Realism at the tabletop

YouTube and Facebook content creators seem to follow an odd approach to validating rules and rule systems for table-top games. By only testing a system by asking "is this rule true or sensible," rather than the more scientific and useful acid test of "when is this rule not true," they remain unaware of when their favourite game is closing off avenues of fun, adventure, and realism. In Beyond the roleplaying game we use a term called "scope:" the context for when a condition is applied and when it is not. This tells the player when their sword gains the crowded condition, when an object they are targeting gains the obscured condition, and when their fatigued condition goes away. This framework is far more versatile, and once learned, can give the player an immediate and visceral connection to the story. Combined with an integrated action engine that doesn't use turns for selective paralysis of the participants, these frameworks allow us to model all types of action.