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http://www.indie-rpgs.com/
The Forge is a discussion-driven website that focuses on analysing games and actual play, and on independent game creation (ie, author-owned and home-made games). It is run and maintained by Clinton Nixon and Ron Edwards.
A few discussion forums have "sticky" threads for policy and links to highlight particular threads; the latter are well worth reading: eg What's the best way to present a mechanic for discussion?, The Infamous Five and the Forge News Thread, which is worth watching (marking to receive updates by email).
John Kim maintains a Forge subsection on his site, including thread highlights, at http://www.darkshire.net/~jhkim/rpg/theory/theforge/
Before diving into discussion you may want to read the articles that explain some of the jargon used on the Forge (these build on each other, so it's recommended that you read 'em in order). If you don't care for such stuff the best forums to start in (depending on what you're looking for) are Indie Game Design and Actual Play.
System Does Matter
http://www.indie-rpgs.com/articles/11/
GNS and Other Matters Of Roleplaying Theory
(definitions, multiple click-through pages)
http://www.indie-rpgs.com/articles/1/
Simulationism: The Right To Dream
http://www.indie-rpgs.com/articles/15/
Mongrel
example Sim game, PDF
http://www.indie-rpgs.com/files/mongrel.pdf
Gamism: Step On Up
http://www.indie-rpgs.com/articles/21/
Black Fire
example Gam game
http://www.indie-rpgs.com/articles/22/
Narrativism: Story Now
http://www.indie-rpgs.com/articles/21/
Zero at the Bone
example Nar game
http://www.indie-rpgs.com/_articles/zero_at_the_bone.pdf
More articles
http://www.indierpgs.com/articles/
Reviews
http://www.indie-rpgs.com/reviews/
- *d@vid Apr 22 03* don't let the jargon learning curve put you off, the focus on real play and the awesome game ideas that people push around are worth the effort (and they're happy to explain terms as well); very high signal:noise
- *d@vid Jun 06 03* hurrah! new essays! (the long awaited Gamism essay, we now await the long awaited Narrativism essay)
- *d@vid Feb 19 2004* updated links, now I remember why I made this page in the first place
- *d@vid Feb 19 2004* free tip: do not print out anything to do with kill puppies (eg, the review) and then cut it up for scrap and then write on it and then give it to someone who may be concerned if they read the wrong side, eg my gran -- there should be a copy of kpfs in the CLAWlibrary?, that incarnation (not the same as the one reviewed) was enlightening in a SouthPark? kind of way, but didn't seem playable, I dunno
