Is a game a game if dice are not used?

[Aries Bachen]

I find that Star Wars roleplaying is alot like playing with Star Wars toys when you were a kid. The dice will mediate the situations you incounter much easy than "I shot you","no you didn't, I dodged!". If you can find a group of players that are willing to accept any of your rulings without dice roles, I congradulate you. Conversly I feel that alot of minor or social situations can and should be resolved without roling the dice. My players like rolling the dice though, so I use a combination roleplaying and dice rolls to resolve the encounter.
Example: Player: "I want to con that guard into letting me pass" GM: "Make your con roll" Result: 13 GM: "now deliver your con"
The outcome is ultimately decided by a combination of the roll and the roleplaying done by the player. If the difficulty you set was a 15, a good delivery could compensate for the roll being too short, and thus mean the difference between success an failier.
The best course I believe, is to play with dice, but don't over do it. Too many dice rolls slows the game down. But we all know that.

[Doomhead]

So there is a difference between Roll Playing and Role Playing!
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"Well hello Mister Fancypants. Well, I've got news for you pal, you ain't leadin' but two things, right now: Jack and s**t... and Jack left town." - ASH

http://www.box.net/shared/cn6f7sdkog

[PsiberDragon]

[Liana]

I actually agree with nearly everything that's been said thus far. I believe that the mechanics help provide a foundation, a structure within which your stories are told, but there are times when they are, unfortunately, more of a hindrance than a help.

I started learning to RP in a very freeform sort of arena, with forums and chat rooms all based around a fictional world all of the members inhabited. There weren't any dice, and of course we were all rather young- not old enough yet to worry too much about rules or "gaming" a system. We were all just so excited to be playing out these other lives, other personas, who were heroes (or villains) in their own right that we never really considered mechanics- only whether it sounded good.

It wasn't until later that I discovered D20 games and a codified system, and then D10, and (most recently) D6. I suppose I've been lucky enough to have GMs and STs who were more devoted to the story than the numbers, so I've never had to worry too much that an immersive and intense session of RP would be reduced to slogging through countless rolls just to see if my character can sneeze without exploding. They have their place, certainly (combat or anything hinging on chance would be nearly impossible without a concrete way to determine the outcome) but one of the most memorable moments I've had was the debate my D&D paladin (I'd never played one before!) had with a very potent blackguard about the nature of faith and morality, without a single roll being made over the course of the entire hour-long conversation.

To me, that's heady stuff.

[TheDoctor]

You can have an adventure that revolves around solving a mystery or solving a puzzle. A lot can involve character role play in terms of talking to other characters and asking questions.

These scenarios can be far more interesting than long drawn out battles which would be more exciting cinematically, but can be wearisome translated to dice rolls.
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"We attack under cover of daylight. Yes it's the last thing they'll be expecting, a daylight charge over the minefield." - Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC SSC

[schnarre]

As I recall WEG put out rules for Live Action roleplaying. I haven't seen it very often, however; perhaps someone else here can fill in the gaps.

Dice-less games do take place: some game are more problem solving or character interactions. As long as there is something for each player to do.

[Gry Sarth]

They didn't just put out some rules, they put out a whole Star Wars Live-Action Roleplaying book!
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"He's Gry Sarth, of course he has the stats for them."

[schnarre]

[Gry Sarth]

Eh, waddyaknow. I thought I already had that postion.
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"He's Gry Sarth, of course he has the stats for them."

[PsiberDragon]