The Foundations of Gaming

Introducing the Big Seven

If you want to run a tabletop RPG game, then you also want whoever is playing to enjoy the experience. You want to express yourself creatively and build scenarios that will be remember fondly and often. To do this, you often need to place yourself in the position of player, either by playing in someone else's campaign or simply studying their preference and behaviors. You will need to empathize with your players, reveling in their conquests and despairing in their defeats. You will practice the particular breed of empathy that we call DMpathy!

When you run a game, this empathy should help you remember what it is that appeals to players. As a general guide for both veteran and new DMs, here is a list of the most basic foundations of quality gaming. These are the things that players get out of the game at its core. You will notice that many of these principles also apply to other forms of entertainment, such as video games. Gaming at its core is about fun. Each of these principles are enjoyable in a variety of activities, and represent the best parts of gaming.

The VICIOUS Model of Gaming

VARIETY
- Different types of encounters, traps, monsters, environments. New themes and locations to explore.

IMAGERY
-Unique and interesting visual concepts, history, culture, ecology, technology, anything that would be fun to read about in a book.

CHOICE 
- Branching paths, interactive environments, combat options, multiple avenues for success.

IMPROVEMENT (or advancement)
-The characters change along with the story, there is a sense of accomplishment or progress at the end of a session.

OPENNESS (or clarity) 
-A narrative that can be easily followed, enough clues to provide solutions, offering enough information to make informed decisions.

UTILITY  (playing your role)
- Opportunities for characters to do what they are good at, fulfill the role of their chosen class or character, and promoting interaction with their party.

STRATEGY (being challenged)-The possibility for failure exists, and is planned for! Combat rewards smart tactics and isn't unfairly weighted in either the player or enemy's favor.

A sense of grand adventure drives a player onward!

AND THE MASTER RULE OF TABLETOP CREATIVITY:

Don't squirrel away your best ideas or store them away for a rainy day! Use the best ideas you have as soon as you can! Keep inventing new ones. Imagination is infinite, there is always something bigger and better out there, so don't be afraid to put out your best material. Your players will enjoy themselves more, and you will be more inspired and motivated to create.

Closing Thoughts

None of these foundations is more or less important than the others. Keep them all in mind as you run your games, and remember that you can always adjust to provide more of what your group is looking for in a game. Don't give up on yourself and your game the first time something goes wrong, find out which of these elements were missing and do something about it.
Tabletop gaming can be overlooked some times as a mainstream activity. There are a number of reasons for this, including the difficulty in organizing and coordinating with groups of fellow hobbyists. But it is also due to the quality of an experience can vary a lot based on the encounters being run and the quality of the game runner. When you play your favorite video game, you are going to have an experience of roughly the same quality every time, directed by the same creative team. But with pen and paper games, it will depend heavily on the attitude and preparedness of who you are playing with. Not all DMs are equal in that regard. But with determination and willingness to improve, anyone can get better at it and really shine. Every time I unwind and play these games I learn something new and make note of it. That is part of the fun, and why it still remains a rewarding pastime.

Happy ventures!