On the nature of RPGs

So I was reading Grognardia the other day. He had some good points about story, and the "essense" of 1e. But, most importantly, he directed me to a page about Gygax: Story is more important than gameplay.

In this day of high-fidelity video games, the mechanics of any tabletop game are sorely outdated. It's easier to make a "game" for pen and dice, but there's only so much complexity. Doing Fallout-style accuracy predictions would be a pain in the ass.

So, what does that leave us with? Story. Narrative. Characterization. The players, with a focus on the GM, make the game come alive for everyone. It's a truly immersive experience, only limited by your imagination. And even then, the average group is ~6 people. That's a lot of imagination.

Without story, it would be a grind. I'm thinking of my first "official" 4e (don't laugh, I had no idea) adventure, and how bland it would be without characterization. You might as well just play chess.

The players make the game come alive, and nestle it into their minds. That immersion- that raw emotional power- will never be emulated completely by a computer. I have no doubt it will come close, but a GM will always be able to make a more convincing cast of characters, and environment.

"Pen-and-paper role-playing is live theater and computer games are television. People want the convenience and instant gratification of turning on the TV rather than getting dressed up and going out to see a live play. In the same way, the computer is a more immediately accessible way to play games."

-Gary Gygax, via Wikiquote

I'm not saying anything bad about video games- I think they're very fun, and I routinely play them instead of working on Project Sunburn.

... Now who's immersed in what?

But, it's all pre-packaged. Without the guiding hand of a human GM, it's all so samey. It's not personal at all. You're just receiving what everyone else does. But, honestly? That's okay. Some days I'd rather kick back and turn on the TV.