Play of an RPG is governed by the loops of activity expected and supported by the system rules. On the largest scale, a game system uses one or more play loops, which in turn rely on procedures for each part of the loop, and those in turn rely on procedures to provide the detailed execution.

Loops

A loop is the largest structure to support play in a system. Many systems only offer one main loop, such as “Start in Town –> Travel to Dungeon –> Explore Dungeon — Travel Back to Town.”

Multiple loops are possible, however. When PCs are expected to take actions while still in town, such as solving a mystery or researching a legendary item, then a loop concentrating on that play is offered. Play that involves travel to a known destination and negotiating with entities there is a different loop than exploring a dungeon would entail.

The more explicit a system makes its loops, the easier it is to GM those loops. The system can support each loop with procedures and expected choices to maintain an engaging level of play.

Procedures

A procedure is a step-by-step walk through of decisions and outcomes in support of a specific sub-system required by a game loop. Combat is one such procedure, as is infiltration by stealth, social intrigue among noble houses, magical and/or scholarly research, and any other aspect of play important to the experience desired for the system.

Some systems have but one major procedure with all other aspects of play resolved ad hoc by the GM, despite claiming to have multiple “pillars of play.” The presence or absence of a procedure highlights the relative important of any given aspect of play. Ars Magica, for example, has procedures for magic that show it to be far more important than melee or intrigue or anything else. Contemporary editions of D&D offer up melee procedures as primary, with the social interactions and any other activity as much lesser.

Processes

A process is the structure of a mechanic called on to help adjudicate efforts made during a procedure. An attack during a melee procedure is an example of a process: “If the sum of (2D6 +applicable ability rating + circumstantial modifiers) is => (a difficulty Target Number), then the attack is successful.” A successful attack might then call on a process for gauging how much damage the target takes from the attack. Then the target may require a process to determine how seriously the attack affected them.

Role playing games have long been primarily about the processes used, with proponents of dice pools or percentile systems or the venerable D20 or the use of cards instead of dice or any of the other resolution mechanics that have appeared in game systems over the decades. The processes do have great effect in how play feels and it’s important to find processes that support the game experience desired. I think it’s also important that system rules treat procedures and loops as being just as important.

This has been happening, of course. The Errant game system offers up procedures for major parts of expected play and has been notable for that reason. Find it here. Errant has been described as rules light and procedure heavy, which I think makes it a good illustration of how to make the procedures that use the processes of the game as important as the processes themselves.

At this point, I’ve yet to nail down all of the loops and procedures I expect to lay out in my projects, though the processes are largely already so. I can see a lot of play loops possible in addition to the basic “go forth and survive a dungeon” loop. There’ll be more options for activity when characters are at home/in town, some off-camera, some requiring longish stretches of time, and most tying into situations which involve the PCs leaving town to go forth and survive elsewhere.