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Assume you were to create and teach a college course in the design of role-playing games:

1) Summarize the nature of your class and its ultimate goal.

2) What would you choose to be the first assigned reading? Why?

3) What would be the subject of the first research paper? Why?

4) How would you test students?

5) By what criteria would you grade each student at the end of the course?

6) If choosing to study already-established systems before moving on with the course, what systems would you assign each student to study? Why?

7) What would you have students learn about the periphery of RPG design (i.e. business, publication, web design, PDFs, book design)? Why?

8) How can students earn extra credit?

9) If taught in a university environment, with what "school" would your class be affiliated and/or what credit requirements would your class fulfill?

10) Finally, if you were to write and/or assemble a textbook for your class, what would each chapter be titled and from what other publications would you pull excerpts?

You've asked a question to which I've give much consideration in recent years; but I'm afraid the answers would themselves be something of a college course.

I would definitely include excerpts from my own Game Ideas Unlimited series (at http://www.gamingoutpost.com/">Gaming Outpost) and the http://www.indie-rpgs.com/articles/23/">Applied Theory article here; I'd also include several of Ron's pieces. By way of inclusion, I'd probably get some of the Turku school documents, and some of Robin Law's material.

The primary focus would be to teach approaches to creativity. I use the Game Ideas series in large part because it is primarily about creativity, but also because I know the material.

I like assigning research papers in which the student has to take two samples and compare them in a manner which shows how each illumines the others; thus I would probably have the students select two role playing games and examine how each of them approaches its problems, and what each could learn from the other. I think this sort of paper forces students to do a deeper level of analysis than they might otherwise do if they had to simply address stated issues of my choosing; it also forces them to consider what kinds of games will give them the best contrasts.

Tests would mostly cover lectures and readings. The course would include mechanics design, creative writing, game and rpg theory, as the main sections, probably in that order.

I would not cover publishing at all. First, it's really outside the scope of design in my view; second, it's likely to change significantly over even the next few years (as it has over the last few) so most of what they learned wouldn't be much use by the time they needed it (assuming they're degree candidates).

Depending on what departments the school had, I imagine it would be in the English department; but that would depend on what the other choices were. It would of course be an elective.

Sorry I can't write more; I hope this helps.

--M. J. Young

Quote from: gobiAssume you were to create and teach a college course in the design of role-playing games:

1) Summarize the nature of your class and its ultimate goal.

I'd parallel teaching of creative writing in all particulars, as there's not much difference between the types of writing. Throw in some procedural planning from the engineering sciences, I guess. Then again, this isn't so useful, as my approach to teaching writing would anyway be different from the norm.

It should be noted, that creative writing is not taught widely in finnish universities. It's perceived as futile to try to codify such an art. Therefore my course would probably fall more within "theory of roleplaying" than "designing games".

Quote2) What would you choose to be the first assigned reading? Why?

I'd probably write my own series of articles for the occasion. The first one would delineate the definitions and bounds of roleplaying and the purpose of design as intentional prosess. It'd explore and posit questions about the possibilities and limits of the designer's role. An overview of what design has been.

Of course the course would be such, that for their continuing academic health students should dive in to the extented reading list, which would include the important game designs of the history, a couple of dozen internet sites and the meager game theory written to the day. I don't however like to formalise these, and would just up the expectations of foreknowledge as the course goes on.

Quote3) What would be the subject of the first research paper? Why?

Cross-referensing and comparing the design of D&D, Vampire and Sorcerer, or something like that, to get students to familiarize themselves with them. My course would consentrate on the analytic skills, so I'd encourage them to taunt D&D as skillfully as possible.

Quote4) How would you test students?

By making them analyse existing game designs and create their own.

Quote5) By what criteria would you grade each student at the end of the course?

Brilliance in analysis and creativity in design. The final grade would be the better of the two, as it'd be quite enough to either understand game design or be able to do it.

Quote6) If choosing to study already-established systems before moving on with the course, what systems would you assign each student to study? Why?

A significant part of the course would be the history of game design, so the systems would be chosen based on historical significanse. Seminal works and generally anything significant enough to get mentioned in the historical overview.

Quote7) What would you have students learn about the periphery of RPG design (i.e. business, publication, web design, PDFs, book design)? Why?

