D&D General [rant]The conservatism of D&D fans is exhausting.

[TiQuinn]

Bad gaming might be worse than no gaming, but there's a pretty broad spectrum of "good enough" gaming before you reach that point.

 

[AnotherGuy]

Bad gaming might be worse than no gaming, but there's a pretty broad spectrum of "good enough" gaming before you reach that point.

Yes, but sometimes joining a bad game allows you to network.
I once was part of a group that was not to my taste, but I sourced 3 players from that group for my own campaign.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

@EzekielRaiden

I think people are conflating dissatisfied with "unhappy". Those are two different degrees of emotion IME, with unhappy being "worse" than simply dissatisfied.

Dissatisfied is a measure of contentment, happiness is a measure of joy.

While dissatisfied could lead to uphappy, it does not follow it must. I am dissatisfied with my 5E game which is mostly RAW due to newer players joining, but I am very far from unhappy with it!

Dissatisfied:

1. not satisfied or pleased; discontented.
2. showing dissatisfaction:
   a dissatisfied look.

That kicks the can to "dissatisfaction":

1. the state or attitude of not being satisfied; discontent; displeasure.
   Synonyms: uneasiness, disapproval, disappointment
2. a particular cause or feeling of displeasure or disappointment:
   many dissatisfactions with the plan

By definition, it involves the state or attitude of displeasure. And "displeasure": "dissatisfaction, disapproval, or annoyance. Synonyms: vexation, indignation, dislike, distaste".

 

[TiQuinn]

You can solo game. But I admit that 1) it might not count as "running" and 2) it's not going to feel the same.

I really gotta try a couple of true solo games because I keep hearing about some good things happening with recent games in this space.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Did it end before it found its legs? What happened to the rest of the group?
A DM is but 1 person at the table, surely the rest of you could have made a go of it?

I kept contact with a couple of them but we were being realists about the likelihood of finding a new DM willing to take over for something so particular (a sci-fantasy game with 4e D&D and a bunch of established lore).

 

[ezo]

I'm going to say that's only true if you have a large pool of potential players and no other obligations to said players.

<snip>

In that, I'd rather play something everyone likes (even if it wasn't my hypothetical first choice) than sit home alone on a Saturday night.

So it isn't only true if you have a large pool of potential players... it is also true if you're happier sitting home alone on a Saturday night.

In my case, if my players all decided "We're playing 3E or 5e 2024, not 2014" I would rather sit home alone and watch a movie, listen to music, read, draw, etc. than DM or play in a game I don't care for.

 

[ezo]

Dissatisfied:

1. not satisfied or pleased; discontented.
2. showing dissatisfaction:
   a dissatisfied look.

That kicks the can to "dissatisfaction":

1. the state or attitude of not being satisfied; discontent; displeasure.
   Synonyms: uneasiness, disapproval, disappointment
2. a particular cause or feeling of displeasure or disappointment:
   many dissatisfactions with the plan

By definition, it involves the state or attitude of displeasure. And "displeasure": "dissatisfaction, disapproval, or annoyance. Synonyms: vexation, indignation, dislike, distaste".

Sigh... yeah, "definitions"...

Anyway, none of this is "unhappiness". Again, happiness is about JOY, not contentment. Very differenent things.

 

[BrokenTwin]

You can solo game. But I admit that 1) it might not count as "running" and 2) it's not going to feel the same.

Yeah, I thought about that, and I keep meaning to try solo RPGing myself at some point (mostly because of the broad library of RPGs I'll never get to play otherwise), but I personally think of solo RPGing as a related but separate hobby from the main TTRPG space. Midway between the TTRPG space and the journaling/creative writing space. The interaction (and compromises ) with other people around the table (virtual or physical) in a shared imaginative world is what really makes the hobby for me.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Sigh... yeah, "definitions"...

Anyway, none of this is "unhappiness". Again, happiness is about JOY, not contentment. Very differenent things.

"Dissatisfied" counts "unhappy" as one of its synonyms in essentially every thesaurus I can find.

They may be subtly distinct things, but because their meanings are very similar and will (very frequently) be used interchangeably, saying "compromise always leaves everyone dissatisfied" will make a LOT of people think "oh, if I compromise, I will be unhappy."

I also disagree that happiness is exclusively about "joy". It can also be about being pleased with something. So if you aren't happy...you are displeased. Which is used, repeatedly, in the definition of "dissatisfied." Hence, the two are much more closely linked than you give any credit for. People are 100% guaranteed to hear "dissatisfied" and think "unhappy." Not everyone! But lots and lots. Far too many to write it off as an inconsequential nothing.

 

[Belen]

In my case, if my players all decided "We're playing 3E or 5e 2024, not 2014" I would rather sit home alone and watch a movie, listen to music, read, draw, etc. than DM or play in a game I don't care for.

I stopped being a DM for games that do not interest me. I spent years running games because I felt it was my duty to ensure that my friends were happy and got to play. It was constantly burning me out.

It is like having a bunch of friends where you are the only person keeping the friendship intact. If people cannot make the effort to stay in touch, then is it really a friendship? If you're the only person making the effort, then that is the problem.

This happened with a lot of games. I would spend hours prepping, writing content, etc and then have someone show up and not even bother leveling their character before the session started. It was exhausting and it sucked the fun out of the game.

Now, I have a pretty wide range of games that I can run or play if needed: 5.0, 2e, Star Wars Saga, Cypher, Savage Worlds, C&C, d20 Modern, Vaesen, Everyday Heroes....