, Mike Holmes, Laurel.

7/24/2001 contracycle: story and plotting
Hi folks. Maybe this is a well-worn rut, but I'd like to throw it oiut and see if anyone can offer any advice. I have immense trouble with story design;…
In Actual Play
Participants: contracycle, Max Tangent, joshua neff, Ron Edwards, Gordon C. Landis, Clay, Blake Hutchins.

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Subsequent Topics

8/28/2002 contracycle: the scottish play
Somehow I came across this thought while pondering Rons breakdown of classes - there is a link here somewhere with how character presage, bring about, their own actions as it…
In RPG Theory
Participants: contracycle, Mike Holmes, Le Joueur, Demonspahn, M. J. Young, xiombarg, simon_hibbs, GB Steve.

9/16/2002 contracycle: Yet Another Context Free Mechanic
So, this is an outline of my latest tinkering. Its a system aimed at swordplay, as it happens, rather than generic resolution. Its intended to exploit HW's concept of deferred…
In RPG Theory
Participants: contracycle, Ron Edwards, Walt Freitag, Jeremy Cole, Colin the Riot, Mike Holmes, Garbanzo, M. J. Young.

9/28/2002 contracycle: micro-mechanic opinion
Hi, I came across a wargame emchanic I want to steal but am curious to know what the statisticians think of it. It is a penalty die added to a…
In RPG Theory
Participants: contracycle, Bailywolf, Christoffer Lernö, Bob McNamee, mahoux, Mike Holmes, Walt Freitag, Sparky.

11/1/2002 contracycle: combined or singular design
A questiom about the way we are doing things here; not a serious challenge to the status quo, just a thought. The prevailing tendency, reinforced by the "creator owned" concern,…
In RPG Theory
Participants: contracycle, Ron Edwards, Jonathan Walton, Mike Holmes, simon_hibbs.

12/13/2002 contracycle: finally got it
So, I FINALLY got a copy of TROS. Just thought I'd share my opinion now that I can see the real beast. I've not read all of it yet. I…
In The Riddle of Steel
Participants: contracycle, Jake Norwood, Brian Leybourne, Ron Edwards, Valamir, Mokkurkalfe.

1/5/2003 contracycle: micro-system: initiative
Another little sub-system, one which might conceivebaly be used for some extant games in place of their initiative mechanics. Everybody gets a card, one per combatant or bystander or Other…
In Indie Game Design
Participants: contracycle, Henry Fitch, Rich Forest.

2/24/2003 contracycle: RPG as set text
I just wanted to canvass opinions on this thought, an approach to sim gaming. It's inspired by my current reading, The Isles: A History, by Norman Davies. Bity of a…
In RPG Theory
Participants: contracycle, clehrich, greyorm.

3/19/2003 contracycle: Scaffolding
Well, this is tyhe design that I have recently been tinkering with and which Mike badgered me to see in December. Its not exactly finished... the intent is to have…
In Indie Game Design
Participants: contracycle, Christoffer Lernö, MoonHunter, Ron Edwards, Mike Holmes.

7/29/2003 contracycle: new fora?
So we are getting a lot of raw game idea's pitched lately. No problem with that, its just difficult to fiugure out where they go. In RPG theory, as in…
In Site Discussion
Participants: contracycle, iago, Mike Holmes, greyorm, Mark Johnson, Jeffrey Miller, cruciel.

7/19/2004 contracycle: proposition: background and foreground
This is an attempt to square the apparent circle in which setting, situation, and system have become confused. I want to propose some setting-specific terminology to clear up this mess.…
In RPG Theory
Participants: contracycle, Marco, efindel, lumpley, Noon, M. J. Young, ErrathofKosh, Ron Edwards, Valamir, Silmenume, Christopher Weeks, John Kim.

9/17/2004 contracycle: Situation and Tension
I've been looking for a structural model of the RPG game again. Note, the actual game played at the table, not the rules text or anything else. So I mean…
In RPG Theory
Participants: contracycle, TonyLB, Marco, M. J. Young, John Kim.

10/20/2004 contracycle: RPG sheet music?
I had an interesting thought while going over my previous ideas on Sitation & Tension. The general direction in which I was trying to head was toward constructing a tool…
In RPG Theory
Participants: contracycle.

10/29/2004 contracycle: the sword of damocles
This is a post sort of inspired by Shreyas Applied Design post and others. It's a notional mechanism offered for comment, and in this case aimed at a reinterpretation oof…
In RPG Theory
Participants: contracycle, TonyLB, Valamir, Technocrat13, Tobias, Walt Freitag, Shreyas Sampat, Mark Johnson, Precious Villain.

2/8/2005 contracycle: naval speculation
I'm raising this thread somewhat tentatively as an invitation to discuss abstract movement and combat systems for naval actions. I would hope the discusison would be fruitful because addressing such…
In RPG Theory
Participants: contracycle, Nathan P., komradebob, lumpley, Valamir, MikeSands, Piers Brown, Jules Morley, Ben Lehman, greedo1379.

2/11/2005 contracycle: AMA/NLT
Here's another micro-mechanic for discussion. Its a Fortune device but with a kinda blurring of gamble and crunch. AMA/NLT stands for "As Much As" and "No Lower Than" and is…
In RPG Theory
Participants: contracycle, LordSmerf, Nathan P., Valamir, lumpley, Marco.

2/24/2005 contracycle: MMRPG & Smiling Gator
This is a slightly odd post but is anyone here connected to a company called Smiling Gator in any capacity? They appear to be planning to release a MMRPG in…
In Connections
Participants: contracycle.

2/24/2005 contracycle: Allan Kaprow and the Happening Game
I have come across something I find quite extraordinary and would like to propose it here for discussion, because I am not really qualified to examine this properly. I think…
In RPG Theory
Participants: contracycle, groundhog, J. Tuomas Harviainen, Revontuli.

4/13/2005 contracycle: Raph Koster: A Theory Of Fun For Game Design
This is mostly an FYI/Heads Up post. Raph Koster is the creative director behind StarWars Galaxies, and something of a Name in the world of MUD design. He has recently…
In RPG Theory
Participants: contracycle, C. Edwards.

7/15/2005 contracycle: Explicit Goals
A discussion of the use of expicit goals and steps, especially for gamist play. Original post: I agree with Noon's point. Thinking about things like Power/Evil has recently priompted this…
In RPG Theory
Participants: contracycle, Lord Shield, StalkingBlue, Noon, Nogusielkt, GB Steve.

9/1/2005 contracycle: distribution?
Two gaming stores in London have a single copy of the Monster burner each and no copies of the character burner.  One lot told me its very hard to get…
In Burning Wheel
Participants: contracycle, Matt, abzu, Jake Norwood.

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