What have been the big innovations in RPGs?

Desdichado · Jan 13, 2010

inorite? Great movie.

Raven Crowking · Jan 13, 2010

Jhaelen said:
How about saying that U2 was highly influential because they had a guitar player, though?

There's a guitar player in Danger in Dunwater?

This is a very interesting thread. I note that there is some conflation between innovation in RPGs, and innovations in marketing and distribution, though.

So far, my RPG innovations would include:

* The orignal game
* The advent of non-fantasy gaming (Boot Hill, Traveller)
* The advent of non-class-based gaming
* The advent of "build" based gaming (GURPS, HERO-System)
* The development of a skills system that actually works (I don't know of any pre-3e that actually did what they were meant to do)
* The combat system that made MichaelSomething write "The combat system deserves special mention for being a fairly unique system. For one, all characters can naturally use different attack styles, focusing on hitting, damage, defense, etc. depending on the weapon. This reduces the need for feats, which don’t exist in this game (by the way). Initiative is rolled every round to determine how many actions a character has (higher int = more actions). Creative use of skills in combat (or stunting) is strongly encouraged. I’m not gonna explain every detail of the combat system. It’s fairly unique but not too hard to learn if your willing to read through it." (http://www.enworld.org/forum/blogs/michaelsomething/2049-blog-post-58-i-really-am-crazy.html)

I would say, in terms of marketing,

* Definitely the OGL
* Definitely PDF printing and POD services (more a general innovation than an rpg-specific innovation).

RC

Mustrum_Ridcully · Jan 13, 2010

Raven Crowking said:
There's a guitar player in Danger and Dunwater?

This is a very interesting thread. I note that there is some conflation between innovation in RPGs, and innovations in marketing and distribution, though.

I think that's not an unwanted side effect, and not always are these things independent of each other.

diaglo · Jan 13, 2010

Raven Crowking said:
There's a guitar player in Danger and Dunwater?

lute iirc in one of the taverns. but you could only find him using the random tables in the DMG.

jaerdaph · Jan 13, 2010

I think VTTs are the biggest innovation in RPG gaming I've seen. The ability to simulate the real world tabletop experience for a group of people separated geographically with VTT software, Skype etc. is pretty freaking amazing. B-)

Prior to their introduction I would have said RPG message boards/online RPG communities and the PbP game.

Plane Sailing · Jan 13, 2010

JRRNeiklot said:
I'd hardly call 3e an innovation. It's just someone's modified ruleset of AD&D. A popular one, but most of it was being used in someone's game somewhere. All 3e did was collect those rules and put them all in one place.

I don't think there is any way you can say 3e was a modified version of AD&D, there were fundamental changes to so many things - Feats (new to D&D), skill points (new to D&D), attempt to balance all classes against each other at each level (new to D&D), free multiclassing for all (new to D&D and a very new mechanism), faster advancing by default (for better or worse!), HD keep on increasing with level, etc.

Sure some AD&D had critical hits, and some changes here and there, but nothing on the scale of 3e.

As far back as the 70s, I always wondered why I had to paint my own damn miniatures.

I always LOVED painting minatures. I don't think I'd want to get pre-painted minatures myself because I loved painting minatures so much.

Cheers

Raven Crowking · Jan 13, 2010

Plane Sailing said:
I don't think there is any way you can say 3e was a modified version of AD&D

It has been claimed on this board, repeatedly, whenever anyone has expressed any dissatisfaction with 3e, that it was still "the same". Likewise 4e. Any claim anyone might make that X has changed, unless that claim includes the caveat "and for the better" will bring the same folks out of the wall over and over again to claim that "X has always been like it is now".

* Feats (new to D&D): Codified feats are new to D&D, but 2e kits allowed class modifications that were effectively feats. Skills & Powers did the same, only more so.

* Skill Points (new to D&D): Doesn't 2e (and perhaps 1e?) use skill points to mete out non-weapon proficiencies, some being worth more than others?

* Attempt to balance all classes against each other at each level (new to D&D): 2e.

* Free multiclassing for all (new to D&D and a very new mechanism): Granted.

* Faster advancing by default (for better or worse!): Do you have any idea how many pages have been devoted to proving that this assertation isn't true? It is, AFAICT and IMHO, but there are some folks here who simply don't believe it, no matter what.

RC