OK, I'm posting this because I'm at work and I'm lazy. What are the Three Big Questions for RPG design? As I remember them, they are:
1) What is your game about?
2) How do the rules support what the game is about?
3) How are players/characters incented to do what the game is about?
I suspect I'm misremembering and/or kludging those. I'd appreciate it if anyone can give me a clearer definition of this and/or the source they come from. Thanks!
Comments
2) What do the characters do?
3) What do the players (including the GM, if applicable) do?
Although it should be noted that Jared uses a different three.
Edit: Duh! Forgot to say, thanks for the response, regardless!
.2 How is your game about that?
.3 What behavior does your game reward or encourage?
http://memento-mori.livejournal.com/175828.html
2) This is what the characters (assuming there are characters) *do* that follows that theme or concept?
3) This is how the rules incent the players/characters to do what the game is about?
This is what I get for not writing certain things down. At one time, I had really excellent answers for my current project, but I don't think I wrote them anywhere (or I can't find them now).
Also (duh!), thank you.
Oh, Jared beat me to it, but I did some internet digging and I have more details on Jared's original design page, cached by Google:
You can read read my article on The Big Three here:
http://socratesrpg.blogspot.com/2005/12/what-are-big-three.html
And my article on the Alt. 3 here:
http://socratesrpg.blogspot.com/2006/03/what-are-alt-3.html
Those might help clear up any confusion. :)
Peace,
-Troy
Answer: me and me.
I'm like "The Simpsons," minus the yellow skin and overbite.