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The Big Rant:
What I Really Want from a Roleplaying Game
Of course, the first thing I want is an exciting game where my character gets to do exciting things, but you get that with most games. This is rarely a problem.

IT SHOULD FEEL REAL

The feeling of reality is a big thing for me. This goes beyond roleplaying. Generally, I enjoy games where I feel like I'm making the decisions that someone would really make in a particular situation, rather than just manipulating a bunch of abstract rules - this is one reason why I don't like chesss.

In RPGs, and in tabletop wargames too, this means that I want actions to have the outcomes they would have in reality (that is, in the game-world being portrayed, which might be unlike ours). I don't want to win a game by exploiting a loophole in the rules that means an action works when really it shouldn't. And I don't want to lose a game because I try an action that would work in reality, but doesn't in the game because the rules aren't realistic. Of course, these problems will happen, because no rules set can ever model reality perfectly, but I want to avoid them as much as possible.

I consider it an ideal that I should be able to play without knowing the rules. I should be able to choose my actions based on how likely they are to succeed in reality, and then the game system should be so accurate to reality that the chances under the game system are the same. I know that it's impractical to fully reach this state, but I regard it as something toward which we should work.

This puts me in contrast to many other gamers (known as rule-players), who think that playing the game is all about learning the rules. I've met a lot of players who get a lot of pleasure from reading the rulebook in minute detail and working out exactly how to get the most power and advantage for their characters by manipulating the rules. They seem to get a great sense of victory when they succeed at this. Personally I find it dull.

Often this leads to player characters doing things which they would have no motivation for doing in reality, because the player knows it will bring some benefit. The classic example is the player who attacks defenceless peasants because he knows his character will get some experience points for killing them.

Beyond that, I want a feeling of really being there - I want immersion in the illusion of a reality. The world should feel real to me - I feel like my character is one of the people in this world, no different from the NPCs I meet. The world should be run so that it feels like a real society where people do real things and have real concerns, and my character should be a part of that as much as everyone else in the world. This is often missing in games where players characters are wandering adventurers who drift from place to place with no apparent purpose.

IT SHOULD FEEL LIKE A RISK

If I send my character into a dangerous situation like combat, it should feel like I'm taking a risk. If I know that my character can't die then the game won't be enjoyable.

One way to do it is to have the risk increase with the reward. Many RPGs are based around the idea of murdering people (sorry, 'monsters') and stealing their treasure (this is the true vocation of every Lawful Good Paladin). So, a small treasure should be protected by only a small number of guards with families who are just doing their job (sorry, 'monsters') while a larger treasure should be protected by more guards. But the number of guards should be fixed on teh basis of how valuable the treasure is or how many guards the owner can afford to pay, not on the basis of what the PCs could realistically defeat. If a job is too risky for the PCs to take on then they should choose not to take up that mission.

When the PCs do choose a mission, then it should be as difficult as it was when they took it up. The GM should not indulge in the evil of retconning to make it easier for the PCs if they have taken on more than they can handle.

FREEDOM OF CHOICE

I want to be able to make my own decisions. I don't want the GM suggesting that I have to do something my character wouldn't want to do. For instance, if I was sitting in a pub and an old man offered to sell me a treasure map, I would regard it as a scam and refuse. If a GM offered me this as a scenario hook, that would annoy me - it's obviously ridiculous.