Nothing, that's not part of the course. Visual representation is, though, because pedagogic theory is a necessary part of learning how to teach rules in text.

Quote8) How can students earn extra credit?

Wouldn't know, don't have that kind of system here. By bringing me an apple now and then?

Quote9) If taught in a university environment, with what "school" would your class be affiliated and/or what credit requirements would your class fulfill?

The department of aesthetics, approbatur for specialization in rpgs, or failing that, general aesthetics.

Quote10) Finally, if you were to write and/or assemble a textbook for your class, what would each chapter be titled and from what other publications would you pull excerpts?

I'd reference almost everything useful written, there's not that much of it. On the other hand, I don't usually do excerpts, I prefer to give my own spin and make everything fit a preconseived whole. Mr. Edwards would of course have a honored place in the bibliography and full credit for having brains.

The book would probably fall out as something like this:
1) the bounds of roleplaying
2) the role of the designer
3) the history of roleplaying
4) theories of roleplaying (GSN, diegesis-analysis, etc.)
5) analytical overview of the existing schools of design
6) some example analyses of important designs
7) overview of mechanical conventions and usage
8) overview of paradigms of theme (non-local meaning) and purpose
9) social psychology of the playing situation
10) pedagogical manipulation of the rules-medium
11) bringing it all together
12) the future of game design

... and some other topics that don't jump at me right now but would if I had time to write the thing.

I don't think I'd do game design as a traditional "study stuff, write papers, take a test" kind of course.  I'd focus on hands-on approaches, with group projects and a constant look at how different solutions can be found to the same issues.

A typical assignment would thus be something like "Team up with three other students and write an RPG that eliminates the GM."  Then, once the projects were completed, the "test" would be to analyze the different approaches developed by the different groups and weigh the strengths and weaknesses of each.  For their final products, the students would take one of their assignments and polish and finish it on their own, producing a PDF ready for print or web distribution.  This would teach the basics of layout, formatting, organization and publishing, but only the very basics - it wouldn't be a how to class for the industry.

There wouldn't be any required readings except possibly to take some game (D&D probably) and study its evolution over various editions.  I'd want students to look at what changes were made and how they affected the game experience.  Traveller, GURPS and CoC might also work since they've have many editions as well.

Students would be graded based on depth of analysis, where I'd be looking for originality and functionality of approaches, and how solid the systems actually seemed to be functionally.  There would be no extra credit - I've never believed in it.  As for the college department, I can only imagine it'd fall into English, since it would involve a lot of writing.

If I used a textbook at all, it would probably be a compilation of different games and their approaches to common issues.  Titles would probably be things like "Core Mechanics" "Character Design" "Experience" and the like.  The goal would be to show how other designers have approached a variety of issues that all games deal with to some extent.

Quote from: gobiAssume you were to create and teach a college course in the design of role-playing games:

Quote1) Summarize the nature of your class and its ultimate goal.

I would probably teach it as an upper-division undergraduate English course on narrative theory.

Quote2) What would you choose to be the first assigned reading? Why?

The 1980 edition of Basic D&D. I would want to give people a sense of the chronological development of RPGs; 1980 Basic D&D, while not the earliest, is the shortest, clearest and most clearly alien from conceptions of creative narrative.

Quote3) What would be the subject of the first research paper? Why?

I'm afraid I'm not a fan of multiple research papers. I'm a believer that 3 months is the minimum amount of time required to produce a really meaningful research paper. I'd leave the field pretty open in terms of subject matter as well.

Quote4) How would you test students?

Well, assuming 2 hours of lecture and 3 hours of tutorial per week, after GMing the first two tutorials, I would probably assign each student a week of GMing a tutorial session using the game system we studied for that week's reading. That would be 15% of the mark. 40% would be based on the research essay and the remaining 45% would be divided between the exam (30%) and tutorial participation (15%) would probably be based on small assignments like creating characters.

Quote5) By what criteria would you grade each student at the end of the course?

It would depend on the assignment.

Quote6) If choosing to study already-established systems before moving on with the course, what systems would you assign each student to study? Why?

I would do the course in chronological order of publication starting with Basic D&D, then AD&D, then Runequest, then, I'd have to research published systems that actually brought new things to gaming because I dropped out of following game systems between 1985 and 2000.

