I wonder if Monte ever watched the podcast in which Chris Perkins DMed for the RoboChicken guys?
Chris was doing exactly what Monte describes: Introducing the rules right before they became important. And if I may say so, that's how I've been doing it, too, when introducing new players to the game.
But this doesn't have a lot to do with presenting the rules in the books. Of course it makes sense to describe the straightforward parts first and visit the complications later. But the complete ruleset needs to be presented somewhere in the book(s).
Tying complexity to character levels is simply a bad idea. Everyone's learning the game only a single time. But once someone's hooked, she'll want to have access to all the rules right from the start.
Likewise it would be nice if a beginning player could enter a game without having to start at level 1. Joining a high-level group should be possible without having to deal with a (too) complex character.
Allowing a group to choose their preferred level of complexity is a good thing. But ignoring rules that you feel are getting in the way of your fun because they add too much complexity is always easier than having to make up your own rules if you'd like a more complex game.
Monte's articles have all pretty much left me cold, so far.
Chris was doing exactly what Monte describes: Introducing the rules right before they became important. And if I may say so, that's how I've been doing it, too, when introducing new players to the game.
But this doesn't have a lot to do with presenting the rules in the books. Of course it makes sense to describe the straightforward parts first and visit the complications later. But the complete ruleset needs to be presented somewhere in the book(s).
Tying complexity to character levels is simply a bad idea. Everyone's learning the game only a single time. But once someone's hooked, she'll want to have access to all the rules right from the start.
Likewise it would be nice if a beginning player could enter a game without having to start at level 1. Joining a high-level group should be possible without having to deal with a (too) complex character.
Allowing a group to choose their preferred level of complexity is a good thing. But ignoring rules that you feel are getting in the way of your fun because they add too much complexity is always easier than having to make up your own rules if you'd like a more complex game.
Monte's articles have all pretty much left me cold, so far.