ROLEPLAYING and GAME - My perfect roleplaying game experience

During a post-session discussion, the topic of gamemastering alignment came up. Basically the idea is to categorize GMs based on the nine iconic D&D alignments. I was quick to categorize myself as a Lawful Neutral GM, but that's not why I'm typing this. See, the discussion evolved into a more fascinating debate on what makes a roleplaying game a roleplaying game. So here I sit, trying to define what a roleplaying game is for me, and I find that I keep focusing on the two words that make up this particular style of gaming - ROLEPLAYING and GAME. For me, these two words carry equal weight. Here's why.

ROLEPLAYING

I like playing a role. It's challenging, it's exciting, and it's the best medium for me to unleash my imagination. As a player, I enjoy taking on the role of a character in a fantastic world and a dramatic story that unfolds through his interactions and acts of heroism. As a GM, I take immense joy in bringing a world to life for my players through my narrative and the interactions of my many NPCs and monsters with the players' characters. It's a cooperative process that challenges everyone involved. Roleplaying awakens a mix of emotions similar to reading a decent novel or watching a engrossing movie. Horror, suspense, happiness. Every emotion in the book. Unforgettable memories are created. Roleplaying a character is, in short, a very rewarding experience.

GAME

If you choose to play a roleplaying game, you're playing a game. In particular, you've chosen to play an interactive game with a set of rules used to resolve conflict. You create a character based on a certain set of rules. You resolve conflicts rolling dice or playing cards or whatever method the system in question utilizes. Your character's aspects are chosen in accordance with this set of rules. For me, that's half the reason I play roleplaying games. It's not just a story. It's also a game, just like a board game or a computer game. I like the fact that the story's conflicts are resolved via game mechanics. The complexity of the system isn't the deciding factor for me. It can be a simple game with few rules (such as Call of Cthulhu) or a complex game (such as Pathfinder RPG or Shadowrun). For me, the randomness of dice rolling and the resolution of conflicts through a set of rules is fun.

THE PERFECT MIX

For me, the perfect balance is achieved when roleplaying and game play an equal part. I like unraveling a thrilling story through the use of rules. I'm what some people would consider a rules lawyer because I like to play roleplaying games by the book. A system might sacrifice realism for cinematic action, or it might be the opposite, seeking to emulate a high level of realism. Both work for me as they're there to represent a certain type story. Pathfinder RPG, for instance, represents a high fantasy experience and tactical gameplay. Call of Cthulhu keeps the rules light so it can focus on the horror. Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay supports a gritty and deadly (relatively) low-fantasy experience. Whatever I play, I play it by the book, because it's designed with a specific theme and genre in mind.

The story then springs from the rules and narrative assumptions are made based on those rules. For instance, in Pathfinder RPG, throwing an axe into melee comes with a penalty. This represents the attacker compensating to avoid hitting any potential allies who are engaged in melee. In the various Warhammer 40,000 roleplaying games, performing the same action comes with a risk of actually damaging your ally. Both scenarios work in the context of the games they're part of, and the resolution of the actions are easily narrated based on those rules. I don't feel a need to houserule something like this in the name of realism. I roll with it, wrapping the story around the rules.

That's not to say that the rules trump the story. As I see it, it's a matter of the two working together to create what I feel is the optimal roleplaying game experience. The rules are mostly there for conflict resolution purposes, and not every single aspect of the story needs to be resolved by the rules. And often, when rules are involved, they influence the story in different and unexpected ways, and that influence can itself lead to interesting story developments.

So, for me the perfect roleplaying game experience is an equal mix of roleplaying and game. I play by the rules and I play to create fun stories for me and for my fellow roleplayers. I respect that other GMs might have different preferences, and I can certainly play in games where rules are handwaved and still have tons of fun.