Should a free RPG have a section on how to play an RPG?

[koipond]

I know I had a flippant response on but I've been thinking about it more.

Yes, your standard person who plays a free rpg is usually someone who has played rpgs and has decided that they want to try them out. However, do you ignore the person who doesn't know that and stumbles across it? I think you should have one, because those that know better can, and will, just skip it while those that might get some benefit out of it would miss it if it isn't there.

Bollocks to tradition indeed. So if you do have such a section, it should be informative and different because that way it will at least amuse those who have seen it a million times before. Or just scrap it and do a standard introduction rather than a "This is how you do an RPG thing."

Will have to think more about this too.

[thedeadone]

My feeling is, if you're just going to write a bland generic description of roleplaying drop it, but if you put a funny take on it or use it as a way to introduce the core ideas of your game, go for it.

In general, if you have a section "What is Roleplaying" and it's more than a paragraph or a sidebar, it's probably a good candidate for cutting, IMHO.

[Rob Lang]

[Peril Planet]

Some folk are talking about "what is roleplaying" and "how to roleplay" as if they are interchangeable. I don't believe this is so. Not every game needs a "what is roleplaying" section, (many of my games have the statement "It is assumed at least one player has role-played before"). Personally, I don't mind if a game has it, it makes no difference to my enjoyment of the game and someone might find it useful.
Every game, however, should have a "how to roleplay" section. Every game has a different goal for play. Is it a game about killing monsters and taking their stuff, introspective horror, or heroic deeds? And how do you (as a player or GM) make the game about that? Often this information is implicit in the game design and mechanics, but not always. Are their clear explanations of what the players are meant to do, what the GM is meant to do, and what the characters and adversaries are meant to do? What does this look like "at the table"? If the only game I have ever played is D&D, will my "kick in the door" mentality work when I play Metropole Luxury Coffin?
That's my view of it anyway.

-Nathan

[Rob Lang]

Ah, now I agree with Nathan that there should be a section on "How to play this game", demonstrating what its designed for and what it's not. I'm with that. More general explanations on how to play roleplaying games generally I'm still convinced is a bad idea in a free RPG.

[koipond]

I think that's what I was trying to get out, only without being a succinct.

What I want to do is make an RPG an entertaining read by itself. Which is hard because it's half textbook/half reference material, but even the "What is this RPG" section should be entertaining to read, and relevant to the game rather than just a standard copy and paste job.

[Onix]

I include them, not because I think that someone will stumble on my game, but because a lot of the people that do play are new. Now some people can take five people all at the same time explaining how to play. Some get overloaded and think that's everyone in the room have lost their mind. When I see that happening, I stop everyone, hand them the book, and tell them to read the "How to play" section. A good number suddenly look up and say "Oh! I see what you guys were saying.". It's a different learning style. Some learn better by having someone explain, some learn by reading. Some I've had to say, "We'll start playing and you'll pick it up as we go.".

[Rob Lang]

A compelling argument there, Onix. However, we're talking about "what is roleplaying" in general, not really about style. Do you think it still counts?

[Onix]

Definitely since I do a lot of cold starts. People that never role-played before, an some of them never would have thought of role playing.

Things like what is a character and who is the GM (DM, ref, whatever) are core ideas that people sometimes need a little explaining. Then there's the "You are the protagonist in this book/movie" description. It doesn't have to be overly complicated. It can be just a few paragraphs and that's usually enough to ground the player in the concept.

[cjoki]

To me this is a missed oppertunity, however small, to educate a potential player to the world of RPGs. Whether they cut their teeth on your game or not is besides the point. It helps the industry as a whole to dispell myths about gaming. In a nut shell, "Its marketing baby!"

"What is roleplaying for the new player?" should be an easy read and system neutral. A follow up should be roleplaying in your system _____.

The experienced players and GMs may glance at it or not. But a new person looking for entertainment will want a idea if this game requires me to dress the part, act the part and run around the woods looking for a cave to get lost in with too few suppplies and real life experience (i.e. Mazes and Monsters).

Chris J