Four years ago, I started participating in Dave Chapman’s August #RPGaDay program, and I decided that I’m doing it again this year. It’s a good way to spread positivity, remind myself why I do what I do, and generally talk about what it is about this hobby that keeps us coming back.
Today’s question is a big one: What do you love about RPGs?
For me, it comes down to one thing: collaborative storytelling.
I’ve always known, from the time I was a child, that I wanted to tell stories. I started writing stories when I was very young, and through my life, I’ve dipped my toes into nearly ever form of storytelling: prose fiction, theater, comics, art, music, film, etc. Roleplaying Games scratch that same itch, and add to it a social, collaborative element, which makes the process exponentially better, allowing me to be delighted by unexpected outcomes (which seldom happens in a story that I’m telling alone).
In fact, RPGs are SO good at scratching this particular itch, that I’ve found that I’ve occasionally let the other forms of storytelling slide a bit: Now, when I come up with an idea for a story, I find myself thinking more in terms of genre and setting, rather than plot — I automatically assume that I’ll create it as an RPG, where character will be created by the players, and plot generated collaboratively during game play! It often takes real effort for me to steer an idea back toward another, less collaborative format.
Social creation is at the core of what I love about RPGs. How about you?