A New "anti-D&D" Era

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Thus fulfilling Ryan Dancey's original goal for the OGL.

 

[payn]

Except this does not work for a long term game. Sure it's great that everyone can play the super easy RPG, but then what? There is no reason to leave the other stuff to others.

Also, it's a bit sad that there is the idea that RPGs are "so hard" that normal folks can't play it, so you need a special easy tarter game.

The "special easy tarter game" sells like gangbusters. More so than catering to the hardcore crowd focus did.

 

[Jer]

Also, it's a bit sad that there is the idea that RPGs are "so hard" that normal folks can't play it, so you need a special easy tarter game.

First - RPGs are a category of game that you need to teach people to play. Candyland exists for kids to teach them how to play boardgames - very few people step into a board game of even moderate difficulty without having played at least one easy board game before it. Why would you expect RPGs to be different?

Second - there's an audience for whom the rules of an RPG get in the way of their fun rather than enhance it. If it turns out that that group is larger than the reverse then a simpler game is going to pick up a bigger audience than a more complex one. That's just numbers - and it does seem that that is in fact what has been going on with D&D's uptake over the last decade.

 

[dirtypool]

I honestly don't quite understand the point of Black Flag in a world where not only is the 5E SRD in the CC but 1D&D isn't particularly far removed from 5E. But who knows, maybe Black Flag will be more of a 5E Arcana Unearthed than a 5E Pathfinder.

Based on where it is at now, clearly Black Flag has been in the works for much longer than the OGL crisis. The point appears to be that they were using the OGL to hedge their bets by having a completed 5e based game to act as the core for their setting materials in case OneD&D strayed too far. Makes more sense than gambling that 2024 won't disrupt your process by seeing the introduction of a game that doesn't quite jibe with your design space any longer.

 

[Gubber Bittencourt]

the only backlash was pathfinder 1e. People didn't play vampire because they had problems with d&d but because they wanted to play another kind of theme.

There are always groups that get tired of playing a system.

But what drives rpg is the theme. In the 80s and 90s there were movies and other media that made people play other types of games and after that comes the need for a system.

Conam, Interview with the Vampire etc. every system has a books, movies, and games that creates a need for a system.

today the scenario is dominated, in addition to tokien who is eternal the greatest inspiration, by Super heroes who are always very difficult to create good systems.

I imagine the big space today would be something today would be the "harry potter" theme.

 

[Reynard]

the only backlash was pathfinder 1e. People didn't play vampire because they had problems with d&d but because they wanted to play another kind of theme.

That's not true at all.

 

[dirtypool]

Except this does not work for a long term game. Sure it's great that everyone can play the super easy RPG, but then what? There is no reason to leave the other stuff to others.

It seems to work for long term gaming just fine.

Also, it's a bit sad that there is the idea that RPGs are "so hard" that normal folks can't play it, so you need a special easy tarter game.

Is anyone actually presenting that idea of other games as being particularly difficult? I think what is being expressed is the idea that D&D is, and has long been, the sort of gateway to the hobby. The entry level

 

[dirtypool]

the only backlash was pathfinder 1e. People didn't play vampire because they had problems with d&d but because they wanted to play another kind of theme.

There is a very excellent documentary about the World of Darkness that features interviews with lots of Masquerade players who state they in fact DID play because they had specific issues with D&D

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Makes more sense than gambling that 2024 won't disrupt your process by seeing the introduction of a game that doesn't quite jibe with your design space any longer.

Yeah, the Kobolds were in the RPG business (although not as their own company yet) through the 3E/3.5 transition. Hard to forget how many companies ran into catastrophic trouble due to that changeover.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I imagine the big space today would be something today would be the "harry potter" theme.

There are a lot of games in the magical school space and none of them have been monster hits. I think HP mania has peaked.