The Winding Waterslide of RPG Terms

 The new buzz word for running a ttrpg correctly is the “waterslide”. This is used in contrast to both railroad and the sandbox style of play. The waterslide “slides” in between these two supposed modes of play. I say supposed because when I cracked opened my Moldvay Basic Dungeons & Dragons for the first time when I was eleven, I knew what the fuck Tom was talking about, explaining to me about this new form of play. It was more like being introduced to a mode of play I had been looking for but didn’t exist until DnD. There are no terms like the above being used in Moldvay’s description of the ttrpg concept.

“‘Winning’ and ‘Losing’, things important to most games do not apply to D&D games! The DM and the players do not play against each other, even though the DM often plays the role of various monsters which threaten the player characters. The DM must not take sides. He or she is a guide and a referee, the person who keeps the action flowing and creates exciting adventure. Player characters have fun by overcoming fantastic obstacles and winning treasure, but this does not end the game. Nor is the game ‘lost’ when an unlucky player’s character dies, since the player may simply ‘roll up’ a new character and continue playing. A good D&D campaign is similar to the creation of a fantasy novel, written by the DM and the players.” Tom Moldvay, p. B4, Basic Rules.

Like much of human communication, everything gets lost in translation. Preconceived expectations or a prepared agenda is how we approach new things. This approach is a dumpster fire when applied in the prosecution of creative endeavors. And make no mistake, ttrpgs are a creative endeavor. It follows the current of art and artistic process which mere “games” do not. And people are generally bad at being creative due to fear of the unknown and a required intimacy. Two things ttrpgs generate in abundance: mystery and intimacy. Two things people in general have a hard time with. I mean anything in life we encounter which doesn’t come with a guidebook, except those among use correctly wired not to pause and assess, freaks us out. Guard rails, boundaries, and a reluctance to participate are common reactions as well.  I’m a fierce creative because I lack fully developed executive functions. My brain never gets enough satisfaction from goals achieved with a need for greater and greater emotional hits. I lack an appreciation of consequence because I’m not living in the future like normal people. Reckless, I am reckless to a dangerous degree.

The one good thing being a reckless, impatient person affords me is obsession and openness. When I don’t know where I’m going, I have developed a “let it happen” psychic state. This is due to a lifetime of not knowing where I’m going. I better see the current experience with less me and more clear, present reality. A very good mental state to find when wants to use the imagination and be creative. This is a long, round about way of saying I can get over myself when involved in artistic pursuits. Less direct action and more paying attention.

What this all means, to me, is not many people involved in the hobby actually read the section on how to play the game. I’ll guess dedicated players pretty much not at all and DM I’ll give it 30%. 3 out of 10 DMs read the section on how to play the game.

The reason most eschew such relevant information at the outset of their gaming career is because they are not reading to learn how to play the game but reading to find out what they are going to get out of playing the game. “What do I get?” Well, you get nothing. Nothing any regular game promises to give. Those who develop a fine taste and ability in ttrpgs understood this deal at the outset. These games are not about what you get out of them, they are insatiably demanding you give to it. An empty balloon which will take all your effort and breath to inflate. And once it is full and takes shape, you may not like it. It may blow up into a shape neither desired nor expected. It may blow up in your face, a stinging rebuke against half-hearted efforts.

There is no sandbox, there is no railroad, there is just a tool to leverage your imagination, and for most involved in playing ttrpg’s this is a no-go. The generic terms of the ttrpg deal are utterly beyond comprehension for most. Therefore, you have many gamers looking for something never promised by the game. So it gets made up.

My recommendation for those who want to get the most out their ttrpg experience is to take an art class with a teacher who does not prioritize technique over creativity but teaches creativity. The medium being just the tool being used to act. Personal lessons taking from such an approach will be develop your ttrpg ability more than anything else I can think of.