Old, New, In-the-middle School: I Don't Understand (Part 4)

When I was a kid, there was a TV commercial for Kinder chocolate eggs where a child asked his dad, as he was leaving the house, if he could get a present when he returned. The dad agreed, and the kid said, "I want a toy, a surprise, and some chocolate..." At that point, the dad smiled and replied that it wasn’t just one present but three! In the end, the dad came back home bringing the child the chocolate egg, solving what seemed like an impossible request... Well, many discussions about old-school and new-school RPGs remind me of that commercial: there's a problem that seems unsolvable… Can't it be solved? Most of the time, the author explains that it looks like there's a solution, but in reality, it's just an illusion... Let me go through some of these (un)resolved issues.

Topic#4: Vibes

On this topic, I’d like to make a premise: I’m (almost) sure some readers might take offense, and I apologize in advance. Reading about RPGs generating “vibes” took me back many years, to when I was in school. In every class I attended, I always met a certain type of classmate: the guy who could spend hours talking about girls with the most elaborate theories in the universe (from how to kiss to more risqué topics…) and, inevitably, he was the one who had never kissed a real girl. I’m (almost) sure you’ve met him too! Well, it’s probably a completely misleading association, but when I see someone talk about “vibes,” I picture that scene. No offense intended!

What’s the reason for this association? It’s quite simple: “vibes” come from reading an RPG manual, but that’s the reading… it’s not the game. The game has “vibes” that come 99% from the GM. That’s it, very simple!

Allow me the now usual metaphor: a screenplay for a movie is created to perfection in every aspect; it’s great in terms of content, the movie’s story is exceptional, it’s beautifully written to the point of being mistaken for a professional book, and it even has a graphic design that makes it incredibly captivating. Then the producer and director decide to cast the world’s worst actor in the lead role (you decide who, I’m no expert!)… what “vibes” will the producer and director have? What “vibes” will the moviegoers have?

So, if someone reads a well-crafted RPG, not only in content but also in graphics and layout, they might definitely have some great “vibes” (I remember the first time I flipped through Mork Borg… I thought the author was a genius!) but then the same person decides to be the GM and uses that game… let’s assume that, unfortunately, this person isn’t a good GM and ruins the game with their shortcomings. What “vibes” do you think the players will have?

What confuses me is why people talk about “vibes” in relation to the game (meaning the manual, the graphics, the aesthetics…) when we know that most tables will never see that manual but only its reflection through the GM’s actions… I can’t seem to find an answer to this question.

Before the final greetings, I find fair to add a last thought coming from a reading: I have recently read the post linked below (thanks to

Kate Korsaro

for the restack and to

Tales From The Tabletop

for the post!). Any consideration about vibes within solo-RPGs has a completely different light: this is a circumstance I didn’t consider in my post as I never played solo-RPGs, however I admit it makes a lot of sense compared to the traditional approach of RPGs (GM and players). For this reason, I leave here below the explanation I got from the author as well as this very thoughtful dissertation about resonance, this reading helped a lot within this topic!

Resonance, as I'm exploring it, is intended to be more focused and consistent than the general 'vibe'. For me, 'vibe' is crucial for establishing the overall atmosphere and setting and should make the player feel a general diffused feeling about the setting they're in.

However, resonance is about the specific core emotional state I want the player to experience. The design process then becomes about intentionally using all the tools – mechanics, theme, wording, and the overall 'vibe' or setting – to actively reinforce that targeted emotional state. So the vibe helps build resonance, rather than being the same thing. It's about aiming for that specific feeling (like 'impending doom' vs just 'dark fantasy') to hopefully create that deeper connection and those memorable moments.

Tales from the Design Table: Finding the Feeling

I don’t want to be a philosopher, at the end of the day I just want to play RPGs and have fun!

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