Forty-two

So, a role playing game is to mimic life (even a fictional life).  To have a game that mimics life, what is the goal of the game?  What is the goal to life?

I have come to understand that the goal in life is not to accumulate wealth or power, it is not to score imaginary points were whoever dies with the most toys wins.  The goal in life, the meaning of life is to experience and overcome conflict. 

Who are the heroes we admire?  What makes them admired?  Wealth? Power?  No, conflicts they faced is what makes them admired.

So, life is about facing conflict.  Successful or not, we admire people who face conflict.  Many figures we admire did not individually achieve their goals in life.  No leader won every battle they fought, no athlete won every match they were in. But it is the facing of conflict that teaches us to be successful. Facing the conflict is what life is all about.

A game is all about maintaining balance.  "Fairness" is a concern of all players in all games, equal chances to win and equally enforced rules.  To maintain fairness rules are set and game parameters are measured.  This is the same with a Role Playing Game.

Since the goal of this game is to face conflict, the conflict is measured.  Anything that helps or hinders the player in facing conflict is of consequence and therefore measured.

So, in this game only capabilities that prove a benefit in conflict are evaluated, other things that are unlikely to matter are just decorative.