Hey there folks! Aidan here.

Something I've been thinking about for a while was an idea for talking about theoretical "system requirements" of different TTRPG games. I don't mean requirements like what you physically need to have in order to play the game, but looking at what parts of the game can cause a TTRPG to run poorly, and what steps can be taken to mitigate them. This will make more sense once we get into it.

What are "System Requirements"?

System requirements in game development are the harware components needed to run a specific video game. Generally this will be split into "minimum" and "recommended" sets, with anything above minumum "working" though the reccomended or better systems will perform as the developers intended. This shouldn't be new information to anyone familiar with video games, but sometimes a game has to be shipped with limitations in order to fit specific hardware, such as when deploying to a console. I thought this idea of designing to fit limited hardware sounded like an interesting thought experiment for TTRPG designing, so lets consider what that might mean in practice.

Tabletop games as a System

Tabletop gameplay is, generally, one Dungeon Master running the game, and three or more players who interact with the Dungeon Master to progress the game. From a computer archtecture standpoint, we can already draw an analog to a Server/Client relationship used in something like an MMO. We can also make note that due to this, we can expect the requirements for a Server (Dungeon Master) to be different than the requirements for a client (player). Ultimately our goal is to create a game which runs smoothly for the players and DM, so avoiding bottlenecks is important for keeping the flow going.

Storage

Traditionally, storage is the amount of space the downloaded game takes up on your device. In a TTRPG game, the storage can be thought of as the written materials or rules for the game. A game with a high storage requirement would be a game with a high page count, multiple manuals, or any other reference materials. We can consider Dungeons and Dragons to be a "high" storage game as it can require multiple manuals to play. A shorter Storage game would be something like Risus, which only has one page of rules. We should also make note of the obvious observation that the higher a storage requirement for a TTRPG game is, the longer it will take to find specific elements like rules, stats, or tables.

CPU

The CPU is the hardware component that handles most of the game logic and other aspects of "running" the game. In a TTRPG we can think of the CPU as a person's ability to resolve game mechanics or retrieve information from a rulebook (storage). A TTRPG game with a high CPU requirement would be games with complicated resolution methods, lots of interacting rules, or anything that requires a reference lookup to resolve. A low CPU game will tend to be a game that leans heavier into improv over written materials, or games with simple resolution mechanics. A game of Warhammer can be thought of as a high CPU game, since resolving an attack takes multiple dice rolls and character specific modifiers, while a freeform RPG game will likely use the same dice roll resolution method for every check.

RAM

RAM is the memory that your computer uses to temporarily hold onto information while executing a program. In a TTRPG, we can think of RAM as the player's short term memory. Games with a high RAM requirement will require the player to keep track of a lots of details during play, and have an understanding of how their chatacters unique mechanics work. A game with a low RAM requirent is one where the player doesn't need to consider many elements of the game other than what is currently occuring. For example, a game of Dungeons and Dragons 4th edition can have players adding lots of modifiers to their dice rolls, and remembering the effects of ongoing abilities makes it a high ram requirement game. A game like Everyone is John however, only expects the player to know their own two skills and a goal, so the requirement is lower.

Graphics Card

Graphics Cards are, as you might expect, the element of the hardware that is responsible the visualizing the graphics of the game. The analog for a TTRPG can be thought of as the groups creativity, or ability to improvise and describe scenes. TTRPG games all tend to have high requirement for the players imaginations, due to the medium, but "freeform" games tend to lean heavier on these aspects than rules-heavy games. There are exceptions, of course, but generally the more rules-crunchy a game becomes, the less the players are expected to make up an explanation for what their characters have done.

Network

The network requirements for a game would be the internet speed for play. In our TTRPG game, we can recall that we're talking about a client-server archetecture, so we can think of the network requirements being how heavy the interaction between the clients and players has to be as a back and forth. For example, in a d100 system, players are able to perform rolls and determine if the succeeded or failed without talking to the Dungeon Master, while a d20 system will require a ask/response resolution from the dungeon master. A game with a high Network command will have lots of asking/clarification between players and the Dungeon master, while a low network game will require little social interaction between players for mechanical resolution.

Idle and Lag

With these requirements clarified we can think about the two undesireable states during game for a player: being Idle and encountnering Lag. Both states are similar in that they involve an interruption to the game, but for differing reasons. An Idle player is any time the player is just waiting for their turn to act, not actively engaging with the game. An instance of Lag for a player is any time they're attempting to perform an action, but find their active action hindered by an obstacle, like needing to look up a rule, needing to perform lengthy mechanical resolution, or having to converse with another player to get an answer.
These states are going to occur during normal gameplay, but managing them effectively is important to making the game perform well. For instance, idle states will naturally occur during a turn based game as players are waiting for their turn, but these idle times can also be preparing for their turn by looking up their spells, abilities, or other activities which would cause "lag" on their turn.

Case Studies

Here are a few different games, and what viewing them through the lens of "system requirements" looks like

Everyone is John

"Everyone is John" is a free TTRPG where the players are all playing one character, named John. Players are competing to make John complete individual objectives and earn points, and games tend to last one or two hour long sessions. Skill checks are resolved by rolling a 6 on a d6, or rolling a 3+ if the check is one of their two "skills". "Control" of the character is shifted win a player fails a roll, completes an objective, or "does something boring". Control is switched by players betting "willpower" with the player who bet the most gaining control. when all players are out of willpower, the game is over.

Component	Specification
Storage	Low, Core rules fit on one page
CPU	Low, Mechanics are simple, dice rolls are unmodified
RAM	Low, Characters only need to keep track of 4 attributes, 3 of which do not change during play.
Graphics Card	High, being a freeform game, the character could end up anywhere doing anything, so player creativity pulls a lot of weight in making the game run effectively
Network	Low-Medium, Only one player and the Dungeon Master will be communicating at any given time, but lots of back and forth is required to run the game effectively.
Remarks	Potential for long "Idle" states of players due to the "one at a time" approach of the game. This is mitigated by the frequent switching of "control", but shy players might not opt to gain control, leaving them idle for longer periods of time. Dungeon masters or players who have difficulty with improv, particuarly with switching goals and objectives, will find periods of "lag" where they need to stop and think about what should happen next.

Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition (2014)

Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition is the classic TTRPG where players are heros embarking on quests. Skills are resolved through DM determined D20 tests, with player specific spells/abilities as needed. Game as designed is best suited for dungeon crawl adventures, though actual playstyle and setting can vary wildly between play groups.

Component	Specification
Storage	Medium-High, Depending on rulebooks used and class/race played, character complexity can vary.
CPU	Medium, While
RAM	Low, Characters only need to keep track of 4 attributes, 3 of which do not change during play.
Graphics Card	High, being a freeform game, the character could end up anywhere doing anything, so player creativity pulls a lot of weight in making the game run effectively
Network	Low-Medium, Only one player and the Dungeon Master will be communicating at any given time, but lots of back and forth is required to run the game effectively.
Remarks	Potential for long "Idle" states of players due to the "one at a time" approach of the game. This is mitigated by the frequent switching of "control", but shy players might not opt to gain control, leaving them idle for longer periods of time. Dungeon masters or players who have difficulty with improv, particuarly with switching goals and objectives, will find periods of "lag" where they need to stop and think about what should happen next.