Tabletop Roleplaying Games as Procedural Content Generators

Tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) and procedural content generators can both be understood as systems of rules for producing content. In this paper, we argue that TTRPG design can usefully be viewed as procedural content generator design. We present several case studies linking key concepts from PCG research -- including possibility spaces, expressive range analysis, and generative pipelines -- to key concepts in TTRPG design. We then discuss the implications of these relationships and suggest directions for future work uniting research in TTRPGs and PCG.

PCG-Based Game Design Patterns

People enjoy encounters with generative software, but rarely are they encouraged to interact with, understand or engage with it. In this paper we define the term 'PCG-based game', and explain how this concept follows on from the idea of an AI-based game. We look at existing examples of games which foreground their AI, put forward a methodology for designing PCG-based games, describe some example case study designs for PCG-based games, and describe lessons learned during this process of sketching and developing ideas.