Game designer Matt Snyder recently launched an open game design project with the goal of creating a modular tabletop RPG game system that individual game-makers can use as a blasting-off point for their own designs.

Matt suggests that the goal is worthwhile for two reasons. First, it gives game-players “a great go-to game that they can customize for their play style.” Second (and assuming that the system takes off), it gives publishers an existing market of buyers to aim their products at.

All that seems fine.

What blew me away this morning was the infographic Matt assembled to help define both the boundaries and cogs of the kind of system he’s proposing.

This graphic is, simply, amazing. Its general success at synthesizing so much abstract information in an easy-to-understand and simple-to-digest format is remarkable on the face of it. But also, the fact that it’s expressed in a way that smacks more of professional graphic design than the furious masturbatings of the misbegotten EN World fantasy gamer “aesthetic” deserves the wild applause of every right-thinking modern gamer.

Here’s a thumbnail of the graphic. Do read Matt’s post, “A Partial Road Map to RPG Structure,” which contains a link to an 11″x17″ PDF that will give you a sense of this thing’s depth and utility.

Bravo, Matt.