It’s interesting seeing reactions at GenCon to Critical Role’s show in Indy. Illustrates a big divide in how designers grok TRPGs these days

— (((Mike Mearls))) (@mikemearls) August 7, 2016

Just went on stage with @matthewmercer to announce that @GreenRoninPub is doing Critical Role RPG books! pic.twitter.com/uoxNjipJVV

— Chris Pramas (@Pramas) August 7, 2016

OK, so here comes a series of tweets to summarize what I talked about earlier this evening. It’s about the history of RPGs and their future.

— (((Mike Mearls))) (@mikemearls) August 7, 2016

1. I believe that the rise of 3/3.5e and online discussion forums created a massive, fundamental shift in how RPGs were viewed and used.

— (((Mike Mearls))) (@mikemearls) August 7, 2016

2. 3e, and then into 4e, D&D was very dense, rules heavy, complicated, and filled with character building options. That was the game.

— (((Mike Mearls))) (@mikemearls) August 7, 2016

3. That spread to other RPGs, placing the baseline complexity of the typical RPG at the extreme upper end of what we saw in 80s/90s.

— (((Mike Mearls))) (@mikemearls) August 7, 2016

4. At the same time, online discussion veered heavily toward character optimization and rules details. It was a culture of read and dissect.

— (((Mike Mearls))) (@mikemearls) August 7, 2016

5. Both the indie and old school design movements rose in counter to this, focusing much more heavily on actual play at the table.

— (((Mike Mearls))) (@mikemearls) August 7, 2016

6. However, the prevailing, forum-based online culture made it very hard to communicate meaningfully about actual play.

— (((Mike Mearls))) (@mikemearls) August 7, 2016

7. That changed when streaming and actual play vids became accessible to the average DM. The culture of actual play had a platform.

— (((Mike Mearls))) (@mikemearls) August 7, 2016

8. We can now meaningfully interact based on what we’re doing when we play, rather than talk about the stuff we do when we don’t play.

— (((Mike Mearls))) (@mikemearls) August 7, 2016

9. This is HUGE because it shifts the design convo away from “How do we design for forum discussions?” to “How do we design for play?’

— (((Mike Mearls))) (@mikemearls) August 7, 2016

10. As game designers, we can actually watch how RPGs play and what rules and concepts facilitate the effects we’re looking to create.

— (((Mike Mearls))) (@mikemearls) August 7, 2016

11. The tension between theoretical discussion vs. actual play has always been a big part of RPG design.

— (((Mike Mearls))) (@mikemearls) August 7, 2016

12. I believe at the table ruled for a very long time, swung hard to theory, and now back to table-driven design.

— (((Mike Mearls))) (@mikemearls) August 7, 2016

13. Theory is useful, but it has to be used in service to actual, repeatable results in play. And I say this as someone who veered to theory

— (((Mike Mearls))) (@mikemearls) August 7, 2016

14. So in a series of 14 tweets, that’s why I see Critical Role at GenCon something that can be very good for the hobby and designers.

— (((Mike Mearls))) (@mikemearls) August 7, 2016

15. All of this is IMO, based on observations from this specific perch over 16 years. Your mileage may/can/should/will vary.

— (((Mike Mearls))) (@mikemearls) August 7, 2016

Addendum: This ties into the huge success of 5e and the growth of RPGs – people can now learn by watching. The rulebook is not a barrier.

— (((Mike Mearls))) (@mikemearls) August 7, 2016

We don’t learn sports like baseball or soccer by reading the rules – we watch and quickly learn how to play.

— (((Mike Mearls))) (@mikemearls) August 7, 2016

The rulebook is a reference, like the NBA’s rulebook. Comes out only when absolutely needed. Barriers are now gone. Design accordingly.

— (((Mike Mearls))) (@mikemearls) August 7, 2016