Thoughts on Mechanics

Posted by Jere on April 21, 2006 at 09:49 AM

Continuing my gaming as process series of threads today I’m going to discuss mechanics.

The best place when discussing mechanics is to start with some definition. When I consider mechanics I follow the rec.games.frp.advocacy definition of:.

"A formal method of resolution, which need not be numerical (i.e. Plot Points and Drama Deck cards are mechanics) but must be specific. A statement like "low roll good, lower roll better" is not considered a mechanic unless it is spelled out just how low is good. On the other hand, a statement like "a 02 or less is a critical" is a mechanic.".

For me, System is the bigger picture which is made up of Setting + Social Contract + Play Strategy + Mechanics (and a lot of sub systems). I plan to hit each of the areas on my process flow, but today I want to just consider the last, mechanics.

The idea here is that by the time you get to mechanics you know exactly what you want your resolution system to do for you.

One of the important aspects of a mechanic is to restrict the permissible means to an end, where that end is often to model a specific situation or type of situations. I’ll be clear and throw down the gauntlet. A well designed game with a good social contract, agreed upon play strategies and skilled participants can be played with rock-paper-scissors and be a success. Mechanics are definitely part of the mix but they do not predominate and may, if other factors allow, be the least developed sub-process in the game design process.

Entering into mechanics decisions it is important to have a list of needs that can be addressed by mechanics. These needs stem from your earlier design work and should address issues that have not been adequately resolved.

Start by writing down your objectives. I recommend a worksheet that has Objective; Mechanic; Component of the mechanic under review; Possible Adjustments to Social Contract, Play Strategy or Design Document.

At this point you have a bunch of objectives for what you want. Now there is a split decision. Is there a system of mechanics that meet your needs. Most gamers have a favorite system, or a couple of systems they want to try out. So go down the list of objectives and list the mechanics that match. Of course not every mechanic fits smoothly so you may need to consider changes to the stages that have gone before. Be sure to list them out.

When you are done this process, perhaps with several different systems of mechanics, you’ll have a good tool for evaluating the system that best matches your needs. You’ll also know any gaps that may need to be addressed with a house rule.

For those who prefer to design their mechanics this is a good tool for making sure all your objectives are actually met by the process. I recommend incorporating this into your end document.

Objective	Mechanic	Component	Possible Adjustments to Social Contract, Play Strategy or Design Document
Allow for Flexible, but well defined magic	HeroQuest Abilities	Ability + Feat structure	Need to define the circles of magic
Need to build past lives as solid, real entities	HeroQuest keywords	Keyword flexibility	Each past life is a keyword. Need go way to handle staking of abilities through past lives.
Personality as important aspect of magic	Personality as type of ability		None identified