​NARRATIVE VS. TABLE TOP
Classic role playing is narrative driven. The Game Master describes the world to the players as vividly as possible with players often asking many questions and taking notes. A narrative game invites players to immediately engage in discourse. Engaged players are happy players. No one quite knows what will happen from one moment to the next, which engenders excitement and involvement. On the other hand, table-top games are known quantities to experienced players. Options are often limited by battle maps, figures, and rules. To create a sense of the unknown, complex rules are layered on. These types of games are successful and have a large following for good reason. But if you find yourself getting tired of the grind—a round of combat that takes an hour or more to play, the hours of pouring over books to interpret rules, or the ugly debates that inevitably ensue over the rules—then you are in for a refreshing treat. The narrative style of classic role playing will change the way you play. 

 Like all the classic RPGs, Thunder takes place in the mind’s eye: Viewed from the inside out and given life by the players and Game Master. It takes a person of intelligence and creativity to play a game like Thunder CRP. If you are such a person, congratulations: you’re about to embark on a truly wondrous journey of the imagination. 
WHAT IS CLASSIC ROLE PLAYING?
Back in the olden days, in the early epochs of role-playing games, players largely played around a table with a few books, paper and pencil, and their imaginations. Oh, and a lot of junk food. Some things haven’t changed that much. A lot of games today have vast assortments of tools used to enhance play, and they do it very well. However, if you’re like the folks here at Elder Gods Publishing, you have noticed that these tools have changed the gaming experience significantly. We have lost something precious: imagination and creativity. What was once largely a right-brain activity has become almost entirely left brain. Don’t get us wrong. We love RPGs, but we like classic game play best.

SUSPENSION OF DISBELIEF: A LOST FORMULA
Most of us know the phrase “Suspension of Disbelief.” It is a simple principle that when applied to novels and movies keeps the reader/viewer engaged in the story. To accomplish this, writers avoid inserting any information that distracts from the story. Simply put, they remove distractions. Applying this principle to your game makes an enormous difference. 
Start by setting a private venue so you’re not interrupted. Eliminate anything that draws your players away from the game, such as battle boards, figures, and books. Even avoid referencing the rules; they’re just guidelines after all. If you have to, make things up as you go. You can refer to the rules after the game. Keep the players involved. Each time we look at a book or a battle map, or argue about rules, we lose suspension of disbelief and immersion. The game stops and momentum and interest wane. Lose the ancillary props that detract from your game, and you will likely have a lot more fun.