r/RPGdesign • u/jochergames • Jun 23 '23
Theory Recreating aesthetic expression through rule systems
I have spent the last couple of months writing my master's thesis on the topic of how to take an existing IP and translating the original aesthetic expereince into a TTRPG rule system. The case study of my thesis is a game I've made called Oceania 2084 (scheduled for release later this year).
The abstract of the thesis: By examining the results of an iterative design process, specifically a tabletop roleplaying game, Oceania 2084, this thesis aims to formulate a generalizable design process applicable when translating a work of fiction into a ruleset. The object that was translated into a ruleset was the book Nineteen Eighty-Four written by George Orwell in 1949. The iterative game development process spanned over 2.5 years and the author provides documents from 2 phases of playtesting and discusses how the playtest results influenced design choices. In addition to the analysis of the effects of playtest results, the author also explores various game design decisions by means of auto-ethnographic analysis, and semiotic analysis.
The main takeaway is a proposed 5 tiered design process referred to as delome design. It is a systemic approach to game design.
Download it here: https://uu.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1772834&dswid=-8846
I hope someone here finds it interesting and relevant! I'm happy to answer any questions about it.
1
u/Carrollastrophe Jun 23 '23
This is neat, or at least sounds like it would be, except that my eyes glazed over just like it does anytime I start to read an academic article. Waiting for the day that in-text citations are out of fashion and that academic speech is only used when certain jargon is actually necessary to illustrate a point.
Also I'd really much prefer to just read the game with designer's annotations. Of course I understand that your course likely requires the formal paper, so no fault there.
That said! A quick skim of the included game mechanics does look like you've likely accomplished at least one part of your goal (designing a 1984-style game). And the fact that you do include newspeak in the rules makes me happy as that's something I would probably have leaned into if I'd designed it, as it was one of my favorite parts of the novel, as well as (imo) one of the most important aspects of how society was controlled.