Je ne sais plus qui avait manifesté son intérêt (la conversation a mystérieusement disparu) quand j’avais lancé “Rules are Lures” en réponse à une paire ou un trio d’articles, je ne sais plus lesquels (là aussi, cela a mystérieusement disparu, vivent les expurgations). Enfin bref, j’ai un minimum développé mon idée.
RULES are LURES
Tabletop roleplaying games’ rules can be many things, but foremost they are, and must be, lures.
I’d even argue that they’re the only thing they need to be. At least in the leisure space. (I am not interested in other spaces.)
Ttrpg rules have to persuade you to, usually, acquire them. Read them. Understand them. Aaand play them. They need to lure you mightily to make you convince others to play. No mean feat!
At least, that’s usually what they’re meant to do ? Now, I don’t think rules that don’t get people playing are failing. But I do believe that rules that get played lured the players somehow. Hey, sometimes, if I just keep thinking about that idea, without even reading the rules or acquiring them, I’ve been lured all right.
They use that shiny new mechanic or procedure you want to try, that fictional situation you want to explore, that character you want to be, that power you want to wield, that frailty you want to experience, that relationship you want to test, that obstacle you want to overcome, that victory you want to reach, that story you want to know. Lures. From rules to fiction, flavour text to illustrations, from examples of play to oracles, lures, all of it. I’d say Dungeons and Dragons’ Player’s Handbook is probably at least 80% pure lure. So is the, ah, how is it called nowadays? The Monster Manual. (Of course, any of these percent can be many other things at the same time.)
Once you’re hooked, of course their quality is probably what keeps you playing, thinking and talking about it. But, before that? Lures. Appearances over substance, perhaps? but that would be oversimplifying.
I do not think badly of lures, all this is in no way pejorative. It’s the lure that makes me play. There is an art to it. Lures make me want to try them at the gaming table. That’s why Lego and the Harry Potter series are among the best ttrpg rules in my opinion. They have led so many people to roleplaying. Certainly, most of these people never bought a rulebook, or scribed a character sheet with stats tied to mechanics. But they roleplay. (Or write fanfiction, which is much the same to me.)
So, rules are lures. They must be. They’re not much without memetic powers. They’re not unique in this, this is in no way specific to ttrpg or to rules, but I want to remember this while also pursuing other virtues.