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1 year ago ::
Apr 27, 2012 - 9:03PM
#1
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A term I stumbled appound when thinking about the one hour gaming session.
Like fast food (MacDonald's), you have the fast game. rapidly made and rapidly eaten. Digestion problems not the responsability of the MacChef.
Not sure the MacGame is compatible with the Ivory Tower gamers who like a 8+ hour gaming session with the proportional prep time that comes with it.
Is the D&D crowd doomed to be divided?
République du Plateau, Montréal, Québec
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1 year ago ::
Apr 27, 2012 - 9:24PM
#2
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It's easy to add complication to a simple system. Make 5e, have the core be simple, and provide the massive caters-to-the-type combat systems, class-option systems, etc that some people want, as optional add-ons.
People who want a fast-playing game can play that. People who want a detailed combat game can play that. Both can play 5e.
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1 year ago ::
Apr 27, 2012 - 9:29PM
#3
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Date Joined:
Jan 18, 2012
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Only if we choose to be divided.
You raise a valid point though.
The internal playtesters and designers have to fit D&D into their work-day. A one-hour play session is just about manageable at work and as a neat bonus fits nicely into a convention schedule for demo-ing the new game. They are therefore designing for their experience, for their needs.
Most groups play for 4 hours a week.
Some are lucky enough to play for 8.
By designing for a good game in 1 hour they may either be designing a game that dosn't stand up when played by an average group, or an infinately flexible game that can be played in a minimum of 1 hour but can be expanded to either cover more ground or have more complex rules options put in. We'll see in under a month I guess.
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1 year ago ::
Apr 27, 2012 - 9:33PM
#4
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Date Joined:
Jan 12, 2012
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This calls for a poll.
I play 4-6 hours, but it takes a long time to get started. We only play 5-10 times a year, so we often have trouble remembering the previous session.
Therefore I would very much like a game with faster combat and faster spell selecion.
DISCLAIMER: I never played 4ed, so I may misunderstand some of the rules.
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1 year ago ::
Apr 27, 2012 - 9:39PM
#5
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I think we are doomed to be divided, but we can still be divided and play the same game. I look at it this way, DDN is a big cafeteria that can house all D&D players. Like any high-school cafeteria, we will naturally divide into groups that like the same things. We will also, if my experience with human nature holds true, have to continue to endure the accusations of wrongbadfun from players and DMs using different combinations of modules. It will be, in almost ever sense, a high-school cafeteria at lunch.
In regard to the play time question: My last group broke up due to the death of a player; I haven't had a group since. When we used to play though, we played for about 4-6 hours as well. Although, we didn't have a full compliment of players. It was just 1 DM and 2 Players.
Why Mechanics-Alignment Integration is Bad
Show
so why even play a fighter if you can play the paladin the exact same way behaviorally and get added power to boot. "Paladin" is about accepting better game-enhancing mechanics at the price of more rigid in game behavior.
Really? So it goes something like this?
Fighter: "I want to be a paladin."
NPC: "Really?"
Fighter: "Yes."
NPC: "Very well." Starts reading from a holy book while still in-character "Do you accept having to choose and stick to the lawful good alignment, eventhough neither of us actually knows that it exists or what it is?"
Fighter: "I do."
NPC: "Do you reject good game balance because you accidentally rolled a high Charisma?"
Fighter: "What?"
NPC: "I don't know what it means either."
Fighter: "Oh. Umm, ok I do."
NPC: "In the name of all that is metagamey and broken, accept these better game enhancing mechanics."
Fighter: "These what?"
NPC: "Just get out there and try to fulfill a million different people's notion of good while not violating and part of any of them."
So the system is designed such that every single hit needs to be described to avoid confusion? Here's a scenario. The players are nudists, everybody in the world are nudists, it's not weird, it's totally normal in this land. They are naked and they fight drakes taking damage throughout, but healing up with surges. Later they meet the guy who raised the drakes.
Part 1: I didn't describe any of the hits. What does he see?
Part 2: Lets say I described the drakes as biting the players, yet they healed up. What does he see?
D20 Modern Toon PC Race.
Mecha Pilot's Skill Challenge Emporium.
