D&D General Do you like LOTS of races/ancestries/whatever? If so, why?

[DND_Reborn]

Your personal setting might not be the best seller. Or might be outdated with current trends.

I am well aware that my game world would be considered outdated by many players, which is probably the main reason. I already have it for my own games, why go through all the work to format it, etc. for others? I know some might appreciate it, but it would be a TON of work.

 

[Scott Christian]

Then why does every pro-DM person in here keep talking about players being "demanding" or "entitled" or explicitly referencing vandalism etc., etc.?

No offense, but I am pretty sure I haven't. A player that wants to play a non-setting race, one where the DM has done the work to create the setting, is not demanding, they are being rude, or at best ignorant. A DM that has done little or no work to create the setting, and just says no to the player is being rude, or at best, ignorant.

 

[Minigiant]

I am well aware that my game world would be considered outdated by many players, which is probably the main reason. I already have it for my own games, why go through all the work to format it, etc. for others? I know some might appreciate it, but it would be a TON of work.

I think this is often the crux of the problem.

DMs who are fans of settings that are not in style anymore and the lack of desre to change them due to not liking the popular styles or the work adaption entails.

Especially if your preference is very old.

 

[Jfdlsjfd]

But that's my point.

Your personal setting might not be the best seller. Or might be outdated with current trends.

Even if you are a great designers, you might have to change things to get more customers.

Boiardi had to change his name to sell canned pasta.

I think we may be talking past each other. I was just reacting to the idea, that might not have been your intent but that I felt when reading the thread, that curated list implied being a bad designer stuck with ME clone level of GM'ing, a somewhat negative view of that. Sure, if your goal is to get more customers, you need to make change. But outside of the fringe case of a hired GM, the GM is not here for money, he's here for fun, like any other player, and doesn't need to change anything. They (both the GM and the players) just need to find group with matching expectations. And sometimes the expectations have nothing to do with quality or oldness. If I want to run RotFM, you can't be a chwinga. Because one of the quest involve meeting them for the first time [not that RotFM is necessarily the epitome of good writing].

 

[DND_Reborn]

Especially if your preference is very old.

Eh? What's that, sonny? I can't hear ya...

 

[Minigiant]

I think we may be talking past each other. I was just reacting to the idea, that might not have been your intent but that I felt when reading the thread, that curated list implied being a bad designer stuck with ME clone level of GM'ing, a somewhat negative view of that. Sure, if your goal is to get more customers, you need to make change. But outside of the fringe case of a hired GM, the GM is not here for money, he's here for fun, like any other player, and doesn't need to change anything. They (both the GM and the players) just need to find group with matching expectations.

I agree with you.

What I've said is

1. A setting designed to make money
2. A setting designed to attract a lot of players
3. A setting designed to fulfill the DM's wishes

are designed differently. It's not about being bad but about purpose.

A lot of the anomostiy and hostility comes from DMs who want 1,2 &3 but only designing for 3. Then being upset when told that there setting isn't set up for 1 & 2.

A DM has he right to make a setting the way they prefer. But a lot of people wont like your setting if you didn't design it for a lot of people to like it.

THAT's why some people like settings with a lot of races and classes. Because they are designed specifically for people to like them.

 

[Incenjucar]

The Humanoids Handbook, Dark Sun, Spelljammer, Council of Wyrms, and Planescape are all from 2nd edition. D&D left vanilla behind before a lot of the current player base was born.

 

[Minigiant]

The Humanoids Handbook, Dark Sun, Spelljammer, Council of Wyrms, and Planescape are all from 2nd edition. D&D left vanilla behind before a lot of the current player base was born.

because there's no money in it.

Youcan only sell basic generic fantasy options once.

 

[Incenjucar]

because there's no money in it.

Youcan only sell basic generic fantasy options once.

And sometimes you can't sell it at all.

Planescape was my first setting, with Dark Sun getting much of my remaining attention. Before that I was gearing up to play Cyberpunk instead. I ended up picking up some FR stuff only after I was looking into getting into RPG design and needed a better grasp of the baseline.

 

[Oofta]

I think this is often the crux of the problem.

DMs who are fans of settings that are not in style anymore and the lack of desre to change them due to not liking the popular styles or the work adaption entails.

Especially if your preference is very old.

If the DM still has as many players as they want why is this a problem? I'd prefer having a 4 player table. I always end up with 6 because that's my absolute maximum and I'll turn down people asking to join after that. The fact that Bob didn't want to join my already full table because I have a few restrictions is not my problem.