In a Complicated World, Simplicity is Counterculture

So I’ve talked a bit about cottagecore, I’ve discussed dark academia, and at some point I’ll write about magical realism. The throughline for me is escapism. They’re all ways of looking at the world in, if not an entirely positive and hopeful way, then at least a comforting one. One can see the tropes of each genre as coping mechanisms, literally for the characters in these stories and vicariously for those of us in this real world. There is a simplicity in these genres; they may be difficulty to explain, sure, and different people will have a wide range of definitions about what fits within each category, but you know it when it feels right. If nothing else, characters can be seen to be living under a code of ethics, or a personal philosophy, uncomplicated principles that guide their lives. 

• Be clever.

• Be empathetic.

• Be kind.

Simplicity extends to the decision to have one system. While I know the D20 movement went off the rails, I still think the underlying idea was a good one. Maybe not for the entire industry, but letting players gain familiarity with a system that they can apply to anything works at the individual publisher level. It’s easier for us to create with; it’s easier for you to learn and use. Moving to a core book paradigm, where we publish one fat book that has everything you need, with anything else being entirely optional is simplicity. You can buy the game that you want to play, and that’s it.

For me, simplicity is rejecting the established labels, especially when they force you into a particular niche. Until now I avoided publishing big, fat books because I was thinking in terms of rules. More pages meant more rules, right, and heavier systems? But that meant that slim books fell under “rules lite”, which some people take to mean incomplete, systems you need to fudge, more heavy lifting for the gamemaster and the players. That doesn’t have to be so. You can have a game with easy-to-learn, easy-to-run rules that are flexible, and still have enough valuable content that isn’t as series of unnecessary complications piled onto the core mechanic.

My final point here, which I think is going to be the hardest for some folks to get their heads around, is that escapism should be simple; don’t drag in the things that remind you of how horrible the real world is. I know that’s why so many people prefer fantasy to modern roleplaying. It even extends to science fiction, superheroes, and even horror. The thing is, James Bond rarely references real politics. My comfort TV shows are Murder She Wrote, Columbo, and Dark Shadow, none of which dealt with issues of their times, like the Reagan administration, the War on Drugs, and the Vietnam conflict.

Simplicity in roleplaying is experiencing a world, or a version of the world where you don’t have to deal with mass shootings, arguments over whether it’s justifiable to bomb hospitals and starve children, or whether a convicted felon should qualify for public office. You should be able to have a couple of hours to not think about rising rents, the cost of groceries, or student loan repayments. Take the complications off your plate for a while. Create an idealized world as an act of healing, before you return to a reality that’s unfortunately less friendly, and far less within our control.

I hope you’re doing well today.