Unpopular opinions go here

[Reynard]

A character without a goal is a waste of paper.

The goal belongs to the player. The character is just paper.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

I'm not sure that changes it much. If you want to do a zone based area/movement system, you need to define things in zones. (Or forget the whole thing the way, say, 13th Age or Atomic Highway does).

You're right, you wouldn't worry about the details much. I just mean that it's easy to visualize how far you are using the information given by yards. Not that you'd spend time fussing over a yard or two.

 

[CleverNickName]

Bards should have been placed in an appendix, and then we should have performed an appendectomy.

 

[deganawida]

I believe D&D is so popular in part because the majority of the player base has cultural touchstones with Europe in a way that they don't with Asia, South America, or Africa. While we've seen several Kickstarters like Coyote & Crow and, shoot, names are escaping me at the moment, that have been successful, even winning awards, I don't know how many people are actually playing them.

Just to be clear, I’m not saying remove swords or plate or wizards based or anything of that nature, which are part of the legacies of medieval Europe. All I’m saying is quit trying to make all fantasy with strange races and magic fit in an as-close-to-accurate version of medieval Europe. You don’t have to recreate medieval European (especially that of England) society, laws, mortality rates, religious concepts, and so forth to have a compelling world. You can fight red dragons in other climes and without rampant illiteracy and massive religious powers behind the throne.

 

[Thomas Shey]

All the classes are designed around combat. Some of them might be useful outside of combat, but each and every one of them is designed for a fight.

I believe D&D is so popular in part because the majority of the player base has cultural touchstones with Europe in a way that they don't with Asia, South America, or Africa. While we've seen several Kickstarters like Coyote & Crow and, shoot, names are escaping me at the moment, that have been successful, even winning awards, I don't know how many people are actually playing them.

Well, that just gets back to the old chicken-and-egg question of whether D&D is so popular because its actively what everyone who plays it wants, or its popularity has made it the easiest game to find and thus the one people have gotten so used to. Its a question that's essentially impossible to answer in either direction.

 

[Thomas Shey]

You're right, you wouldn't worry about the details much. I just mean that it's easy to visualize how far you are using the information given by yards. Not that you'd spend time fussing over a yard or two.

I probably wasn't clear; what I meant was, if you define your movement in "distance" and your ranges/areas in "zones", what does that even mean? How many moves does it take to change zones? How far apart do you have to be to be in different ones?

I mean, its possible to define zones in terms of area of course, but that doesn't seem to be how they're usually used.

 

[CleverNickName]

Just to be clear, I’m not saying remove swords or plate or wizards based or anything of that nature, which are part of the legacies of medieval Europe. All I’m saying is quit trying to make all fantasy with strange races and magic fit in an as-close-to-accurate version of medieval Europe. You don’t have to recreate medieval European (especially that of England) society, laws, mortality rates, religious concepts, and so forth to have a compelling world. You can fight red dragons in other climes and without rampant illiteracy and massive religious powers behind the throne.

It's possible that those "medieval European (especially English) society, laws, morality, religion, and so forth" that you're talking about are exactly what most D&D consumers think of when they imagine "a compelling world." And if they can't see those things in your new product, they might take their money elsewhere.

Of course, that could also be a load of malarkey. But this much is true:

There have been several non-medieval, non-European game settings published already, to varying degrees of success--Kara-Tur, Oriental Adventures, Nyambe, and more. They're all out of print, sure, but they're still available on DriveThruRPG in .pdf and/or POD format, and they're easy to adapt into your favorite edition of D&D or Pathfinder. There are even free conversion guides and other resources to help you.

 

[Thomas Shey]

It's possible that those "medieval European (especially English) society, laws, morality, religion, and so forth" that you're talking about are exactly what most D&D consumers think of when they imagine "a compelling world." And if they can't see those things in your new product, they might take their money elsewhere.

Of course, that could also be a load of malarkey. But this much is true:

There have been several non-medieval, non-European game settings published already, to varying degrees of success--Kara-Tur, Oriental Adventures, Nyambe, and more. They're all out of print, sure, but they're still available on DriveThruRPG in .pdf and/or POD format, and they're easy to adapt into your favorite edition of D&D or Pathfinder. There are even conversion guides and resources to help you.

It only takes a couple people who don't like sushi before its just easier for everyone to go out and get sandwiches.

 

[CleverNickName]

It only takes a couple people who don't like sushi before its just easier for everyone to go out and get sandwiches.

Yep, absolutely true. I'm just saying that if everyone at the table wants sushi but there's no Japanese restaurant in your town, you don't have to settle for sandwiches. There's nothing wrong with getting the ingredients from the store and making your own sushi together. It's a lot more effort, but sometimes the sushi craving is so strong that it's worth the trouble.

Now I want sushi.

 

[deganawida]

It's possible that those "medieval European (especially English) society, laws, morality, religion, and so forth" that you're talking about are exactly what most D&D consumers think of when they imagine "a compelling world." And if they can't see those things in your new product, they might take their money elsewhere.

Of course, that could also be a load of malarkey. But this much is true:

There have been several non-medieval, non-European game settings published already, to varying degrees of success--Kara-Tur, Oriental Adventures, Nyambe, and more. They're all out of print, sure, but they're still available on DriveThruRPG in .pdf and/or POD format, and they're easy to adapt into your favorite edition of D&D or Pathfinder. There are even free conversion guides and other resources to help you.

Still must not be getting my point clear. My apologies, hopefully the third time is the charm.

The examples you mention are closer to the “fantasy England” that I mentioned, to my mind. They are fantasy versions of real world locations, cultures, and history. That is what I am tired of, and what I mean.

Spelljammer? Planescape? Athas? Barsaive (or whatever Earthdawn’s was called)? Creation? They don’t have analogues to real world locations, cultures, and histories. They are unique places with new things to explore and experience. That is what I want to see more of. It’s fine to take elements of the real world and mix it up, as long as it ends up as something that seems interesting.