D&D 2E Is 5e Basically Becoming Pathfinder 2e?

[dropbear8mybaby]

I've never met players that fussy. Most are just cool with playing D&D. In fact, most payers I know are just cool to be playing anything.

Keep 'em desperate, eh?

 

[Morrus]

Keep 'em desperate, eh?

Well it’s more that exacting people who will only play one specific game, and only when that game is configured in one specific way, are not people I’ve ever had the pleasure of encountering. Generally people enjoy gaming in many forms.

 

[Ancalagon]

No. At least, not so far, where I am. There seems to be a high demand for 5e DMs. Of any kind of game.

Now in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada with a total population of 23,000 (where you are from) I can imagine it might be more difficult to find players...of any kind. I live in a suburb of a suburb of Los Angeles, and my small suburb that you've likely never heard of (Van Nuys, a suburb of the San Fernando Valley, a suburb of Los Angeles) has five times the total population of your entire city, which itself is the capital and largest city of your entire province. If 0.05% of the entire population of your city plays D&D, you'd have 12 total players (rounding up) and LA would have over 5085. There is a pretty impressive difference in scale between us concerning how many players might be available for a game.

While this is a very good point, it also means that the players can't afford to be as picky. The OP may be the only DM in town with a new game at the moment...

 

[Aldarc]

While this is a very good point, it also means that the players can't afford to be as picky. The OP may be the only DM in town with a new game at the moment...

Or maybe it means that GMs should not be as demanding or picky about their games either.

 

[Fanaelialae]

I'm pretty sure that 5e has the slowest release schedule out of any edition save perhaps 0e/1e. So, no, I don't think it is even remotely like pathfinder.

I'd be surprised if the players are being turned away because you don't allow UA. My guess would be it is because you don't allow feats and multiclassing (which we would have even if the PHB were the only 5e book).

Basically, you're only allowing vanilla ice cream. Nothing wrong with that per se, but lots of people like things like chocolate-vanilla swirl and rocky road. You can't attract those people offering just vanilla.

If you want to run 5e and you want to attract more players, perhaps try offering a few more options on a trial basis (perhaps only with DM approval).

 

[Tormyr]

I'll start worrying when we can rack up 5 advantages and 2 disadvantages on a single roll.

 

[Hussar]

Given the online options available, it's pretty easy to find a group that will match your exact tastes. There's just such a mountain of available players that building a group is too easy.

But, again, it's all down to the advertising. If you're running a specific kind of game (whatever that happens to be), you HAVE to be absolutely clear about it when advertising your game. Otherwise, you're just wasting everyone's time.

 

[Sunseeker]

More variety typically draws in more players. So naturally the reverse holds true, less variety results in less players.

You're like the mom & pop shop trying to compete with WalMart. Yeah, you'll still get customers, but they aren't coming to you for your selection, they're coming to you for your atmosphere.

Also, whiny much? It's not WotC's fault you want to play the most minimized game possible and other people don't.

I have a simple rule for any system I play in, and it's mostly to keep my costs down: If it's in the PHB you can play it. Anything else requires pre-table approval.

 

[Eltab]

If you are going to use only one book (PHB), and pull one whole chapter out of that book (feats / multiclass), you probably should be advertising that fact in plain text beforehand.

 

[akr71]

Well, Sage Advice is about rules clarifications - I don't read it all the time and as long as play is about 'Rulings, not rules' then I have a hard time understanding why that would chase anyone away from the table.

Unearthed Arcana is far from official. It is play test material, plain and simple. If I want to play something from UA, I discuss it with the DM - the same as I expect my players to discuss with me when I DM. If the answer is no, it ends there. I have plenty of disagreements with my DM about interpretations and rulings, but he is the DM and I abide by his ruling - I can still play and have fun doing it regardless. I would be bummed about "no feats," but if I wanted to play badly enough, I would.