Single System Monogamy

[payn]

Not surprised to see an overwhelming no here at EN World. My experience is that while its a site dedicated to the king of RPGs D&D, you can find a wide variety of discussions on systems and RPG philosophy here. General discussions with a lot less of the vitriol and rampant edition warring across the net making it a great community.

That said, I find the monogamous will hang in the dedicated zones of their favored system. Reddits, discords, maybe site specific forums, which are sadly dying. This is, of course, the folks who invest heavily in their system of choice. They can play it in exactly as many ways as they need and never tire of it. On a larger scale, I think you have casual folks. They have limited time and/or money to spend on games. So, they find the one that works best and they ride with it.

Me? I'm a an explorer, a system hopper, a real nomad. I like to discover all the most interesting ways of gaming. I like to learn about the days of old, and see the future coming as well. I dont have a single place to lay my head and I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

[Thomas Shey]

Perhaps I was lucky that I was in a gaming group with more than a single GM, so the responsibility of learning a system and teaching others could be distributed. I can also be sympathetic with people who just don't have time to learn, as that's definitely a real thing especially as you get older and responsibilities of work and family grow.

Even being taught by someone already experienced with it can be more effort than people want to do multiple times. This is particularly true if they either only care for one genre, or the system they've already learned is multi-function.

For me though, learning a new game system and learning a new world is about as fun as actually playing a game system/world I already know. I have a feeling that's why Solo roleplaying is becoming more popular. In fact, they say it's even a good methodology (solo roleplaying) to initially learn a system and world. I personally haven't tried that, but I can see why.

I can see how it'd allow you to engage with a rules system in a way that just reading it may not.

 

[dragoner]

I'm not single system, though the big three to me are DnD, Trav, and BRP mostly fulfill my needs so if doing something long term in the RPG space I like those, occasionally one offs are fine depending on the subject.

 

[Umbran]

Now here's the more dangerous question to ask...is being a mono-game-system-only player healthy?

Yes it is.

To suggest otherwise is just another way to try impose a form of One Tue Way to Game. If it looks suspiciously like trying to define your own way as "right/good" and someone else's way as "bad/wrong", that thought needs to be thoroughly scrutinized for tribalism.

 

[aramis erak]

What I believe IS narrow minded, is saying "you must only like this genre" or "there's something wrong with anyone who likes that game system".

There are a few where liking the game says some deeply uncomfortable things about one...
RaHoWa and FATAL come immediately to mind.

• RaHoWa (Racial Holy War) is by and for neo-nazis/neo-fascists.
• FATAL has all kinds of disturbing mechanics for sexual violence.

Both of those imply strongly some very negative attitudes. Attitudes that would get them kicked of EnWorld, SJGames, or Citizens of the Imperium boards if they came out in a public manner.

 

[Lanefan]

True, which is why I even prefaced it with the "more dangerous question to ask". But, I think the question is sort of buried there. Why would someone only want to play one system, or even just one setting?

Because - assuming that one system does (or can be tweaked to do) what you want/need it to - doing so takes much less time and effort than learning a new system and then having to tweak that.

 

[Lanefan]

To each their own, but I personally don't think it's healthy, and would border on an obsession possibly. So I would lecture them.

You can try lecturing me all you like. Eric's Grandma wouldn't approve of my short sharp response, however, so I won't post it here.

My analogy to the food was that eating only one food type is literally not healthy for your body. Only being into one genre or worse, one specific instance of a genre is I believe also unhealthy.

I believe your belief here is highly erroneous.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

And anyone who'd say "I only play D&D" is probably not using an online forum for role-playing games. News. And reviews.

Those people have been ENWorld's bread and butter since it was Eric Noah's site for posting 3E development rumors.

Go suggest that maybe someone should play a different game than D&D if they want to play something other than heroic fantasy in the 5E forum and they will enthusiastically make your acquaintance.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

To each their own, but I personally don't think it's healthy, and would border on an obsession possibly.

Dude, you cannot diagnose someone as having a medical issue because they refuse to play RuneQuest with you and want to stick with 5E.

 

[Warpiglet-7]

To each their own, but I personally don't think it's healthy, and would border on an obsession possibly. So I would lecture them.

I realize you might get more nutrients from
Multiple fruits…

But this quote is solely “bananas.”

What on earth then would you say to the population of people that have never tried an RPG?