Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
The
VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX
is coming! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
The Dilemma of the Simple RPG
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Igwilly" data-source="post: 7714975" data-attributes="member: 6801225"><p>I cannot speak for anyone but myself, but I think the essential word to understand “complex” games is options.</p><p>People want options. Not only that, people want their chosen options to be special.</p><p>Let’s look at an example: In AD&D 2e, the Gladiator actually has a few kits and one entire class in Dark Sun of their own. One could use a generic warrior class and choose this flavor, but would that choice be special? In a class-less game (or one with few classes), does simply describing a Gladiator feels like it’s different from any other warrior? Or do you need a special option just for them?</p><p>That may also explain why there’re so many different systems. You can GM a Mecha game with an anime-based system, but using a Mecha system would give the players a “unique” experience. You can GM a steampunk game with a generic system, but using a specific steampunk system has more “specialness”.</p><p>In addition, I think one thing people need to get about having more options: the complexity does not increase with more splatbooks/options. Because they are optional. One doesn’t need them to actually run a table with the system. They only come in if GM and players are interested. You can, in fact, run a game with just 8 classes. Supplemental material adds only that, options. It may seem to people that you need “all the books” to play the game, but you don’t. Me? I just like having tons of options.</p><p>Sure, buying all of them is expensive. They’re not meant to casuals, and considerable money is needed. But that’s ok, because there are people who want that and devote more time to this game. People who like their game simple have their piece of cake, too (for much less money, in fact). Your game doesn’t change.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Igwilly, post: 7714975, member: 6801225"] I cannot speak for anyone but myself, but I think the essential word to understand “complex” games is options. People want options. Not only that, people want their chosen options to be special. Let’s look at an example: In AD&D 2e, the Gladiator actually has a few kits and one entire class in Dark Sun of their own. One could use a generic warrior class and choose this flavor, but would that choice be special? In a class-less game (or one with few classes), does simply describing a Gladiator feels like it’s different from any other warrior? Or do you need a special option just for them? That may also explain why there’re so many different systems. You can GM a Mecha game with an anime-based system, but using a Mecha system would give the players a “unique” experience. You can GM a steampunk game with a generic system, but using a specific steampunk system has more “specialness”. In addition, I think one thing people need to get about having more options: the complexity does not increase with more splatbooks/options. Because they are optional. One doesn’t need them to actually run a table with the system. They only come in if GM and players are interested. You can, in fact, run a game with just 8 classes. Supplemental material adds only that, options. It may seem to people that you need “all the books” to play the game, but you don’t. Me? I just like having tons of options. Sure, buying all of them is expensive. They’re not meant to casuals, and considerable money is needed. But that’s ok, because there are people who want that and devote more time to this game. People who like their game simple have their piece of cake, too (for much less money, in fact). Your game doesn’t change. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
The Dilemma of the Simple RPG
Top