Shaped
I originally began shaped with the intention of making a better roleplaying game than the likes of Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), The World of Darkness (WoD), or Heroes; however, I have decided to develop the best roleplaying game I can irrespective of other roleplaying games.
I realized during the course of research that many roleplaying games that have been developed in the past twenty years are virtually carbon copies of the big hitters. In other words, others who have sought to out do the greats have fallen into the trap of build bigger and better mouse traps. One can iterate a bi-plane into a better biplane, but it takes innovation to develop a jet or a spaceship.
I have come to the conclusion that all roleplaying games breakdown into three major parts: Character, Metamechanics, and Mechanics.
Metamechanics, generally speaking, often takes the form of a social contract between participants in the game; though, they can also take the form of a person or body of people who hold the authority of the system to amend the rules as they see fit. IE the Game Master of Heroes or the Dungeon Master of the Dungeons and Dragons. The D20 System is fitted with some metamechanics, but the authority is only informally invested.
The mechanics of the game form out of the procedures that participants use to interact with the game objects. The D20 system focuses its strengths in this area. The tactical and operational mechanics of the system are quite excellent. This means that combat and combat-like systems are well defined and imminently resolvable.
The Third part makes roleplaying games what they are: Character. An alternative name is Role, but that is only necessary to use in games in which players might take the guise of organizations or other odd bodies.
The D20 System lacks strength in this area because of its focus on its mechanics. The Character sheet of a roleplaying game gives an indication of the game's emphasis on the Character of a roleplaying game. Often, the Character sheet exists as an extension of the existing Social Contract which allows the player to procedurally amend the part they play in the game and the powers they wield acting in that part.
This is analogous to the parts that actors are assigned in a play. If you were in the play "Romeo and Juliet" and assigned the part of Juliet it would be odd for you to steal the lines and actions that are assigned to Romeo or extra #13. You could do it but it would throw off the other actors and probably cause them personal upset with you. Similar to how cheating in a roleplaying game does.
Shaped