Design School: Encouraging Failure Behavior

Roleplaying games typically encourage failure behavior. Failure behavior is introvert, inwardly-thinking actions a game forces you to take which pull you out of the current situation. Someone who "turtles up" and thinks about how a situation is solved only through a narrow set of limitations (defined by rules and the character sheet) is inherently anti-heroic. You are now taking action as defined by the situation, you are taking action according to a narrow set of limitations. Failure thinking starts with seeing your abilities and powers as your limitations, and then figuring out the highest probability of success based on those limitations in the environment you are in.

An introvert thinks of their limitations first, and then judges success based on the situation.

History and life reward extrovert-like behavior - taking action, being the hero, and taking chances outside one's own abilities. Heroes are not defined by their abilities, they are defined by their actions. A hero thinks of the situation first, how they can creatively manipulate the odds to their favor, and then use their abilities to win. Heroic thinking starts with the situation and the environment they are in, and then modified by the hero's abilities and powers.

An extrovert considers the situation first, and then applies abilities as needed.

This is so key - too many times around a table I would present players with a situation, and bam, all at once, the players turtled up, faces buried in record sheets and rulebooks, looking for an answer based on their powers and abilities. Even if the answer was as obvious as someone saying "I kick the table over", the players would be looking for a skill that does that, considering a mile-long power list, or judging combat rules in the rulebook. The design of the game directly encourages this failure behavior, even in players who are normally heroic.

Our Sample Game
Let's use a simple situation to illustrate our game, and show you an example of how rules encourage failure behavior. Let's say we are playing D&D4, one of the games we saw a lot of this style of player behavior with. D&D4 gives every player a huge list of powers, most all of which are combat-focused, with a couple non-combat utility powers and rituals thrown in the mix. Our referee describes a situation where the four low-level players peek in a door, and see four goblins sitting around a tale playing cards. What happens next with our D&D4 group?

Character Focused Games

Well, in D&D4, every problem typically is solved by beating it over the head with sticks and magic powers. Instantly, everyone focuses in on their character sheets, judging which powers to use, what their chance to hit is, who goes first, and how this cool figure battle is going to play out. With D&D4, the fights are fun, and typically meant to be beaten, so it's no question players will rush right in to use cool powers. There is little danger, and great impetus to act. This highlights where the focus of the game centers on - the player's record sheets sitting in front of them. Of course, there are likely maps, figures, and a situation happening, but the players typically turtle up and let their powers solve the situation.

Rules Focused Games

Some games are different, where character have less powers, and the rules are the star of the show. This typically happens in more simulation style games, such as Aftermath, D&D3, or GURPS. The character still may have an impressive power and ability list, but the focus of the game is on intricate combat rules, and how those rules can be used to solve the situation at hand. These games can be deadly, such as Pathfinder, but there are often huge sections of rules to take advantage of in order to reduce risk. A player could specialize in tripping opponents, grappling, or any other special combat rule - and thus be protected from bad outcomes more often than not. If the referee states the situation, and the players immediately ask for the rulebook, you have a game with a failure behavior. Players are not solving the situation with creativity or heroic action, they are judging how to best use the rules to beat the encounter.

Situation Focused Games

Let's bring an old-school RPG into the mix. Typically, in a game like original D&D, Labyrinth Lord, or Basic Fantasy RPG, you don't have many powers at all. Most mages have one-shot spells, and character sheets are extremely simple. Players can't turtle up, checking a skill list, pulling over the rule book, or seeking a structural, introvert way out of the situation. Old school games are typically more deadly, and players need to create an advantage for themselves outside the rules. They need to think - the rules books won't help them, and their character sheets are little help beyond a couple powers, and even less hit points. The focus of action needs to be on the current situation, and players need to get creative in order to survive. The fighter has no intimidate skill, and possibly needs to charge in, kicking over the table. The mage could possibly cast darkness on a hall where reinforcements were heard. The thief needs to act within the situation, and not the rules, using a chair to leap over the group and land behind them, preventing escape. The focus of the player's attention is directly on the referee and the situation at hand, and not the rules or a character sheet.

It's important to note that many of the actions above require on-the-spot referee rulings in the old-school game, with the referee applying bonuses based on the creativity of the action the player wants to take. There typically will be no rules for any of these actions, and this is good - you want players to be creative, try anything, and think outside the box (or game box). Having few rules for special actions actually encourages anything to be attempted, and gives the referee great leeway in handing out bonuses and penalties based on those. This is the 'purity of action' that attracts so many players to (well run) old-school games.

A question arises, should the focus of an RPG be mostly on the referee and the situation? It is important, since RPGs are social games, and the players need to think, act, and play. The goal of a role playing game is to play a role, and act out how your 'avatar' would react to different situations. You are supposed to think, react, and play the hero. Too many rules, and you are playing a tactical wargame. Too much character powers, and you are playing a power vs. power wargame. If the rules and characters overshadow the situation, you are not playing a roleplaying game anymore. It is at best, a card game or RPG-like boardgame.

Understand that the rules are important, and having a character with defined roles and abilities is too. Some games go too far on either side, and take away the focus of the action on the situation. This causes the unheroic "turtle up" behind rules or character sheets behavior we have seen with many groups, and limits a player's creativity and eventually their heroic action. Even if you are playing a game which rewards introvert-style play, mix things up, encourage players to think outside the rulebooks and character sheets, and let the players be creative, think, and play.

To summarize, make sure that your rules and character designs don't overshadow that essential player-to-referee interaction that makes RPGs what they are. Don't write so many rules they restrain your creativity. Don't make character so deep and complex they become the only thing players think about. Balance your design. Encourage heroic behavior. Allow for creative play and improvisation. Allow anyone to try anything, be fair in your rulings, and let the players play.