The novel-like changes have been evident in a change in emphasis or "creative agenda" in game systems, where it has been RPG as a game, or as a simulation, or as a story.
But I've noticed that there's technological development as well, in particular in the game systems. They've also had an interesting correlation in programming styles.
For example early games were very much like BASIC programs, where an issue was encountered and a rule was written specifically for it. (O)AD&D are examples.
There there was a long period where game systems were increasingly structured and procedural, like Pascal. There was a search for consistency in the system. Traveller, RuneQuest, D&D3e, Pathfinder come to mind here.
Now a lot of games make use of object-orientation. There is a desire for inheritance and polymorphism in the game system. A core rule with many applications and extensions - BRP as a whole, GURPS, and the latter editions of D&D, are a good fit here.
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But I've noticed that there's technological development as well, in particular in the game systems. They've also had an interesting correlation in programming styles.
For example early games were very much like BASIC programs, where an issue was encountered and a rule was written specifically for it. (O)AD&D are examples.
There there was a long period where game systems were increasingly structured and procedural, like Pascal. There was a search for consistency in the system. Traveller, RuneQuest, D&D3e, Pathfinder come to mind here.
Now a lot of games make use of object-orientation. There is a desire for inheritance and polymorphism in the game system. A core rule with many applications and extensions - BRP as a whole, GURPS, and the latter editions of D&D, are a good fit here.