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1 year ago ::
Apr 27, 2012 - 10:43PM
#6
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Date Joined:
Jan 18, 2012
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My last group broke up due to the death of a player; I haven't had a group since.
OK, off topic but where do you live? Which state/country/area?
Lets get a game found for you, this will not do.
Are you in Washington State and near the Olympia/Seattle area?
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1 year ago ::
Apr 27, 2012 - 10:50PM
#7
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My last group broke up due to the death of a player; I haven't had a group since.
OK, off topic but where do you live? Which state/country/area?
Lets get a game found for you, this will not do.
Are you in Washington State and near the Olympia/Seattle area?
No. I'm in Michigan. I live in an area with two state recreation areas and a lot of little lakes, so most people in my area are into outdoor activites instead of indoor hobbies. I have to drive almost 10 miles to get to a comic book store (and even that isn't much bigger than my living room).
Why Mechanics-Alignment Integration is Bad
Show
so why even play a fighter if you can play the paladin the exact same way behaviorally and get added power to boot. "Paladin" is about accepting better game-enhancing mechanics at the price of more rigid in game behavior.
Really? So it goes something like this?
Fighter: "I want to be a paladin."
NPC: "Really?"
Fighter: "Yes."
NPC: "Very well." Starts reading from a holy book while still in-character "Do you accept having to choose and stick to the lawful good alignment, eventhough neither of us actually knows that it exists or what it is?"
Fighter: "I do."
NPC: "Do you reject good game balance because you accidentally rolled a high Charisma?"
Fighter: "What?"
NPC: "I don't know what it means either."
Fighter: "Oh. Umm, ok I do."
NPC: "In the name of all that is metagamey and broken, accept these better game enhancing mechanics."
Fighter: "These what?"
NPC: "Just get out there and try to fulfill a million different people's notion of good while not violating and part of any of them."
So the system is designed such that every single hit needs to be described to avoid confusion? Here's a scenario. The players are nudists, everybody in the world are nudists, it's not weird, it's totally normal in this land. They are naked and they fight drakes taking damage throughout, but healing up with surges. Later they meet the guy who raised the drakes.
Part 1: I didn't describe any of the hits. What does he see?
Part 2: Lets say I described the drakes as biting the players, yet they healed up. What does he see?
D20 Modern Toon PC Race.
Mecha Pilot's Skill Challenge Emporium.
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1 year ago ::
Apr 27, 2012 - 11:41PM
#8
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Date Joined:
Jan 18, 2012
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My last group broke up due to the death of a player; I haven't had a group since.
OK, off topic but where do you live? Which state/country/area?
Lets get a game found for you, this will not do.
Are you in Washington State and near the Olympia/Seattle area?
No. I'm in Michigan. I live in an area with two state recreation areas and a lot of little lakes, so most people in my area are into outdoor activites instead of indoor hobbies. I have to drive almost 10 miles to get to a comic book store (and even that isn't much bigger than my living room).
It's like crazy-o'clock in Michegan. Stop playing Team Fortress and go to bed, your body will thank you for it.
Actually, it's almost 12 here in Washington State. I'm off to bed too.
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1 year ago ::
Apr 27, 2012 - 11:50PM
#9
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I think you'd be surprised at how many D&D groups are around you, how many lapsed players would be interested in a game if you offered to run one. D&D has been around for close to 40 years. It's got a fanbase from 16 to 60. Lots of these guys don't advertise their games even when there's space in them, and the lapsed ones don't go searching on the Internet to find games.
So, put up signs. Get a Google Voice phone number with voicemail, put the number on a few dozen flyers, and paste them in a 30-mile radius. Laundromats, rec centers, community colleges/universities, game stores, hobby shops, computer shops, etc. Sometimes the local Alternative Papers have free personal classifieds.
D&D Player Seeks Game
I'm clean, I don't smoke, I'm not a raving neckbeard, I won't steal your beer, your pizza, or your girlfriend. I'm a pretty awesome dude, all around. I want to play D&D. I'll run the game or play in it. Gimme a call if you're interested. 555-DAND
I think you might be surprised how many calls you get.
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1 year ago ::
Apr 28, 2012 - 12:03AM
#10
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Bah... sleep is for the weak.
And tired.
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