Quote7) What would you have students learn about the periphery of RPG design (i.e. business, publication, web design, PDFs, book design)? Why?

Probably not at all. Doing a 25 year history of gaming while introducing people to difficult new concepts involving literary theory, drama, mathematics, sociology, etc. would be plenty.

Quote8) How can students earn extra credit?

I'm Canadian. I oppose extra credit.

Quote9) If taught in a university environment, with what "school" would your class be affiliated and/or what credit requirements would your class fulfill?

I would probably teach it through the English department; depending on the university, I could also use a department like sociology, psychology or a generic humanities program. However, I would probably focus the course in an english oriented direction.

Quote10) Finally, if you were to write and/or assemble a textbook for your class, what would each chapter be titled and from what other publications would you pull excerpts?

I would probably make students purchase any books not out of print or purchase copies (with royalties paid) for books that are; so no excerpts. Beyond that, I'll have to think more and add my thoughts to another post.

I think you'd probably have to separate the 'history' class from the 'theory' class if you wanted to get anywhere. There is SO MUCH history already by the late seventies that I could probably fill a whole semester on that stuff alone, if anyone cared to listen.

(Both classes should have labs though, where you play the games under discussion each week for a few hours.)

The art historian Michael Baxandall's book "Patterns of Intention" contains an interesting chapter on cubism which characterizes Picasso fairly convincingly as responding to certain 'problems' set by e.g. Cezanne, and then Picasso and Braque in a kind of artistic 'dialogue' which tries to solve certain problems of cubist painting and painting more generally. We're familiar with the idea of painting as problem-solving in an earlier era as we watch the Renaissance artists try to figure out perspective.

Anyway, I think a lot of the history of RPG design, maybe all of it until the last few years, is most usefully described in terms of this kind of problem solving: earlier games pose problems which later ones 'solve', but the solutions pose problems of their own. (I always assumed that a universal set of rules was the holy grail, for instance, until GURPS came out next to Paranoia, James Bond, and a number of other shamelessly non-universalist and better games.) So I'd want to teach the history class in those kinds of terms, focusing on problems of game design and the progressive narrative that goes along with it, which obviously connects to theoretical concerns.

If I were teaching a theory class through I'd probably organize it around GNS and Ron's essays, and incorporate a lot of the material MJ mentions (some good discussions on Jon Tweet's website too IIRC). We'd still have a lab where we played games though!

Assume you were to create and teach a college course in the design of role-playing games:

>>>>1) Summarize the nature of your class and its ultimate goal.

An overview of both history and theory.  (It's an "Introduction" class - a full-fledged degree would require multiple courses, obviously).

>>>>2) What would you choose to be the first assigned reading? Why?

A "brief history of roleplaying" text.  Not sure from where, though I like the one in PTGPTB.

>>>>3) What would be the subject of the first research paper? Why?

I think research papers are the devil, and I would not have any.  Grades would come through labs (playing games) and participation in class discussion.

>>>>4) How would you test students?

I think I'd do something similar to "pieces and parts" from rpg.net's Art of Game Design.  "Here's some stuff, build a game."  Both midterm and final would be take-home.  People could work in a group if desired, but individual projects are encouraged.  (I think group-projects are worse than research papers)

>>>>5) By what criteria would you grade each student at the end of the course?

Mainly participation in both labs and classroom discussion, plus effort and talent in the midterm and final.

>>>>6) If choosing to study already-established systems before moving on with the course, what systems would you assign each student to study? Why?

I would only provide excerpts from established systems, rather than focusing on any one system in its entirety.  

>>>7) What would you have students learn about the periphery of RPG design (i.e. business, publication, web design, PDFs, book design)? Why?

None.  That's a matter for other courses.  I would have at least one lesson dedicated to the three-tier model and how it impacted RPG design and theory; another discussing the impact of the net.

>>>>8) How can students earn extra credit?

I wouldn't generally allow this.

>>>>9) If taught in a university environment, with what "school" would your class be affiliated and/or what credit requirements would your class fulfill?

Liberal Arts.  It'd probably only really cover as an elective.

>>>>10) Finally, if you were to write and/or assemble a textbook for your class, what would each chapter be titled and from what other publications would you pull excerpts?

