God as a game designer

The first thing to note about Reality: The RPG is that the mechanics are utterly transparent. Makes resolving skill attempts and combat real easy. At the same time, this utter transparency also makes figuring out game mechanics just about impossible. Thus rendering any attempt to translate these mechanics to another game just about very difficult.

Another thing about Reality: The RPG is that it is confused, and confusing. For instance, there are something like 140 different species of mouse, when obviously one would do quite nicely. Yet interesting monsters such as wolverines and polar bears come in only one model.

Which fact illustrates Reality: The RPG's biggest failing where interesting experiences are concerned, it's mundane. No magic, no superpowers, not even hero points. Unless those are modeled transparently. A PC is limited to only ordinary abilities and traits.

Reality: The RPG is also needlessly detailed. Every aspect of life is modeled. The PC gets literally no time off. Even sleep and college lectures are played out. Making things even worse, subjects most people find distasteful at the least have to be dealt with. Sex, birth, the morning commute; where other RPGs allow the player to deal with such matters 'off stage' Reality: The RPG forces the player to deal with such, and often in excrutiating detail.

The obsessive attention to detail extends as far as combat. Combat in Reality: The RPG is deadly. Even when it is not fatal it often takes a PC out for months at a time, and can render a PC unplayable even when the outcome does not result in PC death.

Even worse, death in Reality: The RPG is final. There are no 're-does'. There is no way to reliably resurrect a PC. Not that resurrections don't occur, but such are unually done haphazardly, and rarely for heroic characters. (At the same time, there are arguments in the Reality: The RPG community that such 'resurrections' are false, and often examples of delusion.)

The inconsistent and haphazard application of resurrections illustrates Reality: The RPG's greatest failure, it is patently unfair. No is no game balance. It is entirely possible for a PC to get into a situation the PC cannot survive, no matter how good the PC is. And this applies to all PCs. Even the rankest amateur could find himself facing a lion or leopard, with a fatal outcome in the offing.

Indeed, one has to start one's adventuring career as a helpless infant, placed in the care of people who are all too often callous, uncaring, abusive, or even protective. The last of which can really put a damper on any plans a PC has of starting his adventuring career off early. And this in a world with dangers that can wipe out entire communities.

And don't get me started on environmental hazards.

Finally you have the reward system. It's a joke. Very often the PC can end up getting punished for doing things that practically every other RPG hands out rewards for. Even when rewards are awarded to the PCs such often result in even more troubles. Robbery, donation requests, and taxes for example.

Tediously detailed, unbalanced, Reality: The RPG has so many problems this author hasn't the time to detail them all. I cannot recommend this game at any level. Unfortunately, we have no choice.