Game Mechanism of the Week #48: Tables
I'm surprised I haven't really delved into the topic of tables earlier. I know I've thought of the idea a couple of times over the past year, but usually in context with some other mechanism.
Love them or hate them, tables are a part of many games.
The random monster and treasure tables in many early RPGs.
The devilishly elaborate tables that refer you to other tables when engaging the combat sequence in Rolemaster.
Tables designed for rapid generation of cities, regions and worlds in a variety of Game Master guides.
The curious tables scattered through the sourcebooks of RIFTS and GURPS.
Even the "modern" indie games fascination with oracles, due in no small part to the game "In a Wicked Age", are really just a new form of random data table accessed through the draw of cards rather than the rolling of dice.
I used to love tables, because you could introduce all sorts of elements into a game at random times, or when specific triggers were met. My early games (written in my high school years of the late 1980's/early 90's) seem to have a table on every page now that I look back on them. But this was an era when "realism" was sought in a game, and the quickest way to get "realistic" descriptions was to create a few cool effects then determine the likelihood of them happening and array them into a table of some sort.
Then I went through a phase where I hated them. They epitomised a lack of imagination and a constraint on the ability to tell a good story.
I've verged back to the concept of tables, as long as they are used sparingly and used with a specific purpose.
Like most mechanisms, if tables are used well they can really enhance a game, but if used poorly they just become dry collections of data stored in a randomly accessible format.
Good uses for tables include the ability to inject some thematic detail into an otherwise dry system. Good descriptors can help to provide an effective way of grounding a system into the "reality" of the game world. They can also be used to streamline certain effects, by offering a quick die roll that can then be referenced once for an immediate outcome (as long as they don't simply refer you to other tables....which might be good during character generation or story development, but can be incredibly frustrating in a high tension moment like combat).
Many of the features once found in tables are now handled behind the scenes in many computer roleplaying games, crunching numbers and generating outcomes based on random events are a forte of computers, so it makes sense to handle these things out of a player's sight. This is probably one of the many reasons why tables have gone out of fashion in many of the current crop of games.
...it's probably also a reason why tables often feature so heavily in the genre of game called the "heartbreaker", a longing to return to the old days of roleplaying before computer games became so prominent.
Love them or hate them, tables are a part of many games.
The random monster and treasure tables in many early RPGs.
The devilishly elaborate tables that refer you to other tables when engaging the combat sequence in Rolemaster.
Tables designed for rapid generation of cities, regions and worlds in a variety of Game Master guides.
The curious tables scattered through the sourcebooks of RIFTS and GURPS.
Even the "modern" indie games fascination with oracles, due in no small part to the game "In a Wicked Age", are really just a new form of random data table accessed through the draw of cards rather than the rolling of dice.
I used to love tables, because you could introduce all sorts of elements into a game at random times, or when specific triggers were met. My early games (written in my high school years of the late 1980's/early 90's) seem to have a table on every page now that I look back on them. But this was an era when "realism" was sought in a game, and the quickest way to get "realistic" descriptions was to create a few cool effects then determine the likelihood of them happening and array them into a table of some sort.
Then I went through a phase where I hated them. They epitomised a lack of imagination and a constraint on the ability to tell a good story.
I've verged back to the concept of tables, as long as they are used sparingly and used with a specific purpose.
Like most mechanisms, if tables are used well they can really enhance a game, but if used poorly they just become dry collections of data stored in a randomly accessible format.
Good uses for tables include the ability to inject some thematic detail into an otherwise dry system. Good descriptors can help to provide an effective way of grounding a system into the "reality" of the game world. They can also be used to streamline certain effects, by offering a quick die roll that can then be referenced once for an immediate outcome (as long as they don't simply refer you to other tables....which might be good during character generation or story development, but can be incredibly frustrating in a high tension moment like combat).
Many of the features once found in tables are now handled behind the scenes in many computer roleplaying games, crunching numbers and generating outcomes based on random events are a forte of computers, so it makes sense to handle these things out of a player's sight. This is probably one of the many reasons why tables have gone out of fashion in many of the current crop of games.
...it's probably also a reason why tables often feature so heavily in the genre of game called the "heartbreaker", a longing to return to the old days of roleplaying before computer games became so prominent.
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Comments
I've been hesitant because (like you) many of my earliest games were cluttered with tables and that has given me a negative view of them. I agree that they can be helpful if they are done well, I'm just not familiar with many games that do that.
Do you have any more examples of games where they are used effectively?
Tough one.
I think your right, when you say that GM-less game design can be effectively facilitated through tables. That's one of the beauties of oracles, if you look up "Oracles" as a keyword on the Storygames forums, I'm sure you'll find plenty of examples of these.
In a GM-less environment it's often nice to have something to focus the attention of the group, becasue otherwise the story just gets pulled in various directions and ends up just getting frustrating (in my experience anyway).
For other good tables, I really think a table in a simple context does far more than a complicated table. To give a specific example, I don't mind treasure tables in certain games, they can be a great way to inject some flavour into the cool off period after a fight. But rolling through a bunch of tables in the middle of a fight really slows things down.
Some more specific examples...Life Path in Cyberpunk 2020 (I've covered them in an earlier mechanism), it really gets into the detail of a character. Instead of using this idea as a pre-loaded concept to flesh out a character before the game has begun, I'd probably use this now as a flashback mechanism during a game.
The character advancement tables in Mordheim or Necromunda are also great in their specific context. Since you aren't specifically playing a single character, then it feels more like you are managing a team where the members have their own agendas...you want your thug to become better at brawling, but he decides to take on some leadership qualities instead. Either way it's more useful, but just not quite in the way you intended.
I think the biggest problem with tables is that they instantly produce a disconnection from the immersive experience.
Elaborate descriptions, careful planning, vicious conflict...ooops, just a second, I've gotta roll on this table to see what happens next.
This can be partially addressed by crafting the table's access method into the rules. Don't just roll a die and consult a table, draw a card instead, shuffle some mah-jong tiles or dominoes, shake some joss sticks, cast some runes. Then use the table as an "in character" memory aide or an imagination catalyst rather than an imagination inhibitor.
I don't know if that's helped, but it's my 2 cents.