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You ever had one of those sessions where it seems like the whole thing is spent determining which PC gets the single shiny item of loot? Yeah, well this is sort of like that. Only planned that way so it doesn't suck like a bunch of players bickering tends to. The adventure and it multitude of...

The really funny thing? The basic Burning Wheel demo module is effectively a 10'x10' room with one loot item and no Orc. That's it. P.S. The module suggests that you can place spider, or troll, or a couple other options. But that's entirely optional.

I'm just in the middle of one of my groups sorting out the fallout of that approach. They are a bunch of friends, although none were friends before first playing with them. We never really got to that point till a few months back when the accumulated backlog of just waiting for the next campaign...

AD&D and D&D has always been primarily PC vs. NPC with a side of touch of PC vs. environment (traps, cold, etc. as set up by the DM) and a garnish of PC vs. PC. It's historical roots are actually in PC vs. PC. PC vs. NPC/environment/PC of course all being totally legitamate in D&D, while...

It obviously isn't what he is thinking of. Because the system in question, Burning Wheel, uses an opposed skill check when you are acting against someone or something (be it Strike, Lock, Push, etc.) that is allowed a roll. I.E., not a rock.

Oops, missed that bit of comedy. Pure Ron. Just when I didn't think the hair could get any thinner you take another run at it. :p That's what I said. So even when D&D, or some other RPG, cocks something up really bad and the designer goes and builds it differently it is all about. Um, D&D...

....which all too often then ends up in a pathological game of brinkmanship. "Ya, well I'm GAWD of the table, and say this." "Ya, well then I quit." :confused: With much fustration and unhappiness building up to get to that point. P.S. The DM is actually running the jury too, and the...

Unfortunately the DM is in a direct conflict of interest right now. He controls both the rules and the NPCs. Judge and prosecutor. Yes, I suppose you could remove either one to lessen the conflict of interest. As I see it; Removing the rules from the DM's control, good. Removing NPCs from their...

You use of the word complex concerned me. 'Complex' meaning hard to read and adjudicate the rules even when you are reading straight from the text is the part to reduce. Complex as in hard to see the future when applying the rules is something else entirely, and typically seen as a 'good'...

Less subjective. There being different means to achive that end.

That thinking of the GM as the 'server' is mired in the current separation of DM from players. Removing some or all of the burdens actually frees the DM to play. They don't have to pull punches so much. They can go hard. Their role can become much closer to "equal but different".

That is not what I'm talking about at all. This isn't about preparation time, or even nessasarily complexity of the senario. This is about the rules more as the judge than the DM and the DM as more akin to a player. That is not automatically tied to raising/lowering complexity, even if there...

Just as I mentioned back in the Noah thread. Not only is it a very healthy improvement to the game, it is nearly certain to evoke the biggest negative reaction from customers. At least relative to whatever change is made. Especially from DMs. Because all those years of not trusting the rules...

It certainly isn't a lock. They got out firsted a number of times after that, and never really saw it as their core. Generally with the more money and more growth potential that there is the more viable competitors you will see. How much money and growth potential is there in pen and paper...

You need to go back to his posts though. Even if the game is something else D&D is at the heart of it. It's more akin to crediting the creator of the first loaf of leaven bread with the creation of the automobile. Splitting hairs into meaninglessness. Hello Ron. ;) Strike isn't the base...

Eyebeam, your projection is now just brutally obvious. Strike is treated on the exact same level as those other actions. The 'bells and whistles' as you call them are just different effects. Which makes perfectly good sense to have different effects, because those types of actions are for...

Huh? Both of those system use a fundementally different combat paradigm than the "my turn, then your turn" that D&D uses. They even use a different paradigm from each other. They also drop to the next granularity level below D&D and, I know at least in Burning Wheel, the "grappling" is part of...

Yes, usually. Except for this one that is really just poll. Plus it's funny not to read this one. Though I feel quite certain I'm not the first to make the joke. :eek:

...and blame. ;) Seriously though, I don't think his intention was to confuse or be confusing. He was just talking about something else, and from my brief exposure to him he tends to use a page where a sentence will do. I've got in my inbox an email from him that in a screen and half, 8 point...

Ron, in his ever overanalyzing way :) , is talking about roleplaying the concept. D&D was the first 'RPG' pen and paper product to market (or very, very close). Tekumel had, at the least, setting issues. Sure it is fresh to some people now, but back when RPGs were relatively new every genre...