D&D General Playstyle vs Mechanics

[soviet]

Without the advantage of its wide familiarity, most people would play something else besides D&D.

There. We stopped.

I disagree.

D&D has been in print continually for 50 years. It's had multiple different editions, with considerable variation in mechanics and playstyle, yet for each of those 50 years (barring potentially a short period in the 90s vs Vampire and potentially a short period in the early 2010s vs Pathfinder) D&D been inarguably the most popular RPG, by a considerable margin. Whatever else was going on in the industry, whoever owned D&D, whoever wrote D&D, whoever drew the pictures in D&D, it was always (or practically always) number one.

Your position is that each one of these different versions and editions of D&D happened to be the best designed, written, and produced RPG of its era?

Or could some other factor have contributed?

 

[Oofta]

D&D has been in print continually for 50 years. It's had multiple different editions, with considerable variation in mechanics and playstyle, yet for each of those 50 years (barring potentially a short period in the 90s vs Vampire and potentially a short period in the early 2010s vs Pathfinder) D&D been inarguably the most popular RPG, by a considerable margin. Whatever else was going on in the industry, whoever owned D&D, whoever wrote D&D, whoever drew the pictures in D&D, it was always (or practically always) number one.

Your position is that each one of these different versions and editions of D&D happened to be the best designed, written, and produced RPG of its era?

Or could some other factor have contributed?

I'm talking about the current edition.

But primarily? I'm just pointing out that if I stated "D&D is everyone's favorite game", people would disagree. Rightfully so. So why is "D&D is everyone's 2nd favorite game" acceptable?

 

[soviet]

I'm talking about the current edition.

But primarily? I'm just pointing out that if I stated "D&D is everyone's favorite game", people would disagree. Rightfully so. So why is "D&D is everyone's 2nd favorite game" acceptable?

Once again, I do not believe the phrase was meant literally, but rather to illustrate that D&D is at a minimum something that just about everyone will play. Some people's favourite. Some people's second (or third, or fourth) favourite.

The other half of this thread is you taking issue with the idea that people may be playing D&D out of ignorance of the other options. How can they both be ignorant of non-D&D options, and also all secretly prefer a non-D&D game? The position you're arguing against doesn't make sense and isn't being espoused.

 

[Oofta]

Once again, I do not believe the phrase was meant literally, but rather to illustrate that D&D is at a minimum something that just about everyone will play. Some people's favourite. Some people's second (or third, or fourth) favourite.

The other half of this thread is you taking issue with the idea that people may be playing D&D out of ignorance of the other options. How can they both be ignorant of non-D&D options, and also all secretly prefer a non-D&D game? The position you're arguing against doesn't make sense and isn't being espoused.

Then don't use the phrase. To me? It's an obvious dog whistle.

Just say what you mean. "Some people play D&D even though it isn't their favorite game."

 

[soviet]

Then don't use the phrase. To me? It's an obvious dog whistle.

Really? It's a coded phrase meant to cloak something extremely offensive? You don't think this might be an overreaction?

 

[Imaro]

Really? It's a coded phrase meant to cloak something extremely offensive? You don't think this might be an overreaction?

Its damning with faint praise.

 

[Oofta]

Really? It's a coded phrase meant to cloak something extremely offensive? You don't think this might be an overreaction?

There's no good reason to use a phrase that is, on the face of it, obviously false.

 

[hawkeyefan]

I mean… the grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the fence!

What a pointless phrase!

 

[soviet]

Its damning with faint praise.

Oh noes!

It's literally the second favourite RPG of everyone in the entire world. What a devastating insult.

 

[niklinna]

Once again, I do not believe the phrase was meant literally, but rather to illustrate that D&D is at a minimum something that just about everyone will play. Some people's favourite. Some people's second (or third, or fourth) favourite.

Well, the thread must be derailed somehow.

The other half of this thread is you taking issue with the idea that people may be playing D&D out of ignorance of the other options. How can they both be ignorant of non-D&D options, and also all secretly prefer a non-D&D game? The position you're arguing against doesn't make sense and isn't being espoused.

Or other.