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

[hawkeyefan]

So why does it bother you that I use the term, when I’m not trying to force you to use it?

I also note that you’ve ignored the other things I’ve written. Does that mean you agree that pemerton should have understood what I was talking about after I explained it multiple times?

It doesn't bother me that you use it. It bothers me that you expect others to immediately grasp what you're saying when they don't use the term the same way. Clearly based on the resulting conversation, there are all manner of opinions about how useful a term it is, and if it's just an everyday word or if it's jargon, and the possible differences.

I think @pemerton was asking questions not so much because of some failing on his part to understand what you were saying so much as what you were saying wasn't really making sense. Because of the various interpretations of the word encounter as mentioned above. That many others started also jumping in and offering increasingly different takes than your own didn't help the conversation any.

So no, I think we should just chalk this up to miscommunication rather than bad faith on his part, as you were insisting it must be.

To be fair, you only seem to bring up traditional games when you're accused of only liking non-traditional ones.

I freely admit that not all terms apply to all games, but if we fixate on that progressive discussion grinds to a halt IMO.

Perhaps that's true. I don't post in many D&D specific threads anymore... but that's more because, as I've tried to express in this thread, I tend to approach play and GMing from a less conservative approach. So yeah... this thread seems like it would be right in my wheelhouse, no?

What conversation ground to a halt when the questions about the meaning of encounter came up?

 

[AlViking]

That would be hard, because I don't think any TTRPGs are "incompatible" with each other. They're just different from each other.

Similar terms that have different use cases in different contexts should be discussed so that everyone can understand the contexts. Which is what we're doing here!

Do you really think how FATE works has much to do with D&D?

 

[Umbran]

To be fair, you only seem to bring up traditional games when you're accused of only liking non-traditional ones.

How often are you reading their posts and it isn't in a thread that is focused on a conflict between playstyles?

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

Sure, but I think a lot of folks enjoy and expect some kind of advancement, even if it's not the by level variety popularized by D&D. Even games like Call of Cthulhu and Cyberpunk have skill advancement, and most superhero games allow you to get stronger and/or more versatile even though that's not really what those games are about. I don't think we need to make an explicit #notallRPGs statement about liking or expecting it most of the time.

And I'm all in for a level system like pre-WotC D&D where things pretty much level off after a certain threshold. That's still real advancement for as long as it lasts.

Yeah, I always thought that D&D's leveling system is one of the best reasons it is so often used for long campaigns. It was certainly designed specifically for that purpose. Hit points are another, and they go together. Mechanically the original game, AD&D being quite similar, is well designed in that respect.

 

[Micah Sweet]

It doesn't bother me that you use it. It bothers me that you expect others to immediately grasp what you're saying when they don't use the term the same way. Clearly based on the resulting conversation, there are all manner of opinions about how useful a term it is, and if it's just an everyday word or if it's jargon, and the possible differences.

I think @pemerton was asking questions not so much because of some failing on his part to understand what you were saying so much as what you were saying wasn't really making sense. Because of the various interpretations of the word encounter as mentioned above. That many others started also jumping in and offering increasingly different takes than your own didn't help the conversation any.

So no, I think we should just chalk this up to miscommunication rather than bad faith on his part, as you were insisting it must be.



Perhaps that's true. I don't post in many D&D specific threads anymore... but that's more because, as I've tried to express in this thread, I tend to approach play and GMing from a less conservative approach. So yeah... this thread seems like it would be right in my wheelhouse, no?

What conversation ground to a halt when the questions about the meaning of encounter came up?

Talking about anything else? Honestly, I feel this thread ran its course a while back, and don't expect anyone to change their minds. It's all just subjective preference to me.

 

[Micah Sweet]

How often are you reading their posts and it isn't in a thread that is focused on a conflict between playstyles?

I used to look at threads about Narrativism in general, but I gave up on it.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Yeah, I always thought that D&D's leveling system is one of the best reasons it is so often used for long campaigns. It was certainly designed specifically for that purpose. Hit points are another, and they go together. Mechanically the original game, AD&D being quite similar, is well designed in that respect.

I don't really enjoy RPG play that isn't at least intended as a long campaign. Otherwise I'd rather just play a board or card game. To me, RPGs are synonymous with long-term campaign play. That's why I tend to get more excited at conventions about talks and dealers than about con games.

 

[Umbran]

Do you really think how FATE works has much to do with D&D?

As someone who likes them both...

Yes, but not in the way you probably mean the question.

For example, both games can produce (what I think is) a decent shot at fantasy action-adventure. So, even if they have different ways of doing it, they aren't completely alien to each other, either. They are similar enough that you can cogently compare how they each do various aspects of the genre. While there may not be a direct mechanical port from one to the other, knowing one might well inform the GM of techniques and approaches to use in the other.

 

[Umbran]

I used to look at threads about Narrativism in general, but I gave up on it.

Right, so, there's probably a selection bias involved.

From my own posts in the same threads, one might come to a similar conclusion about me. It takes some more completeness to know that I've run several of my main campaigns in Classic Deadlands, Gumshoe, D&D, and upcoming Savage Worlds - to realize I have no issue with more traditional games, either.

 

[Umbran]

but that doesn't and IMO shouldn't stop any one player from trying to be the best player on the team or even in the league

Yeah, but who wants to play at a table full of early-series Jamie Tartts?