Abstract
Problem: How do traditional tabletop game mechanics translate (or fail to translate) into video game RPGs?
Approach: Tim Cain reflects on his career-long relationship with tabletop RPG mechanics, categorizing them into three buckets: mechanics he successfully adopted, mechanics he deliberately avoided, and mechanics he wanted but could never make work in a digital format.
Findings: Some tabletop ideas (card-style information display, critical hits/failures, player override systems) translated well into video games. Others (random character creation, physical dice simulation, deck-builder character builds) were intentionally avoided because computers can do better. A third category — non-numerical attributes, insanity/unreliable perception, and random mid-game powers — remained unsolved, largely because save-scumming undermines the design intent that makes them work on tabletop.
Key insight: The existence of save games in video games fundamentally breaks many tabletop design patterns that rely on players accepting random or negative outcomes — and this remains an unsolved design problem.
References
- Tim Cain. YouTube video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bt6OXPG22c