I have no idea, but I know I would do it.  Things I would include:  excerpts from the games I would be discussing, excerpts from GNS and competing theories, discussions of dice theory...

If the course is on *game design*, than Greg Costikyan's web site (articles + blog postings) is required reading, for a deeper understanding of RPGs, their cultural context, the nature of "games" and the characteristics of "game design".
Than I'd send them to read Vincent Baker's brief note about "roleplaying's fundemental act" and let them spend the semester arguing if roleplaying games are games or not.
Because if they go to study RPGs in an academic setting, they're there to argue, aren't they?
(Alternatively, a workshop built on the design->play->critique model sounds like much more fun).

Play play already.
- Dotan[/b]

Great question, gobi.

My course would focus on applied game design and theory, with the students required to write an original, functional game for their final project. Along with the game they'd have to hand in their development notes and a reflective critical essay on the game which states their design philosophy.   They'd be required to do beta testing, submit analytical notes on play session in their developmental notes, and do several drafts of the game. Students could get extra credit by participating in beta testing for other students' games.  The idea to have a lab each week where a different game is played and highlighted, is excellent--I'd certainly adopt it.

The course would start with theory--lots of online articles such as those found on John H. Kim's page, the articles here on the Forge and other articles on game design found at RPGnet's column library.  

The students would be encouraged to look at game design from a functional point of view: from the view-point of all different types of participants (gm's, players, multiple-gms etc), and a component of the course would be on communication, organization and presentation.  Grading of the final project would be on clarity, originality, playability and effectiveness at realizing design goals.

The first writing assignment would be on the nature of role-playing games as an interactive narrative structure, how it compares and differs with other similar forms (theatre, board-games). The second assignment would be on the system of a role-playing game (social contract, mechanics, rules, techniques, stances) and how they manifest in actual game play.  

If I taught it at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where I work, it would most likely be as part of the comparative literature department. Specific games I'd have the class study would be influential ones (various D&D and white wolf games), systems exemplifying different approaches and different design philosophies (gurps for generic, in-depth system; The Pool for an elegant generic system, Sorcerer for explicitly narrativest etc.), and particularly effective systems vs. particularly ineffective ones.

Offering this in an academic atmosphere would be a great opportunity to go in different directions for design.  Different goals for games could be discussed: entertainment, educational, therapeutic, exploration of interpersonal dynamics.  Games such as the blue-eye/brown eye game, and the Buckminster Fuller's World Game could be studied as alternative models.

If anybody ends up teaching one of these courses, let me know. Especially if it's online!

Regards,
Emily Care

RPG Game Design is not a 101 course.

I'd say it's a 300 level seminar.

The degree course for General Game Design (note, not just RPG game desgin, or CRPG design) would include:
Psych 101
Intro to Game Theory (with enough math background to be able to understand the concepts)
Possibly higher level courses of Game Theory
Programing electives
Comp Lit
Creative Writing electives
Physical Education & Recreation (no, not gym class, how to teach these things)
Appropriate engineering courses as mentioned above (IE?)
etc.

Other advanced topics include:
Behavioral RPG Game Models (Trifold, GNS, etc)
Survey of Games (exposure to wide ranges of designs in practice; orals require the abiltiy to speak cogently on over 100 games)
Comparitive Gaming
As well as specific courses on specific areas of design (wargaming, boardgaming, RPGs, Computer gaming, etc, see Costikyan's list).
etc.

Then when you've gotten all that crap out of the way, then you do the seminar, and labs in which, like Justin said, you do an actual design. Much like how in Computer Programming degrees, you actually have to present large actual programs in your junior and senior years.

Anybody remember which universities have programs in computer game design? They'd likely serve as the model.

Mike

Quote from: gobiAssume you were to create and teach a college course in the design of role-playing games:
1) Summarize the nature of your class and its ultimate goal.
2) What would you choose to be the first assigned reading? Why?
3) What would be the subject of the first research paper? Why?

There is a philosophical question here -- is this a "how-to" course on designing RPGs (equivalent to a creative writing class), or a course studying RPG design (equivalent to an English or Humanities class)?

