Role-playing beyond combat rules in the 1980s

The evolution of role-playing games in the 1980s is part of the history of tabletop role-playing games, which began in the 1970s when historical reenactment, improvisational theatre, parlour games, and fantasy wargame rulesets combined. Multiple TTRPGs were produced between the 1970s and early 1990s.

2 articles, 1 video, 1 book · about 39 min of reading and viewing

The reading path

1. Read
   

   the evolution of role-playing games in the 1980s · Wikipedia · 23 min read

   Chaosium staff realized by the late 1970s that Steve Perrin's RuneQuest system could become the company's "house system," letting it use one set of game mechanics for multiple games. Greg Stafford and Lynn Willis proved this correct by slimming the RuneQuest rules down into the 16-page Basic Role-Playing (1980). Ars Magica (1988) emphasized characterization and storytelling over game mechanics and combat. Co-author Mark Rein-Hagen brought the game to White Wolf, Inc. and took the same approach in Vampire: The Masquerade (1991), whose gothic horror setting appealed to the growing goth subculture. Italian role-playing games included the completely narrative Holmes & Company (1987), a detective game with not even rules for combat, and On Stage! (1995), where players bid for control of each scene and take turns as game master.

2. Read
   

   When Dungeons & Dragons Cast Its Spell on 1980s America | HISTORY · HISTORY · 5 min read

   Dungeons & Dragons was built on open-ended gameplay, unlike previous war games that reenacted real battles. Players collaborate in a collective adventure guided by a "dungeon master," who serves as both lead storyteller and referee.

3. Watch
   

   The Video Game Crash of 1983: Crash Course Games #6 · YouTube · 11 min watch

   The 1980s arcade boom gave way to home consoles and computers, which allowed deeper and longer games than a single quarter could buy on an arcade machine. The U.S. video game industry crashed in 1983.

4. Book
   

   Critical Play: Radical Game Design · Bookshop.org

   Critical Play by Mary Flanagan examines how games reflect and shape society.

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