Checkers, Chess, Go: the game loop is driven by each of two players moving a single piece in alternating turns.
Snakes&Ladders, Candyland: each of 2 to 4 players utilizing a random number generator (RNG) to inform moving a single piece in round-robin turns.
Parcheesi, Sorry: each of 2 to 4 players utilizing a RNG to inform moving a single piece (of multiple) in round-robin turns.
Monopoly: utilizing the same loop structure as Snakes&Ladders, Candyland, plus the game board itself (Collect $200), plus the loop of landing on rental property (evaluating for purchase vs. paying rent), plus the player initiated loop of trading properties, plus a few others.
How many of these loops are employed in RPGs? How often are they explicit or implied?
The more "open world" a TTRPG is, the more I think the core game loop becomes a little more abstract and/or higher level. In the games above you have a very explicit loop of turns and rounds. For an RPG it might be a loop involving acquiring a quest, dungeon crawling, beating a BBEG, and returning to rest/resupply. So I think the answer is "both" or "all of the above." :)
Checkers, Chess, Go: the game loop is driven by each of two players moving a single piece in alternating turns.
Snakes&Ladders, Candyland: each of 2 to 4 players utilizing a random number generator (RNG) to inform moving a single piece in round-robin turns.
Parcheesi, Sorry: each of 2 to 4 players utilizing a RNG to inform moving a single piece (of multiple) in round-robin turns.
Monopoly: utilizing the same loop structure as Snakes&Ladders, Candyland, plus the game board itself (Collect $200), plus the loop of landing on rental property (evaluating for purchase vs. paying rent), plus the player initiated loop of trading properties, plus a few others.
How many of these loops are employed in RPGs? How often are they explicit or implied?
The more "open world" a TTRPG is, the more I think the core game loop becomes a little more abstract and/or higher level. In the games above you have a very explicit loop of turns and rounds. For an RPG it might be a loop involving acquiring a quest, dungeon crawling, beating a BBEG, and returning to rest/resupply. So I think the answer is "both" or "all of the above." :)