### The Paradox of Player Failure: Navigating Success in RPGs
In the realm of RPGs (Role-Playing Games), the phenomenon of savescumming—a practice where players frequently save and reload to avoid failure—has become a divisive topic. Players face a unique dilemma: while RPGs are marketed as narrative-driven experiences, many still approach them with a competitive mindset, often prioritizing success over storytelling. This article explores the complex relationship between player failure and enjoyment in both digital and tabletop RPGs, shedding light on how developers can better accommodate and embrace failure.
#### Understanding Svescumming
Savescumming is often seen as a natural instinct driven by a desire for success. Players may find themselves hitting the F9 key repeatedly at the slightest hint of a poor outcome. In single-player RPGs like *Divinity: Original Sin 2*, this behavior becomes prevalent when faced with botched persuasion checks or failed combat rolls. The urge to reload manifests as a form of self-preservation; players want to ensure the best outcomes for their characters and narratives.
However, this habit is starkly contrasted when playing tabletop RPGs. In live sessions, character failures can foster memorable and humorous moments, creating the foundation for storytelling and character development that often surpasses mere success. Fond memories of “extravagant failures,” whether comedic or poignant, underscore the value of narrative over mechanics in tabletop play.
#### The Developer’s Perspective on Failure
Game developers recognize the dichotomy between player expectations in digital and tabletop RPGs. Colin McComb, a veteran in the industry, notes that “players tend not to react well to failure” due to ingrained perceptions that a failed roll signifies personal incompetence. Traditional RPGs usually equip players to expect punitive measures, such as loss of items or experience points, which reinforces a desire to avoid failure at all costs.
George Ziets, lead designer of *Wasteland 3*, points to *Planescape: Torment* as a watershed moment in RPG design. Unlike typical RPGs, which penalized failure with a game over, *Planescape* offered narrative continuity, allowing players to experience rich story content regardless of failure. This approach encouraged players to perceive failure as an intriguing facet of the gameplay rather than an impediment.
#### Shifting Player Expectations
A primary consideration for developers is to cultivate player expectations that appreciate failure’s narrative potential. Many designers, including Gareth Damian Martin of *Citizen Sleeper*, argue that RPGs often reduce players to power fantasies, reinforcing a combat-centric mindset that disincentivizes failure. This overemphasis on ‘winning’ can lead to an inherent bias against experiencing the full narrative range an RPG has to offer.
To challenge this paradigm, developers are looking to create systemic rewards for failure. Ziets’ team, for instance, conceptualizes a system where players earn more experience for failing skill checks than succeeding, thus inviting them to embrace failure as part of the journey rather than a detour from it.
#### Crafting a Collaborative Experience
In tabletop RPGs, collaboration fosters trust between players and the Game Master (GM). When the GM is seen as an ally rather than an adversary, players are more inclined to accept failure as part of the storytelling process. This dynamic creates a sense of shared investment in the narrative, something that can starkly contrast with digital RPGs, which occasionally feel adversarial due to their design.
Developers are beginning to acknowledge this need for trust in their game design, aiming to create an environment where players feel safe to fail. Instead of punishing players for missteps, they can craft scenarios where player agency intertwines with risk, allowing for spontaneous storytelling outcomes. For example, Martin emphasizes the importance of letting players manipulate certain variables to influence outcomes while retaining unpredictability to retain drama in the story.
#### Embracing the Journey of Failure
Trust is a recurring theme in the discourse around player failure. Developers want players to trust that the narrative will reward them, even in failure. This premise invites savescummers to reconsider their playstyles, challenging them to embrace the complex stories that can arise from unexpected outcomes.
As players begin to understand the cumulative value of their choices—both good and bad—they may find themselves more willing to accept failure as a passage toward richer experiences. Schisms in player behavior, through focused marketing and game design, may lead to a wider acceptance of failure as generative rather than solely destructive.
Embracing failure while gaming can transform it from a source of anxiety to a pathway for narrative discovery. As RPGs evolve, the challenge remains to balance the art of storytelling with player expectations, crafting experiences that engage both the desire for success and the beauty of failure.
Ultimately, as players learn to trust the journey, they may relinquish the urge to savescum—not just in digital realms, but across all facets of the RPG experience.
