The first part of this series of articles was about the benefits of choosing to play one role-playing game (RPG) system. This installment looks at the reasons for choosing to play multiple RPG systems.Most games are written to fit a specific genre, style, or setting of game. When I bring this up in discussion, I usually get a look and a nod that says, "Duh." Yes, Star Trek is written for a specific game and setting, while Star Wars is another specific setting. I'm sure this isn't surprising to anyone. I have played both of these settings (in several different editions) and they don't cross over. So, if you are a fan of science fiction and not just one of the settings, you will need to learn both to play both.
Playing two systems like this at first doesn't seem like an advantage, but it can free up the gaming group. I have seen this work great when two members of a group traded off running their games.
I was invited to a weekly game where the group had two game masters (GMs) running very different settings: Shadow Run and a high magic Dungeons and Dragon campaigns. One GM ran his Shadow Run adventure. He ran it over several weeks until we completed the adventure. Then the other GM took over at the table on the following week to run his adventure. When he completed his, we switched back for the next one in Shadow Run.
The switching between systems gave the GMs more time to prepare. After completing an adventure, they each had around a month to work on the next one, removing a lot of pressure. This allowed them to work on encounters and adventures that were a lot more in depth. Each GM could take notes from their last adventure, ask questions of the players, and weave more into the plot lines of what they were working on. This, in turn, gave us, as players, a lot more to work with during the gaming sessions.
Different systems support styles of play designed for the setting, which leads to greater creativity. Even when the settings are similar, like being in the same genre, you can get a different perspective of what you want to do because the system focus is going to be different.
Our main group has a side group that meets on an irregular basis. This is a family group that plays more on a spur of the moment basis. Then there are times when others of us join in. They play Rune Quest, which uses a percentile, or d100, system. The main group plays D&D 3.5, or a d20 system. Knowing both systems has led to some carryover of concepts from one system to the other. The players start trying actions that are more applicable for one system when they are facing a situation in the other. It doesn't always work, but it is fun to see what comes out of the attempt.
This creativity carry-over even happens in more diverse games. When playing a space opera you come into regular situations of dealing with zero gravity. When playing a multidimensional campaign (think like Sliders or Stargate) you are dealing with having to explore new settings without much beforehand information. Yes, some of this may already be in your fantasy or superhero game, but the focus of the game is different. And, like similar settings, after playing something it is a part of your personal background that you can bring into a new game and a new setting.One of the biggest carry-over experiences I've seen has been from going between higher narrative games and higher strategy games. We have played some narrative heavy games where the description of the event is more important than the rolling of dice for determining the outcome of an encounter. When returning to a game focused with higher levels of mechanics, the extra description might not drive the outcome, but, it pulls the players into the event and they give a higher level of description of events based on what the results the dice are driving.
As you play more games it becomes easier to pick up new games. I talked to a person in a game store who was interested in playing an RPG they saw, but they were concerned it was going to be hard to learn a new system. The first game system may have been hard enough. The second may also be hard. Then, as the number of systems you know (or just familiar with) grows, the next one is easier to learn. A base of knowledge develops that can be drawn upon. More reference points have been created to start from when learning the variations in the new system.
For me, the greatest advantage of knowing more systems is moving beyond needing a system. I've seen this happened in two ways.
The first is being able to run a game on a complete narrative basis. Once you get the players away from being tied to a particular system for their game, they don't need a system to play. I've also had this work with players who don't know any system and want to learn role-playing, thus, not being tied to a system. I've used this when doing one-shot adventures. The group decides on the genre and characters are built with only basic description. The GM then provides the starting setting and the game is underway. Without the confines of a rule set, the group is doing improvisational role-playing—the adventure unfolds as the story is created by everyone. This is a narrative driven by the descriptions given by the players, including GM, around the table.
The other way is being able to build a game system to fit your particular campaign. Our group is always coming up with different ideas of game settings. They might be part of a larger genre, but more in the obscure corner, hiding under the blanket, behind the dresser. Our GMs can take their ideas and build on them without having the concern of how it fits into a set system or gaming universe. One such campaign was a post-apocalyptic mutant setting. Each player was playing a mutant, designed from the earliest edition of Gamma World, skills were develop using ideas from GURPS, then to top it off we were using a pass/fail system for advancing a character's skills. It might sound confusing, at first, but it worked.
For me there is no wrong way of playing RPGs. There might be a wrong way for playing an RPG, but I would rather have the fun of the socialization than working through the particulars of a given rule set. So, I lean towards playing all sorts of different games and systems. It doesn't make my way right, it's just who I am. Each of us has to find what works.
I encourage you to get a feel for what you like, what your group likes, and run with it. You don't have to be like me with over a hundred game systems on the shelf. You don't have to tie yourself into the one system that you were introduced to. Just be you.
Grab some dice, if they're needed, some friends, and have some fun.
If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.
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