Picking a ttrpg system (or a computer game engine) is about finding something that does as much of the work you don’t want to do for you. If a system doesn’t do much of the stuff you want it to, find a different system. If it does a bunch but has just a few things you don’t like, it may still be worth spending some time fixing the parts you don’t like. Or if the parts that are bad are also the parts you want to do for yourself anyway, then go for it.
There’s arguments about systems because different DMs have different design strengths, weaknesses, and goals, and what you’re looking for in a system changes from person to person.
And then the meta-rule for engine selection is, the best system in the world doesn’t matter if no one plays your game. So if your party is only interested in D&D or rules light systems or whatever, don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
Let’s say Bob the board member makes the assertion: “There is an inconsistency/loophole/mechanics issue with Rule X.”
Several correct replies can be given:
“I agree, there is an inconsistency/loophole/mechanics issue with Rule X.” “I agree, and it is easily solvable by changing the following part of Rule X.” “I disagree, you’ve merely misinterpreted part of Rule X. If you reread this part of Rule X, you will see there is no inconsistency/loophole/mechanics issue.” Okay, I hope you’re with me so far. There is, however, an incorrect reply:
“There is no inconsistency/loophole/mechanics issue with Rule X, because you can always Rule 0 the inconsistency/loophole/mechanics issue.” Now, this incorrect reply does not in truth agree with or dispute the original statement in any way, shape, or form.
It actually contradicts itself–the first part of the statement says there is no problem, while the last part proposes a generic fix to the “non-problem.”
It doesn’t follow the rules of debate and discussion, and thus should never be used.
I’ve usually gone with “meet people, make friends, introduce blades in the dark” rather than trying to find other bitd players.
I don’t find it as difficult as it used to be just to find people who knew what an RPG was at all, that may influence my perspective. I’m just happy the hobby is healthy
Complaining about the rules is the only way we as players can effect the change for future editions. Developers listen to communities.
Yes you can homebrew your own solutions and rule changes. But if it was that easy to just create new complex systems, we wouldn't need to pay people to do it. Changing core rules can really bork a game's balance and have huge knock-on effects that aren't foreseen without significant play testing. It's also really hard to know what rules need to be changed and to what without being a game developer.
You can also switch systems. For something like D&D 5e <-> PF2e that's not a huge learning curve. But to other systems or from other systems? It can be a LOT of work on the GM and players part to completely reset their game, learn a new system, buy books, etc. For a lot of tables this might kill a game.
In the end, we should be telling the game's creators what rules are bad and if we can, how we'd like them changed. And we should complain, Loudly, if they ignore a community's feedback or make changes that seem worse. Players don't always know what's best in game design, but they can at the very least tell developers what they don't like. And they should.
People complain a short rest at one hour is too long. 4e had it at like 5 minutes.
People complain martials mostly just do their basic attack. 4e had every class have cool powers on the same recharge cadence. This also helped address the martial caster divide.
The other day I saw someone iteratively come up with “the attacker should always roll instead of confusingly sometimes the defender rolls. You could figure out like an AC for reflexes and fortitude and roll against that”. Which is how I believe 4e worked.
It didn’t have bounded accuracy, so changes to that tend to reinvent 4e, 3e, or Pathfinder.
That’s off the top of my head. I’m sure there’s more.
This topic is often a good example of how people are more emotional than reasonable.
Someone will complain about all the things they don’t like about DND, but when presented with alternatives balk and stick to DND. The devil you know, the comfort of the familiar, whatever.
Which is fine, I guess. We all do that kind of thing. I’m just as emotional as anyone else.
Learning a new RPG system is a big time sink. Maybe if you keep searching you can find one perfect for you, but it’s easier to stick with the most famous one that everyone else already knows, and then add in tons of homebrew to fix the flaws.
If the extra enjoyment of a new RPG isn’t worth the cost to learn more systems until you find a better one, it’s rational to stick to D&D. Sunk cost fallacy is when you stick to it even though it’s not rational.
It’s probably worth learning some simple systems, but if you want crunch, is it really worth going through the effort of learning GURPS even though you don’t know if you’ll enjoy it any more?
Though the biggest problem is finding someone else to play it. Everyone plays D&D, so even if it’s not as good they’ll stick to that. I could learn a new system and enjoy it, but it’s all for naught unless I can find other people to play it with me.
I concede that it’s hard to find people to play other systems, but not impossible.
I don’t think “I shouldn’t read this system because I might like it less” is very sound. If you applied that to everything, no one would try anything new. Why listen to a new band when Mozart is fine?
I will die on the hill that DND 5e is actually pretty bad, though. It’s complicated in all the wrong ways, the combat is surprisingly shallow most of the time, the adventuring day tries to force it into very specific cadences, it’s shallow in its customization, it has a martial caster divide problem, the math is bad (flat probability can fuck itself), the magic system is incoherent, its support for the non combat “pillars” is lackluster… Pretty much every single part of the game makes me grind my teeth.
The only thing going for it is it’s popular, and it’s shallow in some ways that sometimes make it hard to make an ineffective character.
Honestly 5e has a bit of an identity crisis. It’s trying to go just there enough to support players who want a more generic fantasy adventuring game, and just trad enough to not scare off the people who want the D&D Experience:tm: as it was in the 80’s.
You’d be surprised how fast and easy to learn TTRPGs can be. Compared to what’s available, DnD 5e is actually on the crunchier side (upper mid range overall)
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