Role playing vs. Game Mechanics

Day 967, 14:24 • Published in USA USA • by Candor


Since I began paying any attention at all to the out of game activities centered on eRep, I have seen a specific term used relatively frequently.

That term is “Role Players”, or “Role Playing”. Both most often used with Congressional relevance.

For months I’ve been trying to wrap my head around the term.

To begin, let’s contrast “role playing” with its assumed opposite, “Game Mechanics”.



Game mechanics are easy to define: These are the actions the eRep site allows each player to do. Eating, fighting, buying, selling, etc. If you’re a member of the mechanical Congress, you have certain in game votes related to money, and Impeachment. The President has a few mechanical game functions as well.

But where does that leave all the things that take place out of the game? In the forums, on irc? Are they all “role playing”? Because certainly they aren't "Mechanics".

Well, ask this question: Why do we have a forum Congress at all? Or forum military, or Executive?

Generally, we have the forums, and irc, to organize people to common tasks. That’s it. It’s that simple.

And now a totally random unrelated hot chick break...


Personally, I like the bare feet. Those damn high-heels always ruin it for me.

How do we organize 100’s of military people? With ranks and orders. How do we organize the Executive? Really, the same way: With ranks and orders.

The Congress is different in one significant way: There are really no ranks, everyone is an equal. Sometimes as many as 60 people, all equals.

There is an SoH, but he is tasked with an organizing role, he doesn’t dictate policy or give orders (although they often try).



What keeps all of this functioning are rules, same as in any community.

There is a rule book, with two parts. One part we chose to call a “Constitution”, the other book we chose to call “Congressional Code”.

None of those rules do anything, in reality. The people who chose to abide by the rules do things. To the extent that the rules are respected, things are done more efficiently, in theory.

[img]http://ts3.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=173148278002&id=171e241310198f49dc64b74e55e8fa4e&url=http%3a%2f%2fgfs.westport.k12.ct.us%2fcerulli%2fOur_Class_Rules.JPG[/img]

However, those rules are constantly being updated and revised, no doubt, to the annoyance of many.

Without those rules, we could just close down the forum Congress and run things via irc, as an alternative. But then, how would we know when we had reached consensus? A vote you say? Who would run the vote? How long would it last? How many Congressman would have to actually vote to give any legitimacy to the outcome? A vote would require some rules of order. And now we're back to "role playing".



We aren’t robots. No one would stick around the game long to be dictated to. This is a community game. We must all feel empowered to make changes, or we’ll move on down the road.

Congressman (the "mechanical" kind) need to feel they are fairly treated, and that procedural rules are respected and followed. Otherwise, why participate in group thinks (forum Congress)?

Speakers of The House and every other member of the organization need to follow those rules to give legitimacy to the entire body as a body, irregardless of personal feelings.

In fact, those rules negate personal feelings, giving feelings second fiddle to group decisions. But only in so far as those rules are given respect.

Role playing, then, is respecting group think(via mutually agreed upon rules) over the individual.

I believe in rules and organization, and respecting the value both bring large bodies of people.


Hello, My name is Candor, and I'm a role player.

"...Hello Candor, Welcome."