D&D General On Skilled Play: D&D as a Game

[Warpiglet-7]

Gradeschool group: “yeah, we walk in and tell any monsters we are going to beat them! (Orcs come to entrance). “Can I hit him with a rock? I want to pick one up and throw it! I don’t want to use my sword this time...I want to throw the rock so he does not get close!”

Is this low or high skill?

 

[Mannahnin]

Gradeschool group: “yeah, we walk in and tell any monsters we are going to beat them! (Orcs come to entrance). “Can I hit him with a rock? I want to pick one up and throw it! I don’t want to use my sword this time...I want to throw the rock so he does not get close!”

Is this low or high skill?

This is not Gygaxian Skilled Play per the thread topic.

 

[Garthanos]

That's why session zero is a thing.
The players and the DM should at least agree to play the same game. I would never bring an actor or storyteller type into my ToH game.

Session zero could take 5 years with all the things people want to pile into it these days. /jk

 

[Warpiglet-7]

This is not Gygaxian Skilled Play per the thread topic.

It’s not. What if they set an ambush after listening for monsters and maybe luring them out?

I don’t know tactics. Does my character?

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

I would not buy too much into player types outside of traditional (or more accurately middle school) play. It's an analysis rooted in the types of behaviors and play preferences seen in a very particular (and popular) approach to RPGs. They do not really carry much weight in other types of play.

I'm not sure I totally agree with that. I don't think that it is possible to really describe people by such simple categories, but I think there is some merit in the way it extracts agendas out of play. I mean, something like the GNS model was intended to classify the agendas of GAME DESIGNS, but it doesn't tell you much about how someone is playing and what their play/character agenda is.

As @Garthanos is saying, if your preference is 'storytelling' and you play an SP game where the PCs get ganked in the dark by kobolds while stuck in a maze, that probably doesn't cut it for that player. It might be perfectly OK to the Power Gamer, he's just going to incorporate that mistake into 'winning' next time. It might not matter too much to the Explorer, one character can explore as well as another. It might bum out the Hack-n-Slash guy that he has to level up again, but its all killing things.

I think there ARE types that SP works better, in general, for than others. It is pretty classically understood that story tellers and anyone interested in dramatic elements and plot in a game are not going to be pleased by most SP play, because it simply isn't geared to that agenda. You MIGHT end up with an interesting story, if you're lucky, but it is going to be very hit and miss. Classic D&D specifically also doesn't do much for min/maxer types. I would not say that is a hard limitation imposed by SP though, Gary simply preferred his players to find EVERYTHING in the 'dungeon' and didn't give them option they could own on their side (aside from which spell to memorize).

 

[Vaalingrade]

Actors seem like they might be SOL in the more typical dungeon crawls. If you can create 'Skilled Social Play' that might be good for them!

That still doesn't satisfy the actor because it's still not about the character's ability, it's about the player's -- either in building a character to 'win' or the player's ability to socialize.

 

[Nefermandias]

Session zero could take 5 years with all the things people want to pile into it these days. /jk

Nope.
Session zero is for setting expectations, that's all.

 

[Garthanos]

I would not buy too much into player types outside of traditional (or more accurately middle school) play. It's an analysis rooted in the types of behaviors and play preferences seen in a very particular (and popular) approach to RPGs. They do not really carry much weight in other types of play.

Some of it was MTG inspired I think (recalling Timmy) but its a bigger thing than middle school stereotypes -- The Google corp I believe has this color coded personality "types" that can be dismissed as being well a more formalized color coded version of something akin to geek/jock/socialite/outcast... but it included in it concepts like how to reinforce individuals who fit stereotype X or Y, and enhance their team work and acknowledges people are not entire one way and may change behavior by situational role and various other useful elements. In other words sometimes dismissing an analysis you may be seeing it over simplistic (not that 2.5 pages probably dug too deep)

 

[Campbell]

I meant middle school (it being in the middle of old school and more contemporary techniques) as in the type of play typified by games like Vampire, Shadowrun, AD&D 2e and Legend of the Five Rings. The player types are born out of player behaviors observed in games where the GM's role is that of a lead storyteller who prepares adventures that players are supposed to have their characters go on. It becomes less and less useful as the paradigm of play changes.

 

[Mannahnin]

It’s not. What if they set an ambush after listening for monsters and maybe luring them out?

I don’t know tactics. Does my character?

Did you check out the OP?

Whether your character knows tactics is kind of beside the point of Gygaxian Skilled Play. The skill being referred to is the player's skill. Problem-solving in the game is done by the player in this mode of play.