Great article over on Greg Costikyan’s game design blog about a no-frills release of 8 paper RPG games, The No Press Anthology, along with a short write up on each game. His archives aren’t working at the moment, so just go to his blog’s home page for the Sept. 18th entry on:

The No Press Anthlogy: 8 Original, Complete Short-Form Roleplaying Games

Here’s an interesting excerpt (all rights Greg Costikyan):

The No Press Anthology is edited by Luke Crane, designer of The Burning Wheel, one of the most highly regarded independent RPGs. Before discussing it, at least some mention should be made of the theoretical framework shared by most designers at The Forge: GNS theory. “GNS” stands for “gamist, narrativist, simulationist,” and these refer, in essence, to intentional stances on the part of roleplaying gamers (and, to some degree, of the intentions of game designers). Essentiality, a “gamist” player is one who approaches an RPG with many of the same intentions of a player of a conventional game: a desire not necessarily to “win,” since few RPGs have definite win conditions, but a desire to excel, to manipulate the rules structure to achieve positive outcomes for his character. A simulationist player wants the game to be a somewhat accurate recreation either of real life concerns, or at least a “simulation,” in some sense, of the fantasy world in which the game takes place. A simulationist might desire more accurate combat rules; a gamist wouldn’t care, so long as he understands them and can use them effectively. A narritivist player seeks to shape the game experience into a compelling and effective story–he, unlike a gamist, might not care if his character suffers badly, so long as the character’s suffering is an effective story element. Those who want to explore GNS theory in greater depth may find Ron Edwards lengthy essay on the subject rewarding.