Over the years I’ve played with many different groups, used numerous systems, and gamed with more players than I can remember.  With very few exceptions I’ve enjoyed my gaming experiences, although in all honesty I’ve frequently thought about what it would be like to play in the “perfect” game.  Of course what constitutes the perfect game is incredibly subjective.  I like to think of it as sort of a thought exercise where I imagine what components would be present that collectively would create the “perfect” gaming experience, at least for me anyway.

As I sat down to begin listing my perfect components one thing became immediately clear; the most important part of achieving gaming nirvana is to “know thyself”.  Figure out and analyze the things that make you tick as a gamer.  It’s not just a matter of listing what you like or dislike about gaming, but also developing an inherent understanding of your own personality traits; your own quirks, flaws, assets, and habits, the qualities that you as a gamer bring to the table.  Of course this takes a great deal of honesty with yourself, but in the end you may discover your own path to roleplaying nirvana.

For me I’ve divided my quest for gaming nirvana into four broad components; my role at the table, the other people I game with, the genre of the game, and lastly the game itself.  For my perfect experience each of these components would have to perform certain functions and meet certain criteria. 

My Role

For me this is one of the easier components to achieve.  I’ve gamed enough years to know that when it comes to roleplaying I enjoy gamemastering.  I like the GM’s role because it gives me a chance to flex my creativity, play numerous character roles, and most importantly because at heart I am a story-teller. 

I know a few additional things about myself that impact my role and my game decisions.  I don’t like playing in “mini-campaigns” and changing up every few months, I like long term campaigns (a year or more).  I don’t care to place my emphasis on developing a single character (as a player) instead I want to develop worlds and stories.  Overall, for me the role of gamemaster is simply a perfect fit that brings me closer to my perfect game.

The Players 

At its heart roleplaying is a communal group activity, so needless to say whom I game with is every bit as important as what games I play.  I think every person looks at this a bit differently.  For some people gaming with a specific group is way more important that the game itself.  I’ve known groups who’ll tolerate a total ass in their ranks just because they are a long-time friend.  Other groups look for diversity and different approaches to gaming.  Still others look for social game tastes compatibility.

When it comes to the others at the table I’ve made a few discoveries about myself over the past couple of decades.  First of all, smaller is better.  While I used to enjoy big games (and sometimes still do at conventions), I much prefer the atmosphere and intimacy of having just three or four players at the table.  Also I look for players who are enthusiastic about roleplaying, the genre, and the game system we’ll be using.  I know everyone is different but nothing drains my creative energy like a player who isn’t as excited about the game and the campaign as I am.  In my perfect game each of the players would love the setting, genre, and rule set as much as I do.

The Genre  

Although I enjoy a wide variety of genres, from sci-fi to old west, post-apocalyptic to Victorian pulp, I seem to always come home to the one that first grabbed my imagination, fantasy.  My preference may have been forged by The Lord of the Rings and Dragonlance in my youth, or maybe it’s just an inherent love of magic, monsters, mysterious places, and heroic adventure. 

Fantasy appeals to me on an instinctive, gut level.  It is the genre where I feel the most creative energy flow, where the stories and plot-lines come easiest, where NPC’s write themselves, and the place where epic legends are born.   For me fantasy is the place that allows me to tap into the creative collective conscious and explore the Jungian archetypes of myth and literature.  That’s not to say other genres can’t do the same, but for me fantasy just fits the way I think and create and brings me another step closer to the perfect game.

The Game 

This is the category that has changed and evolved the most for me over the past 30 years, of course it is also the category that has changed and evolved the most in and of it self.  I’ve experienced the gamut of game systems; from simulation based “realistic” systems to free-form abstraction and everything in between.  I’ve played percentile based systems, d20, d10, and d6 variants, even card-based games. 

These days I can tell pretty quickly if a game system meets my needs.  In general a good system for me is one that embraces the following concepts:

Abstraction

• When I was 14 I loved rolling on a critical hit chart to see if I lobed off the bad guy’s arm or head.  These days however I enjoy more “open-endedness” in my gaming experience.  I like games that keep things like health and experience abstract giving me more room for adaptation.  I have no need for a “realistic” system; I have a real life for that.  However, there is one critically important component that an abstract system must possess…

Internal Consistency

• One my biggest pet peeves in game design are rules that are not internally consistent.  When I see a game that requires me to roll high for some checks, and low for others I immediately move on.  Games that have rule “sub-systems” that don’t enhance the game in any meaningful way or combat systems that have very different mechanics between ranged and melee combat also make me pass on the game.  I’m looking for games that have a well-developed, internally consistent rule set that embraces things like consistent definitions, keywords, and professional layout and presentation.

Easy to Learn & Teach 

• Maybe it’s because I’m inherently a bit lazy or maybe it’s because of how often I need to teach games but either way I want rules that I can break down and easily present in bite-sized player-friendly chunks.  I run five to ten games a year at various conventions and love introducing new players to the hobby.  For many newbie’s the whole concept of “roleplaying” can be difficult enough without throwing a bunch of strange, ill-logical, inconsistent rules at them.

GM Friendly! 

For me this has become the single biggest factor in my choice of game to play.  I need a game that understands that the best bet to a great game experience is by making the experience great for the guy running the game.  To be GM friendly a few things need to be in place:

• Clear and easy to understand rules
• Lots of GM support (reference material, downloads, software, game aides etc.)
• Rules that encourage but don’t inhibit
• Easy to make consistent, fair, and logical ad hoc decisions
• Simple NPC creation and stat blocks
• Creatively inspiring
• Fun to run!

A rule set that can deliver all of the above (and maybe more) is definitely one that has the potential to allow me to find my perfect game.

All of these components form the path for me in finding my gaming nirvana.  And, much like spiritual nirvana, it is a journey not necessarily a destination.  But that doesn’t make walking the path any less important…