I may spin this out into a response and follow up to my article on crunch, so thanks for continuing the conversation!
This is really interesting framing. I think whether you approach crunch from a bottom-up (setting first as experienced via ROLEPLAYING) or top-down (end-result as experienced via GAME) perspective definitely alters perception as to the value crunch can bring.
It definitely changes a lot depending on which of those you go for! It’s hard to account for because that can feel so personally but it’s another axis that could be added to this model for sure.
There are days when I like a lot of crunch and other days when I want rules lite. Especially with my solo game play. It amazes me how much crunch a designer can add to a game, such as Traveller. Makes my head spin sometimes but I still love it!
I may spin this out into a response and follow up to my article on crunch, so thanks for continuing the conversation!
This is really interesting framing. I think whether you approach crunch from a bottom-up (setting first as experienced via ROLEPLAYING) or top-down (end-result as experienced via GAME) perspective definitely alters perception as to the value crunch can bring.
It definitely changes a lot depending on which of those you go for! It’s hard to account for because that can feel so personally but it’s another axis that could be added to this model for sure.
There are days when I like a lot of crunch and other days when I want rules lite. Especially with my solo game play. It amazes me how much crunch a designer can add to a game, such as Traveller. Makes my head spin sometimes but I still love it!
I think crunch makes even more sense for solo gaming, because it takes weight off a GM emulator or helps you feel more like a ‘player’!
Definitely!