D&D General D&D tries to be a little of everything, and that's its secret strength (and weakness)

[Stormonu]

Trust me, I HATE Monopoly with the passion of a thousand burning suns. But as @Whizbang Dustyboots stated, I'm using it as the 800 lb. gorilla (for a bad analogy). Could have used McDonalds as an example too - with someone going there and complaining there's no tacos on the menu.

 

[MichaelSomething]

Could have used McDonalds as an example too - with someone going there and complaining there's no tacos on the menu.

But you can make McDonalds tacos! Just take out the buns, chop up the burger and toppings, put that into a taco shell and then add some salsa!

 

[Stormonu]

But you can make McDonalds tacos! Just take out the buns, chop up the burger and toppings, put that into a taco shell and then add some salsa!

Isn't that how you end up with a Fiendish Warlock Patron?

 

[Tutara]

I don't think D&D does try to be a little bit of everything. It's good at some things, it's awful at other things, but it is only ever D&D.

I think it is more that because it is the 800 pound gorilla of the RPG scene, people try to crowbar everything into it. It's commercially viable. It's logistically viable. People who are not into RPGs know what D&D is. So rather than say "what RPG system would suit this best?" people think "how can I make D&D do this?". Sometimes it works. Often, it does not. D&D is not a universal system, and that's fine.

 

[M.L. Martin]

I think D&D's status as the 8000-lb. red dragon has been a negative both for D&D (as the owners try to make it all things to all people) and for the RPG hobby as a whole (as so many things get suffocated or warped to fit into its unique shape).

 

[DEFCON 1]

I think D&D's status as the 8000-lb. red dragon has been a negative both for D&D (as the owners try to make it all things to all people) and for the RPG hobby as a whole (as so many things get suffocated or warped to fit into its unique shape).

Of course it's a negative... for you. Because you want D&D to be something else... for you.

But for everyone who is completely happy with D&D as it is... it being the 8000-lb. red dragon isn't a negative at all. So none of us can say with any declaration or authority that it being the most well-known and most played RPG is a good thing or a bad thing. Instead... it's just a thing. It is what it is. And we each individually have to work around it in whatever manner works best.

 

[Imaro]

The thing that gets me about " I want to turn 5e into WFRP" or whatever isn't that it can't be done.

It's just why?

Just go play WFRP it's waayyyy less work on your part to just read that and use that thing made to do the grimdark thing.

Because it's easier to get a group of players who know D&D to read, understand and agree to a half page of house rules than to read and learn to play another game.

 

[MGibster]

I found out a little over thirty years ago that D&D can't do everything it can only do D&D. But that's fine, because sometimes D&D is exactly what I want.

 

[MGibster]

Sometimes I think D&D is successful because we're all playing our own little version of the game in our heads. Even when, no, especially when, we're playing with other people.

 

[Mirrorrorrim]

They designed it as the last edition of D&D, as in this is it, the brand is being rested, one last chance to make the game.

Where is your quote or reference that they intended to lay the game to rest? Am I misreading what you're saying? Because I've not read that claim from anyone actually behind the game.