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[Very Long] Combat as Sport vs. Combat as War: a Key Difference in D&D Play Styles...
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<blockquote data-quote="Cadfan" data-source="post: 5804721" data-attributes="member: 40961"><p>Its not a matter of whether the DM is doing "the right thing." Nor, as you mention later in your post, is it a matter of whether the DM is being a jerk, or being untrustworthy.</p><p></p><p>Its a matter of whether you're winning when the DM lets you win.</p><p></p><p>nyghtwyrm got things right when he said that in a combat as war game, its easy to breed an attitude of players vs DM. But I'll go one step further.</p><p></p><p>In a "combat as war" game, unless you have rules for combat as war, and you generally don't, if the game is players "versus" anything, then that anything has to be the DM. The DM may be seriously trying to come up with reasons the PCs plans don't work, or the DM may be play fighting with the PCs, coming up with just enough complications to make things difficult, but no more. But that's what's going on. There's nothing else that COULD be going on.</p><p></p><p>I guess I should put in a disclaimer. There's nothing wrong with playing games that way. Narrative and storytelling based games are fine. But if you go into them with a competitive drive, if there's a "versus" to be had, it has to be with the DM. It can't be with the dice, those were intentionally sidelined by the planning stage, which was... versus the DM, either literally, or in a play-fight.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Cadfan, post: 5804721, member: 40961"] Its not a matter of whether the DM is doing "the right thing." Nor, as you mention later in your post, is it a matter of whether the DM is being a jerk, or being untrustworthy. Its a matter of whether you're winning when the DM lets you win. nyghtwyrm got things right when he said that in a combat as war game, its easy to breed an attitude of players vs DM. But I'll go one step further. In a "combat as war" game, unless you have rules for combat as war, and you generally don't, if the game is players "versus" anything, then that anything has to be the DM. The DM may be seriously trying to come up with reasons the PCs plans don't work, or the DM may be play fighting with the PCs, coming up with just enough complications to make things difficult, but no more. But that's what's going on. There's nothing else that COULD be going on. I guess I should put in a disclaimer. There's nothing wrong with playing games that way. Narrative and storytelling based games are fine. But if you go into them with a competitive drive, if there's a "versus" to be had, it has to be with the DM. It can't be with the dice, those were intentionally sidelined by the planning stage, which was... versus the DM, either literally, or in a play-fight. [/QUOTE]
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[Very Long] Combat as Sport vs. Combat as War: a Key Difference in D&D Play Styles...
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