I wouldn't be very comfortable with the former, because much moreso than for novels, there isn't any set method for what an RPG should look like.  Novels and short stories have at least been around for a few centuries in their present form, and have some recognized features.  In contrast,there is little consensus in the critical community on RPGs.  For example, I don't think that I could fairly grade someone's RPG design except on fairly primitive things (grammar, clarity of writing, etc.).  

The aim of my course would be that students have a good critical understanding of a wide range of RPGs, including how they work.  

My approach would start with studying existing RPGs, to analyze how they function.  I think that actual play should definitely be a part of the class.  Students would break of into groups of 4-6 and play some games.  They should record and transcribe all of what is said.  First assigned reading would be a game which is both critically acclaimed and pmildly opula.  I'm tempted to say Call of Cthulhu.  There would be a paper on their reading of it, followed by a research paper based on play of that game which analyzes the transcript of play.  

There would be a section on dice and card probability.  I would also want an exercise in writing rules.  i.e. Everyone people in the class write out a set of rules, then they are anonymously distributed to others who try to follow the rules based only on what is written.  

There would be some simple-answer or multiple-choice type questions on probability, RPG history, and terminology.  Grades would mostly be based on the essays and design exercises, though.  They wouldn't design a full RPG as part of the course, nor would there be anything on publishing.  The curriculum is meant to teach the basics of how all the parts work.  

Putting together a full system is hugely variable in scope, since RPGs can vary from a one-page design to a three-volume system like D&D3.

Fall Semester 20XX
University of ______
GAME 413: Theory and Practice of the Role-Playing Game
Prof. Ben Lehman
Office Hours: Open Door Policy

Prerequisites:  At least the following
Math Courses: Probability, Statistics, and Linear Algebra
Game Design Courses: Probabilistic Games, Social Games, Strategy Games I-II
Preference given to students with experience in Creative Arts (writing workshops, art classes, etc.)
Instructor Permission

Those who do not meet the prerequisites or are not Game Design majors may be better served by GAME 113 (Introduction to RPGs).

Introduction:  This is a senior-level game design course that examines the Role-Playing Game, a unique hybrid game form that most claim originated in the US sometime in the mid 1970s, and continues in various forms onto this day.  Considered by many to be a many and aberrant form of game, it nonetheless is quite sophisticated and eludes easy classification.

In keeping with the applied / theoretical admixture of the Game Design major, this course will focus on theory and analysis towards the eventual goal of cogent RPG design.  It is not a design workshop, and you will not be designing RPGs for credit in this class.

Course Work and Expectations:

Reading and Discussion:  Each week we will be reading two texts -- a theoretical text and a game book.  Students are expected to have strong knowledge of both of these books from in-depth reading thereof, and should come to class with questions, discussion topics, and criticisms already prepared.  Reading and Discussion accounts for %60 of your grade.

Short Papers:  Each week, in addition to the formally assigned reading, I will give you a list of games, all of which will be availible on reserve from the library or on loan from my own personal collection.  You are expected write a short (2 pages maximum) paper that either comparies two of these games or explains, in detail, the functioning of one game -- with particularly focus on why it would be interesting to play.  You are expected to have in depth knowledge of the game(s) that you focus on for your papers, and passing knowledge of the other games on the list.  Short Papers account for %20 of your grade.

Term Paper:  You are expected to be working on a 20-30 page term paper throughout the semester.  We will discuss this further in October.  The long paper makes up the remaining %20 of your grade.

Schedule:

Week One: Introduction to the RPG
Reading:  The Fantasy Role-Playing Game, a New Form of Performance Art ; The Fantasy Trip

Week Two:  Origins
Reading:  Alarums and Excursions, excerpts in Course Packet ; Basic Dungeons and Dragons + Chainmail

Week Three:  ...

(Other topics include:  Game Text as Art (Nobilis and Exquisite), The Metaplot (Guide to the World of Darkness and Heavy Gear), the Theoretical Game (Sorcerer and Everway), etc...)

Uh, yeah, what Ben said. :-)

I'm sure the syllabus would evolve dramatically over the first three or so semesters teaching the course.

Mike

Wow. Great answers so far! I love hearing how different people would communicate not just the notion of RPGs, but specifically RPG design and theory, in a class setting. So, for now, I'll sit back and let everyone get a chance to answer the survey and discuss. I'll throw in my two cents in a while after the thread has had ample time to gestate.

