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How has D&D changed over the decades?
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<blockquote data-quote="HammerMan" data-source="post: 8562228" data-attributes="member: 84112"><p>okay so flavor and theme and tone are hard to pin down... D&D has always been a set of legos that you could build your own theme flavor and tone with.</p><p></p><p>At it's base it hasn't changed. For 50 years it has been the game of make believe with loose rules that allowed us to get together and tell stories. It grew from a wargame to what it is now... but just cause the core is the same doesn't mean I can't see growth...</p><p></p><p>1e-3e is a game about wizards. its a game about powerful spellcasters and the parties that form around them (Gandalf is the easiest example but I am sure people can name dozens)</p><p></p><p>However I feel (IMO) that 3e moved from a list of sub systems that barely fit together (2e) and made a Combat Engine that then bolted on social and exploration subsystems to it. They paid lip service to being a corporative game, but it seemed to feel (IMO) to be more of a race or a VS challenge. 3e did not invent Min Maxing, or Optimizations... but it plus the internet brought it to new heights</p><p></p><p>4e leveled the playing field and made it a true everyone mattered equally, and I feel (IMO) it was the best at meeting the promise of D&D feeling like it (IMO) and giving weight to the mechanics of everyone.</p><p></p><p>5e tried to step back and move forward (and kind of tied itself in notes trying). Learning from all 9ish versions before it but still working off the d20 system.</p><p></p><p>my problem is (and it is something that lately feels like it is addressed more) is that it is a TTRPG that is basically a Combat Engine that then bolted on social and exploration subsystems to it. instead of (IMO) what it should be 3 equal engines with a link.</p><p></p><p>I will say every year I feel there is MORE toward RP Social Challenges and the like and LESS focus on the combat... every edition, every mid edition even every few months of splats. </p><p></p><p>Strixhaven and Wild Beyond the Witchlight both are evidence (IMO) that they are leaning into that more and more.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="HammerMan, post: 8562228, member: 84112"] okay so flavor and theme and tone are hard to pin down... D&D has always been a set of legos that you could build your own theme flavor and tone with. At it's base it hasn't changed. For 50 years it has been the game of make believe with loose rules that allowed us to get together and tell stories. It grew from a wargame to what it is now... but just cause the core is the same doesn't mean I can't see growth... 1e-3e is a game about wizards. its a game about powerful spellcasters and the parties that form around them (Gandalf is the easiest example but I am sure people can name dozens) However I feel (IMO) that 3e moved from a list of sub systems that barely fit together (2e) and made a Combat Engine that then bolted on social and exploration subsystems to it. They paid lip service to being a corporative game, but it seemed to feel (IMO) to be more of a race or a VS challenge. 3e did not invent Min Maxing, or Optimizations... but it plus the internet brought it to new heights 4e leveled the playing field and made it a true everyone mattered equally, and I feel (IMO) it was the best at meeting the promise of D&D feeling like it (IMO) and giving weight to the mechanics of everyone. 5e tried to step back and move forward (and kind of tied itself in notes trying). Learning from all 9ish versions before it but still working off the d20 system. my problem is (and it is something that lately feels like it is addressed more) is that it is a TTRPG that is basically a Combat Engine that then bolted on social and exploration subsystems to it. instead of (IMO) what it should be 3 equal engines with a link. I will say every year I feel there is MORE toward RP Social Challenges and the like and LESS focus on the combat... every edition, every mid edition even every few months of splats. Strixhaven and Wild Beyond the Witchlight both are evidence (IMO) that they are leaning into that more and more. [/QUOTE]
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