Internet Killed the RPG Star

Ten years ago, a few dice, a pen and paper, and a stack of game books cut it.  You could amass a group with regularity, and attract new players.  It also helped that ten years ago I was trapped in a college dormitory for two days without power while a hurricane hit.  In the past decade, though, video games became infinitely more accessible, intuitive, and enticing than tabletop gaming could offer -- lush worlds, massive challenges, and other players immediately at your fingertips have almost completely marginalized tabletop gaming.

It hasn't helped that the big names in tabletop gaming have largely ignored new technology and refused to meet the demands of an ever more connected market.  It also hasn't helped that by and large, the electronic medium has done its best to minimize direct player to player interaction with things like words, instead reducing players to stale macros and random player generators.   Only a handful of years ago, I tried running a paper and pen Shadowrun game for a group of players who'd never touched an RPG before, only to be met with blank stares and players fiddling with phones because the pace of combat was too slow, and quite a few cancellations due to scheduling conflicts because traditional RPGs don't particularly support variable players or handle pick-up groups.  After thinking about it, I came to the conclusion that they were right.

Technology has developed quite a bit, but game developers have been reluctant to interact with it.  Publishers continue to make only books, while all of the pieces of software that enable a digital game table are largely third-party.  A large part of this likely has to do with the lack of overlap between electronic and tabletop game industries.  Many digital tools are fan-created and fan-supported, and likely not authorized by the actual developer.  These days, for example, I use a Pathfinder SRD application on my iPod (which avoids direct mention of Paizo or the game in its App Store description) to make a convenient rule index, while my roommate is dungeon crawling online using fan-made maps of 4th Edition D&D boxed content.  Virtual tabletop software is frequently complicated to set up, and Wizards' own D&D Virtual Tabletop for 4th fell flat on its face likely due to the complexity of designing appropriate software.  It does not help that the bastion of tabletop (the FLGS) is becoming less and less available (or profitable).

In any case, follow the jump to view what I feel will be essential to keeping tabletop RPGs competitive:



1. Easily Accessible Rules Indices (With Search!)
Traditional books left players flipping through books frantically trying to find the wording of a specific maneuver, spell, or ability for extended periods, slowing down combat significantly.  One could illegally acquire a PDF of the book for faster browsing (or lighter loads), but at that time, searchable PDF was so far off as to make it just as time consuming.  When the grapple rules were compounded with countless feats in D&D 3.0 and 3.5, I caught a peek of at least one player flipping madly through as many as six PDF files at one time.  The SRD was quite helpful, but only worked for core books.  PDFs are only as good as its creator; it did not solve the p. XX references White Wolf was notorious for, or the need to juggle books.  Similarly, my iPod has a downloaded (and apparently quite unauthorized) Pathfinder app that serves the same function, but now requires no internet connection.

Wizards' D&D Insider content somewhat rectified this, though it was too little too late -- my Pathfinder SRD app is much more intuitive, streamlined, and straightforward, while requiring no subscription; similarly, the 3.0 SRD spawned a number of fan-created sites that published the content in a format that was more accessible and intuitive than carrying around the books.  With cryptic hints that the D&D Next SRD won't be nearly as forgiving toward third parties creating or publishing content, I am concerned that Wizards has relegated itself into obscurity and limited their audience even more. 

It didn't help that D&D Insider was only available via subscription and required an internet connection with a laptop, three barriers to entry that kept it from becoming largely successful among D&D players as anything more than a glorified character generator of the sort provided by spreadsheet-wielding fans. Even if they succeed at their second attempt at a virtual tabletop with D&D Next, it will still likely have these same limitations, leaving players searching for

White Wolf has come some way to find a medium in its shift to the heavy use of PDF files.  Now, these can feasibly be downloaded to an iPod and searched - even while offline.  My copy of V20 identifies me as the owner via watermark, helping to point out those intending to distribute it, and I would imagine some sort of steganographic protection similarly identifying users.  It isn't quite the same as an index similar to the PFR app, but it's certainly a start.

2. Digital Distribution
Similarly, books simply are not the easiest way anymore.  The Friendly Local Gaming Store is primarily less local.  It is quite expensive to warehouse all of the variety of RPG tomes players expect at their fingertips.  Stores carry less and less variety, and it's very hard to find a store with the exact book you want (except one of my available FLGSes, Compleat Strategist). The internet continues to be a more and more common way of shopping, and with it, publishers are now competing with virtual repositories of every book they've ever published.  Their distribution methods are inherently less convenient than piracy -- especially in a time when many content creators are trying to make accessing their work infuriating and often futile.  Even then, when you can fully access the books, lugging around a complete set of the Complete 3.5 books involved heavier lifting than going to the gym for many players.  Give players your book instantly at their fingertips.  Embrace iBooks, or the Kindle store, or something of the sort.  Heck, write an app that provides a convenient rules index.  Charge me for it.  I want you to have my money -- all you have to do is make it nearly as convenient as buying someone else's knock off product.  Take my money!

3. Mobile Integration

On a related note, the biggest tool that (most) players have is also very lightweight and versatile.  It's a whole heck of a lot easier to carry around some sort of mobile phone loaded up with apps and PDF files than it is to carry a rulebook, along with all sorts of augmented reality trinkets.  Why not take advantage of that?  Put QR codes in the books to download apps.  Use QR codes to download reference sheets a la the back of Warhammer rulebooks.  Have digital registration of character sheets and army lists to verify that things are valid and that no cheating has occurred.  Offer character generators, dice rollers, life counters, and downloadable errata!  Throw in the ability to make in-app purchases of splats.  While you're at it, if you're going the living game route, offer ways to earn XP for playing mini-games on Facebook, dueling with friends, or dungeon delving.  Check in at special locations at conventions to earn magic items or unlock archetypes.  Check in in places with other players to unlock NPC friends in the mini-games or play a quick drop-in encounter for XP.  Keep the players engaged and talking about your game even when they aren't playing it.  Forget virtual tabletop -- that's par for today's course, and tomorrow you're going to be left behind.  Again.  You need a mobile tabletop.

 

4. In Closing
To look at where tabletop games can compete with electronic games and social media, game developers *need* to look to electronic games and social media for expansion.  A new rule-set for D&D that lets everyone play their own little edition will just fragment the community further.  Give us reasons to come together, not split up more.  Utilize the tools that we're all already choosing to keep with us all of the time.  Move out of the business model that started to decline fifteen years ago or more.