Assume you were to create and teach a college course in the design of role-playing games:

1) Summarize the nature of your class and its ultimate goal.

To look at the history of game desighn, not only the high points but as well as its blunders.  The object of the course will attempt to show students why certain games have suceeded and why others have failed.  Extensive time will be spent on cruntchy versus light rule mechanics as well as important questions to ask when desighning a game.

2) What would you choose to be the first assigned reading? Why?

In order for this class to be sucessful the main problem will be to get around the volume of reading that is involved with roleplaying games.  Essentialy what I would like is a series of two-four articles  under 115 pages on the following games:
AD&D
Traveller

What these articles would do is to provide an (not the just one opinion) answer to the questions posed by the course.  So for example the AD&D articles would provide reasons for its sucess despite incoherence, a break down of the mechanics, and the implication of its mode of story telling.

3) What would be the subject of the first research paper? Why?
I prefere small fouces responce papers to reasearch papers.  I think much more is gotten out of working closely with just a couple of texts and coming up with a short meaningful argument that could lead into a research paper, rather than one research paper.  

4) How would you test students?
Naw I am a lit major I beleive tests are silly.  Instead due every day of class will be a one page double spaced paragraph discussing the reading for the day.  Summarys of the reading is not allowed, instead I would provide the students with questions to engage with on an intelectual level.  Many of these questions would force the students to look back on previouse works so that they can see the evolution of an idea for themselves.

5) By what criteria would you grade each student at the end of the course?
Class Participation: 25%
Papers: 50%
Paragraphs: 25%
I would like to make it easy to get a good grade for the class.  

6) If choosing to study already-established systems before moving on with the course, what systems would you assign each student to study? Why?
I would have them study the AD&D system, and several generic systems D20, Tri Stat, GURPS, the percentile system, and the storytelling system.  Systems are very important to many people and before attempting to desighn something divergent it is important to understand the big names that are out there, why they are big, what is great about them, and what is bad.


7) What would you have students learn about the periphery of RPG design (i.e. business, publication, web design, PDFs, book design)? Why?
No.  Mostly due to time limitations.  Besides we have a whole classes devoted to web desighn, book desighn, and an entire school devoted to business.

8) How can students earn extra credit?
Hmm I would expect my grading to be leinent enough so that it wouldn't be nessisary.  However, extra papers on non-assighned topics would be a start.

9) If taught in a university environment, with what "school" would your class be affiliated and/or what credit requirements would your class fulfill?

We would be a part of the english department.  To make the course sound important it would be called the theory of oral storytelling in the modern age though the use of Role Playing Games.

10) Finally, if you were to write and/or assemble a textbook for your class, what would each chapter be titled and from what other publications would you pull excerpts?

Alright essentialy I want my own textbook containing the articles with the following titles.  
Here is also the order and the break down of how I would teach the course.  The articles are to be written so that it is assumed that the audience has an understanding of the material being written about.

Week 1:
D&D articles
Week 2:
Heart Breakers Article
DeathStalkers for the unit on Fantasy Heartbreakers
Week 3:
Traveler Articles (note: I choose traveler because of its hard sci-fi rout and its system along with its openendedness.)
Week 4:
Article Titled Univers and the Sci Fi Heartbreaker
Article on How to avoid a heart breaker
Week 5:
Metaplot Gone Wrong;  A Beif history to the metaplot
AD&D and its responcipbility for the metaplot
Week 6:
Metaplot Done Right?: Orpheus
Introduction To Limited Game Play: Paranioa
Week 7:
Limited Game Play continued: My Life With Master
Intoduction to the Generic System: System Dose Matter
Week 8:
A series of articles comparing the variouse generic systems (Tri-stat gurps fudge and d20)
Articles comparing the systems of big name games (COC, Shadowrun, AD&D, Rifts)
Week 9:
Introduction to G/N/S theory
Week 10:
Introduction to Sorcerer
Introduction to Some other game that I can't decide on at the moment
Week 11:
Rules cruntchy versus rules light and the diminishing diffrence between the two
The history of sourcebooks
Week 12:
Sourcebooks continued, sucesses and failures
Wrapping up.