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<blockquote data-quote="Fallstorm" data-source="post: 5901746" data-attributes="member: 55683"><p>I think the rate of new players to DnD including DnD Next will be about the same as it ways with all editons, except for what it was in the 1980's with DnD 1E where DnD was almost a hip social phenomenon for a time. Yes, I know "geek" culture is somewhat popular know via shows like the Big Bang Theory, etc but I'm sorry whether DnD has fluff texts or stat blocks I don't see DnD drawing in the same number of geek fans as World of Warcraft or Diablo or whatever is the new hot online game. I don't see it drawing the numbers of people in that video games draw and I don't see it becoming the past time for Joe Six Pack. I know, you don't think this either, point is I think that you and I can probably agree with each other that DnD is and will probably remain a niche market. Not saying, the game will not be around years from now and new players will not come into it, but it the game is what it is, a game that is part of a market (non-computerized table top rpgs) that appeals to a select group of people.</p><p> </p><p>Now, agreeing that the game is appealing to a select group I also think that most gamers are fairly intelligent and imaginative people, who will not have difficulty reading and understanding a text regardless of what format it is put in either data blocks or walls of fluff. That being said, and all things being equal the issue then how easy is it for that said gamer to be able to use his or her skills/abilities powers or for the DM to run a monster effectively during the game and what system stat blocks or DnD 3.5 style monster/spells entries best enforces that purpose? In my opinion, it is the former over the latter. Again, I can either have everything I need to cast a spell or run a monster at my fingertips in a stat block, or have something that reads for X amount of sentences and says functions as spell XX which I then have to look up, which then might reference something else.</p><p> </p><p>I agree with you in theory that the game can't just be data blocks and nothing else. It has to capture the imagination as well as giving rules and as I mentioned there are things the 4E books could do to improve upon their presentation. I just don't think longer texts lines is the way to do it, and in my personal experience when bringing new gamers into the fold (including trying to get my girl friend to play) it has not been the rules per say (which she picked up on very quickly) instead she was turned off by how long the descriptions of things were in my PHB (3.5 at the time) she thought because the book was so thick and had looong descriptions of things you had to be an engineer to play the game, so in my experience the long walls of text has not helpled.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Fallstorm, post: 5901746, member: 55683"] I think the rate of new players to DnD including DnD Next will be about the same as it ways with all editons, except for what it was in the 1980's with DnD 1E where DnD was almost a hip social phenomenon for a time. Yes, I know "geek" culture is somewhat popular know via shows like the Big Bang Theory, etc but I'm sorry whether DnD has fluff texts or stat blocks I don't see DnD drawing in the same number of geek fans as World of Warcraft or Diablo or whatever is the new hot online game. I don't see it drawing the numbers of people in that video games draw and I don't see it becoming the past time for Joe Six Pack. I know, you don't think this either, point is I think that you and I can probably agree with each other that DnD is and will probably remain a niche market. Not saying, the game will not be around years from now and new players will not come into it, but it the game is what it is, a game that is part of a market (non-computerized table top rpgs) that appeals to a select group of people. Now, agreeing that the game is appealing to a select group I also think that most gamers are fairly intelligent and imaginative people, who will not have difficulty reading and understanding a text regardless of what format it is put in either data blocks or walls of fluff. That being said, and all things being equal the issue then how easy is it for that said gamer to be able to use his or her skills/abilities powers or for the DM to run a monster effectively during the game and what system stat blocks or DnD 3.5 style monster/spells entries best enforces that purpose? In my opinion, it is the former over the latter. Again, I can either have everything I need to cast a spell or run a monster at my fingertips in a stat block, or have something that reads for X amount of sentences and says functions as spell XX which I then have to look up, which then might reference something else. I agree with you in theory that the game can't just be data blocks and nothing else. It has to capture the imagination as well as giving rules and as I mentioned there are things the 4E books could do to improve upon their presentation. I just don't think longer texts lines is the way to do it, and in my personal experience when bringing new gamers into the fold (including trying to get my girl friend to play) it has not been the rules per say (which she picked up on very quickly) instead she was turned off by how long the descriptions of things were in my PHB (3.5 at the time) she thought because the book was so thick and had looong descriptions of things you had to be an engineer to play the game, so in my experience the long walls of text has not helpled. [/QUOTE]
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