Part 1 here, which was a revision of this original blog post. So I suppose, this is part 2.
Last week, we continued discussing an X-Y Axis intended for the purpose of understanding and classifying RPG systems and group play styles. For clarity, here is how I’m defining my X and Y axes:
X: player radius of influence (for more, see last week)
In short, how far can the players’ actions impact the world? How far do those ripples go?
Y: GM radius of management
Conversely, how much does the GM need to manage the game and game environment?
You might think that there’s an absolute correlation between these two, but I think you’ll see that’s certainly not the case. Today we’ll be unpacking the Y axis:
Y Axis: GM Radius of Influence
If you remember seventh grade math, the center of the axes is 0, 0. As you descend on the Y axis, your value goes down. So with this graph the further down you go, GM has less to manage.
Positive Value: GM Worldbuilding
When the Game Master is the chief worldbuilder, the homework and management is necessarily going to take more time and effort. But there are different sorts of games in which the GM fills this highly managerial role:
As we descend down through these bullet points, we descend down the Y Axis toward 0:
- Intricate worlds of cause & effect (Highest on Y Axis): these kinds of games are the most challenging for a Game Master to manage. Whether we’re talking about large-scale political intrigue or narrative dominos, the bigger the world and the more expansive the branches, the more complex management gets.
- Collaborative world: in a world where players and GMs have creative power, the Game Master has a lot of plates to spin. Whether it’s remembering PC backstories and motivations–or taking time after a game session to write down new aspects added to the world…and then figuring out how that works into the next game, there’s a lot of work to do here for the GM before and after the game.
- Pre-written narrative: players can experience a narrative that isn’t eaten up with cause/effect relationships. The GM’s managerial challenge here is (a) remembering the story and its parts, while (b) guiding players through.
- Episodic floating plot hooks (Nearest “0” on Y Axis): these are like mini-narratives on pause, waiting for players to engage them. Conveniently, they need not always be nailed down to certain NPCs and locations. They can even be doled out using randomized mechanics. But the GM still needs general understanding of the plot hooks and how they relate to the greater scenario.
You’ll note that each of these “positive value” areas of GM management require homework before and after sessions. For many Game Masters, this is half the fun of TTRPGs. But for others, it’s just not feasible to balance that with the rest of their lives. So it’s not uncommon for GMs to slowly progress downward. But before we get to the negative value, I believe there is a dead center.
Zero Value: Pure Rules Adjudication
In theory, there is a middle ground where the Game Master is simply a referee–where all s/he does is adjudicate rules for the players. I am reminded particularly of many old Avalon Hill games that preceded Dungeons & Dragons, where one player was simply a neutral party. Often, these were war games or strategic games, where having a neutral party was particularly helpful at adjudicating victory or failure.
In the same way, I can imagine an RPG where the Game Master is only there to help players succeed in their game. To be frank, I don’t know what system would best be described this way–if there is one! Maybe it would even be some kind of PvP RPG? But I look forward to hearing what you may have to say about that in the comments below or on BlueSky. But let us descend into a less theoretical, more practical realm…
Negative Value: Player Worldbuilding or Emergent Narrative
We are no longer in the realm of “collaborative worldbuilding,” but player worldbuilding. Here, player agency and action generates the world. While the positive value on this axis requires work before and after a game, this negative value area require work more after the game than before, because GM action is more responsive than preparatory.
Now this is not to say that the Game Master does nothing prior to gameplay. Here’s a list, that again descends into greater negative values on the Y Axis:
- Published Hexcrawls: games like Hot Springs Island do require some preparatory work. GMs have to read random encounter tables with relative care. They have to keep in mind the big picture. Still, in these kinds of games, you’re not terribly concerned about hitting some domino that causes part of the book to collapse. Instead, you take good notes after your game to see how the world and story have begun to emerge.
- Personally Designed Hexcrawls: this is a different kind of preparatory work for the Game Master. But once it’s done, it’s done! Get your hexes and random encounter tables set and you’re good to go. Mythic Bastionland and Forbidden Lands have some unique rules on how to do this.
- Generative games: here again, I mention games like FIASCO and Beyond the Wall, games where players do the majority of world-creation. Games like Cairn 2e and Knave 2e are stocked with premade random tables that help players and GMs generate worlds on the fly.
Again, the further you go down the list, the less preparatory homework and the more after-action work has to be done.
Why does this matter to my game?
As a Game Master, it’s wise to think about what you can handle, in terms of preparatory homework and after-action work. Different seasons of life make different demands on us. And there’s nothing worse than having to cancel a session, because you’re not ready.
Also for your players, it’s helpful for them to know what to expect. On the positive side of this axis (GM Worldbuilding), players need to know that they’re coming to a highly prepared environment. Being a respectful, engaged player means not crapping on that (literally or metaphorically). Unfortunately, I’ve been that player before, participating in killing a key NPC because I was not mentally prepared to engage the tone and intent of the GM’s world.
On the negative side of this axis (Player Worldbuilding or Emergent Narrative), players need to come ready to dream, to invent, to think outside the box. If they’re expecting to look at a character sheet, see their options, and attack things in the world already, they will be sorely mistaken. In short, players need their GMs to assertively express the type of game they will be playing, so that they can engage appropriately. Understanding this axis will help Game Masters do that better.
What’s next?
Next week, we have the challenging matter of trying to understand comprehensively how these two axes work together. But before we get there, what games have I not mentioned that fall into these different categories?
- Positive Value: GM Management
- Neutral Value: Pure Rules Arbitration (Referee)
- Negative Value: Player Worldbuilding or Emergent Narrative
Let me know in the comments or on BlueSky!
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