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What is Good for D&D ... is Good for the RPG Hobby- Thoughts?
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<blockquote data-quote="MNblockhead" data-source="post: 8933474" data-attributes="member: 6796661"><p>Most of my TTRPG time is spend running 5e. But when I want to try a different system, I like to try something VERY different than D&D. As someone else mentioned above, even different core mechanics don't appreciably change the general experience for me with most systems. For example of one recent game, The Expanse uses very different rules to give a more theatrical, episodic style of play (I believe it is based off the FATE system). And, of course, the theme and setting is very different than typical D&D games. But, really, it still feels very D&D like to me. I feel that I could get a similar experience playing Starfinder. Others will argue with me strongly on this point, but in so many of the TTRPGs I play, I could just swap the mechanics. I don't feel that they create a very different play experience. </p><p></p><p>Which is why games like Dialect, Where Is Alice, or InSPECTREs really grab me as the play experience is so different. </p><p></p><p>And I've recently come to another realization, these "way-out-there", highly niche (from the typical TTRPG fan perspective) are MUCH better systems to bring brand new people into the hobby. I have to live with colleagues at work for weeks at a time overseas. There is a group of us that play a lot of board games. But they are not interested in D&D. But we have a pretty sizable and regular group that plays Werewolf (the party game, not the WoD TTRPG). That's a big step closer. From there, I'm sure I could get them to play InSPECTREs for a session. Dialect would interest a good number, especially given that it is is a very multilingual group with a lot of language geeks. Then ease them into Dread, which would be another easy sell, I think.</p><p></p><p>From there, it is a small jump to a more traditional but rules light TTRPG system (still thinking what that should be, maybe Awfully Cheerful Engine or Gumshoe?). THEN I might be able to have enough folks conditioned to play a more crunchy, long-form, TTRPG like D&D, FATE, Cortex, etc. Anyway, this is my diabolical plan to convert my colleagues into TTRPG fans and save myself from another night of Settlers of Catan.</p><p></p><p>My point is, I feel that D&D is this very large bubble, but it is still a bubble. There is still a barrier to entry that keeps a larger majority from even dipping their toes into the hobby. The best argument I have for people to expand their experience with other systems, especially those that are radically different from D&D is that you have more tools to bring in a wider group of people into the hobby. Take a break from the polyhedral dice and hundreds of pages of core rules now and then. If you can learn to enjoy games with fun mechanics, whose rules take up less space than many board games (or even fit on a single page in some cases), you'll be able to find many players to play with--outside of the D&D bubble.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="MNblockhead, post: 8933474, member: 6796661"] Most of my TTRPG time is spend running 5e. But when I want to try a different system, I like to try something VERY different than D&D. As someone else mentioned above, even different core mechanics don't appreciably change the general experience for me with most systems. For example of one recent game, The Expanse uses very different rules to give a more theatrical, episodic style of play (I believe it is based off the FATE system). And, of course, the theme and setting is very different than typical D&D games. But, really, it still feels very D&D like to me. I feel that I could get a similar experience playing Starfinder. Others will argue with me strongly on this point, but in so many of the TTRPGs I play, I could just swap the mechanics. I don't feel that they create a very different play experience. Which is why games like Dialect, Where Is Alice, or InSPECTREs really grab me as the play experience is so different. And I've recently come to another realization, these "way-out-there", highly niche (from the typical TTRPG fan perspective) are MUCH better systems to bring brand new people into the hobby. I have to live with colleagues at work for weeks at a time overseas. There is a group of us that play a lot of board games. But they are not interested in D&D. But we have a pretty sizable and regular group that plays Werewolf (the party game, not the WoD TTRPG). That's a big step closer. From there, I'm sure I could get them to play InSPECTREs for a session. Dialect would interest a good number, especially given that it is is a very multilingual group with a lot of language geeks. Then ease them into Dread, which would be another easy sell, I think. From there, it is a small jump to a more traditional but rules light TTRPG system (still thinking what that should be, maybe Awfully Cheerful Engine or Gumshoe?). THEN I might be able to have enough folks conditioned to play a more crunchy, long-form, TTRPG like D&D, FATE, Cortex, etc. Anyway, this is my diabolical plan to convert my colleagues into TTRPG fans and save myself from another night of Settlers of Catan. My point is, I feel that D&D is this very large bubble, but it is still a bubble. There is still a barrier to entry that keeps a larger majority from even dipping their toes into the hobby. The best argument I have for people to expand their experience with other systems, especially those that are radically different from D&D is that you have more tools to bring in a wider group of people into the hobby. Take a break from the polyhedral dice and hundreds of pages of core rules now and then. If you can learn to enjoy games with fun mechanics, whose rules take up less space than many board games (or even fit on a single page in some cases), you'll be able to find many players to play with--outside of the D&D bubble. [/QUOTE]
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