Basic Game Loop¶
What this is¶
The Basic Game Loop is the root cycle of play. Many game procedures (travel, encounters, combat, faction turn) are essentially this same loop running at a different pace and with different content.
Invoked by: the start of play.
Invokes: any specialized procedure as the fiction calls for it.
Returns to: itself.
Bookkeeping: none directly. Each specialized procedure invoked from the loop carries its own record touchpoints.
The three steps¶
The loop has three repeating steps:
- Describe. The DM frames the situation: what the players see, hear, and face.
- Declare. The players state what their characters do.
- Adjudicate. The DM resolves the action — a roll, a ruling, or a description of the outcome — and the situation changes.
Then the loop starts again and the DM describes the new situation.
Creation¶
The loop (especially Describe) requires material that has in some measure already been created: the current situation, the world, a map, factions, monsters, and lore.
C5e contains many tools that feed the loop with content for play.
Pace¶
The same three-step loop runs at different paces depending on the scope of the action.
| Pace | Each loop covers | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Combat | seconds | combat rounds |
| Encounter | variable, usually seconds to minutes | a single encounter playing out |
| Dungeon turn | 10 minutes | dungeon exploration |
| Travel | 1 day | wilderness travel |
| Faction turn | one month | faction-scale activity |