What a "System" is:
Ever heard of a table-top RPG? e.g. Dungeons & Dragons, World of Darkness, Numenara, etc.? The Crack System™ is a similar sort of board game. These games are classified in several ways: table-top, pen & ink, RPG and silly dice games <-- my favorite.Most systems are comprised of just a few factors. There is usually a Setting (sci-fi, fantasy, etc.) and a list of Core Mechanics (how the numbers & math work in the game). Table-top systems also require a Game Master in addition to several Players to play.
The Crack System™ is special:
The Crack System differs from other systems in several ways but none so much as the differentiation of The Dread™ and Encounters when playing the game.In short, The Dread is the more role-playing (meta) side of the game and Encounters are the more mechanical (number-crunching) side. The Crack System is designed primarily for NARRATIVE role playing, and The Dread is the time where players make choices which influence their environment by choices & creativity rather than dice rolling.
"So... now that we've thoroughly explained the mechanics of this system, it's time we show you, the prospective player or DM, how to avoid using them 70-90% of the time." – Crack Manual p.26
