ArsGeek

I’m tired of having a campaign I worked really hard on reduced to a bunch of math homework for my players.
In discussing game mechanic issues with them, I came across a few things they all had in common:
They wanted their characters to be able to do more, but the rules were so cut and dried that it seemed they were very limited in how much of the game they could participate in, mundane tasks were made a miserable and tortuous waste of time in which the other players began to lose interest. And no matter how much color they tried to inject into their characters, it always seemed to them that it was just a bunch of numbers in the end. What the heck does having a seven in move silently mean anyways? How do you qualify that?

One evening a few of us were sitting around chatting about games and imagining how our characters would act and what they could do. One of us mentioned that it would be great if gaming was more like this. We were all really into our characters, thinking like them and even beginning to act like them, even though we weren’t actually playing.

I tried a few things to make it run more smoothly, but ran into conflicts with the other existing rules. Part of the reason I wrote the article on traditional RPGs versus MMORPGs. The answer came from a comment by Adam on that article. (Thank you, Adam) He listed a few websites that focused on the role-playing side and not so much the hack and slash leveling up that even some tabletops seem to be leaning towards today.

And that brings me to The Window.

The window is a role playing game that really focuses on ROLE PLAYING. It even calls it’s players actors rather than players. The GM is called The Storyteller and the party of players is called a Troupe.

At first I was a little skeptical, thinking it was just a new veneer on old furniture. But I decided to continue reading. It starts with three precepts for setting up a game. These three precepts pretty much govern the game. It sounds a little vague, but it becomes much clearer as you read (and even clearer as you play).
These are the three precepts to a Window game:

“Everything about a Window character is described with adjectives rather than numbers.”
“It is the actor’s responsibility to play their role realistically.”
“A good story is the central goal.”

Let me say now that I’m hooked. This is the system I’ve been looking for. Rather than interrupting the game every 5 minutes for a new dice roll to make sure you’re still hiding, this game trusts the players to use their characters realistically. Not to say the GM doesn’t have control, it’s still ultimately up to the person running the game, but The Window actually works better when there is an exchange of ideas between the players and GM.

The creation process is more like writing a 3 paragraph story about your character than algebra homework.
Rather than having a number attached to each of your skills and stats, you describe them.
(Note for those of you starting to wonder what to do with the pound and a half of dice you own: Don’t worry, there are still dice rolls, they just take a backseat to actually playing your character.) if your character is “really good” at something, say exactly that. There is a chart (one of a very few for this game) to help you understand how to use the dice for this and all other instances. The website has a sample character to help you understand how to create one. You are even encouraged to dress as your character if it gets you into the role.

I’m actually having trouble reviewing this game without explaining it end to end, so I’ll sum up:

Good Stuff:

This game plays more like you’re acting in a movie as the script is being written than a dice rolling argument. The limited amount of dice used IN NO WAY LIMITS the flexibility of the game or the involvement of it’s players, it in fact maximizes how much they can contribute. It has no setting, allowing it to be played as any type of game, while having examples of how to use it in a variety of settings. It also has no limits of classes or races, allowing you to be EXACTLY what you want to be. You can learn the rules in under a half an hour and have a character created in another 15-20 minutes. Oh, and it’s free, the rules are spelled out on the website.

Bad Stuff:

The Window is rather open-ended, a problem if you’re dealing with inexperienced players, or are GMing your first game. The lack of set modifiers for classes and races can be a bit intimidating in character creation. It’s dice system is backwards from most systems out there (small dice are better, low rolls are considered successes), causing slight confusion until you’re used to it.

Overall, I’d highly recommend this game to anyone who is looking for a more captivating gaming experience. It has everything that you want in a role playing experience because it allows you to decide how the game will work. It takes a little getting used to, but after that, The Window gives a WAY better gaming experience than the other systems I’ve played. I am seriously considering using this as my default system when running a game. Everyone looking for something more than hack and slash should at least give it a look.

To keep with the theme of the game, I am going to rate it with adjectives. Numbers follow to help convert the ideas until you’re comfortable with their system:
Playability: Amazing (9/10)
Simplicity: Awe Inspiring (9.9/10)
Flexibility: Astounding (10/10)

Technorati Tags: role playing, rgp, the window, games, table top