Play Theory: Does System Matter?
Play is what happens at the table. Often Theory is confined to systems. I've attempted to make some commentary about what priorities a game system has based on its priorities concerning player characters. (See here if interested). But honestly, I think that was a bit garbage. Here's the thing: systems do not create Play. Players create Play. Any kind of Game Master is included as a Player for our purposes. Let's define Play as the interaction between the Players in the context of a Game. Play, in this definition, does not actually require a set of rules or a system. In fact, the system or set of rules being used is only one thing attributing to the Game Context.Let's define Game Context as the setting in which Play takes place. This includes what kind of people are playing, where they are physically located for play, the mood, the table texture, basically anything that contributes to the time and place of the Game.Let's also define Game while we are at it. A Game is…
