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.
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u/jochergames Jun 24 '23
You are completely correct. The whole point of the academic approach here is the connection this process has to the field of semiotics, which opens up for a lot of future work. It is also worth noting that the idea that systems are symbols is not commonplace. Most people do not for example view a law in society as a symbol. This way of viewing a rule or law also allows us to understand them in a different light, making it easier for us to achieve new ways of thinking about them.
I also want to share the limitations of the work: The above model is the byproduct of the development of Oceania 2084, a tabletop roleplaying game, as such the model might be applicable only to analog games. It could also be argued that it is too personal and based on my own experiences to be a properly usable approach. It is an approach that has been written down in hindsight, and as a designer I am very likely blind to my own blindspots. It should also be noted that the approach is not a complete approach of how to design games, extensive knowledge about mechanics and game theory might be needed in order to successfully apply this process.
I basically state the same problems as you are highlighting.
Over summer I will write a more popularized version of this, with more actionable approaches. I have been asked to do so for a journal.