Introduction

Well, I’ve done it. I’ve decided to put my theory to the practice.

Woe to all who step down that dark path.

There’s a longstanding cliche about the separation betweeen theory and practice. Some people think about things, other people do things. “Those who can’t do, teach.” The bigotry and condescention between the two groups is just as longstanding; get a chemist or mathemetician talking about the differences between the “theoretical” and “applied” branches of their field, and watch the sparks fly.¹

It can get even more basic than that. “Theoretical Physics” is a bunch of mathemeticians crunching numbers all day. “Applied Physics” is the purview of architects, explosive experts, engineers, and more. Plumbers don’t have to know anything about fluid dynamics, but they do have to know what works.

A lot of what I’ve written up to this point is theory. Certainly I’ve put some methods into practice, but I have been heavily weighted towards studying from afar, with thought experiments and studying other people’s work. I’ve done a lot of tests in lab-conditions, with safety goggles and protective clothing.

Is any of that knowledge valuable?

Of course it is.

This action/thought dichotomy shows up quite a bit in out culture. In writing, there are action- and thought-scenes, which alternate between the dramatic action of the characters and the planning/prosessing about the situation. In music, we have the balance between the driving repetition and action of the chorus with the engaging and thought-provoking story of different verses. In modern RPGs, we have the growing prevelance of Mission-, Delve-, or Action-scenes, which follow and are followed by Downtime scenes of study, planning, and diplomacy.

Even more basic than that, we have the warrior and the wizard: one who acts and one who thinks. We have the original Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution — the action stats — versus Wisdom, Intelligence, and Charisma — the thinking stats.

One of the things I love about RPGs is that chaotic melding of two incompatible things: game and story. Likewise, the combination of theory and practice is a good thing. How much better would our lives be if plumbers were encouraged to learn about fluid dynamics? What things might they think, when given the power of both applied experience and creative theory?

Okay, that’s getting condescending. I don’t want to imply that plumbers aren’t A: educated, or B: thoughtful. I also don’t want to imply that someone who devotes themselves to fixing other people’s sinks is somehow deficient if they don’t also want to spend time thinking about physics. But by that same token, I can’t disparage anyone who wants to build a better toilet without ever picking up a wrench.

Nevertheless, while there isn’t anything wrong with sticking in your lane, I appreciate that there’s a point where that ephemeral term “progress” can only be achieved by dipping your toes into the other pool. The applicants need to consider their priors to see if there can be improvements, while theorists need to see if their ideas work.

So that’s what I’m doing. I’m going to put my money where my mouth is, and see if all this study can help with making an actual RPG game. It’ll be an awkward project, and I’ll stumble quite a bit, I’m sure, but even if the game crashes and burns, I’ll hopefully have a great little diary of how not to make a game.