Role-Playing Games

Players of these games have always placed high value on the quality of the storytelling. Indeed, the original role-playing game (RPG), Dungeons & Dragons, invented by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, thrived on the storytelling talents of the person running the game for the players (the Dungeon Master). However, computer RPG's were able to develop every aspect of the genre except the storytelling; over the years, these games have become ever richer in their combat systems, in the richness of detail of the worlds they offer, and in many other ways. But the storytelling aspect of computer RPG's has continued to languish. Many RPG players bemoan this problem, and a number of worthy attempts have been made to address it. So far, however, the genre has not generated any major new ideas about how to integrate storytelling with games.

In some ways, the emphasis on character development has impeded progress in storytelling with RPGs. The central premise of these games is that the player steadily builds his abilities by acquiring wealth, tools, weapons, and experience. This emphasis on character development tends to work against the needs of dramatic development dramatic twists and turns clash with the prevailing tone of steady advancement. Fortunately, this impediment is not fundamental to the RPG genre; it is a cultural expectation rather than an architectural necessity. While this cultural expectation impedes the development of storytelling in RPGs, there is nothing stopping bolder designers from pushing against this constraint. While RPGs at present have little to show in the way of storytelling prowess, I suspect that we may see some interesting developments in the field.