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General Tabletop Discussion
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How much should 5e aim at balance?
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<blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 6013635" data-attributes="member: 42582"><p>I agree with Neonchameleon on this issue. The idea that RPG rules break down when the player push them hard seems fairly common, but I think it is true only of a certain sort of simulationinst ruleset - namely, one which opens up points of decision-making, in action resolution and PC building, that are open to metagame exploitation by those players wanting to do something other than "develop an fantasy action story".</p><p></p><p>Runequest is not terribly vulnerable in this respect, because it has so few metagameable decision points.</p><p></p><p>4e is not particularly vulnerable in this respect, because it is not simuationinst.</p><p></p><p>Classic D&D is no more than moderately vulnerable, I think, because - played at low to mid levels, at least - the only class with real metagame power (the MU) is not all that strong, and there is a strong emphasis on adjudication outside the scope of the formal action resolution rules.</p><p></p><p>3E seems uniquely vulnerable, though, because it has at least a degree of simulationism in its rules, it is widely played in a simulationisnt fashion, but in both action resolution and even moreso PC building it is chock full of points of possible exploitation by players.</p><p></p><p>Putting in a mechanically intricate PC build system, and then telling people not to optimise it, is a recipe for your game breaking down in the hands of very many groups!</p><p></p><p>EDIT: The rival to 3E's uniqueness would be points-build games, which have the same tension between build systems and play goals. But points build games often have a player culture built up around them to handle the issues that result. And also tend to be a bit more self-conscious about the tensions they give rise to, I think.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="pemerton, post: 6013635, member: 42582"] I agree with Neonchameleon on this issue. The idea that RPG rules break down when the player push them hard seems fairly common, but I think it is true only of a certain sort of simulationinst ruleset - namely, one which opens up points of decision-making, in action resolution and PC building, that are open to metagame exploitation by those players wanting to do something other than "develop an fantasy action story". Runequest is not terribly vulnerable in this respect, because it has so few metagameable decision points. 4e is not particularly vulnerable in this respect, because it is not simuationinst. Classic D&D is no more than moderately vulnerable, I think, because - played at low to mid levels, at least - the only class with real metagame power (the MU) is not all that strong, and there is a strong emphasis on adjudication outside the scope of the formal action resolution rules. 3E seems uniquely vulnerable, though, because it has at least a degree of simulationism in its rules, it is widely played in a simulationisnt fashion, but in both action resolution and even moreso PC building it is chock full of points of possible exploitation by players. Putting in a mechanically intricate PC build system, and then telling people not to optimise it, is a recipe for your game breaking down in the hands of very many groups! EDIT: The rival to 3E's uniqueness would be points-build games, which have the same tension between build systems and play goals. But points build games often have a player culture built up around them to handle the issues that result. And also tend to be a bit more self-conscious about the tensions they give rise to, I think. [/QUOTE]
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How much should 5e aim at balance?
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