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Yesterday there was a GNS thread, and toward the end of it I posted this. Somebody said GURPS should be in the middle, and although I can see how GURPS is mechanically both Retro and Pretentious, I've don't quite see how it's Stupid. I've never played much of it, though.
For those who've never seen this, RSP theory is a parody of GNS (gamist/narrativist/simulationist) theory which says that any RPG worth playing can be categorized as either Retro, Stupid, or Pretentious -- Retro being defined as antiquated or passe, Stupid being defined as not taking itself seriously, Pretentious being defined as taking itself too seriously -- with more integration between the categories being better. (By contrast, classical GNS theory states that an RPG is at its best when it picks one category and sticks to it.)
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I'd put GURPS as Retro/Pretentious, yeah.
Also, Nobilis needs a level of pretentious beyond anything else on that chart. That game is the ultimate example of that style.
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>>50520567
Even more pretentious than Eoris Essence?
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>>50520627
Yep. Eoris is impenetrable as fuck, but that's an odd combination of Stupid and Pretentious. Nobilis meanwhile is pure, unfiltered pretentious.
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>>50520567
>GURPS as Retro/Pretentious
But closer in to the spectrum a bit
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>>50520627
I didn't get a hint of stupidity when I read the Eoris Essence rulebook, unless the rulebook itself was written ironically, which I got the feeling it wasn't.
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Updated version
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>>50520567
Is there anywhere I can watch an actual Nobilis session?
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>>50520567
But GURPS is also really fucking stupid.
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Where would world of synnibarr be placed? Retro obviously but I think it fits stupid and pretentious. Can provide more info if anyone is interested in this high fantasy sci-fi distance future rpg
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>>50521709
Synnibarr is a perfect balance of all three while also being one of the most amazingly bad RPGs ever made.
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D&D 3e/PF should be retro + stupid, about halfway out. PF should be further out though.
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Yeah great idea, let's provide another way for people to get into system-based shit-flinging arguments.
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>>50520542
D&d 5e would be hard to define under this system.
It does not have much of any of those 3 things but the little it does have of each all stand out to much to be able to put one category on top.
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>>50521378
I'd say GURPS is further towards retro than pretentious, but since this whole idea is deliberately obtuse anyway I guess it doesn't really matter.
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>>50520542
Update stupid to silly, even anons in this thread are confused what you mean with it (even though your definition is right there).
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>>50520542
>>50521378
>FATAL
>not stupid
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>>50520542
I think this chart does not work because out of the three, two are in stark opposition, instead of being able to be mixed, while the third is entirely unrelated.
>Stupid being defined as not taking itself seriously, Pretentious being defined as taking itself too seriously
By this definition, you can't have a game that's both "stupid" and "pretentious", it will be one, the other, or possibly neither.
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>>50521616
stupid with a lowercase s or an uppercase s
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>>50525682
It's more than just that -- each category has specific nuances beyond "is old or musty" vs "is goofy" vs "is snooty".
Here's the origin of the model:
http://jrients.blogspot.com/2006/02/i-got-your-threefold-model-right-here.html
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