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  1. dbm

    When Is a RPG "Complete" From a Publishing Perspective?

    Looks at shelves of Savage Worlds books; looks at list of six active Pinnacle crowd funding campaigns I’d like to think there is a point of ‘enough’ but I haven’t found it yet… I like buying new content, it’s a fun part of the hobby for me. Endless possibilities.
  2. dbm

    Contemporary Simulationist TTRPGs [+]

    Yes, I am well aware of that. You seem to have forgotten early when you were defining an encounter as: Which was as unworkable as self-charging smart phones. Answer me this: what law of nature means that a fighter can attempt ‘Spinning Sweep’ exactly once between 5 minute rests? Don’t worry...
  3. dbm

    Contemporary Simulationist TTRPGs [+]

    Does its battery recharge when you move from room to room? Because that’s what ‘encounter based powers’ do.
  4. dbm

    Contemporary Simulationist TTRPGs [+]

    First, no game is 100% any style of game, that was the main error of the Forge IMO - that they wanted games to be pretty much one thing only. Abstraction is an interesting concept in game systems, and it starts to move away from simulation in my mind. Consider super powers as a genre. When...
  5. dbm

    Contemporary Simulationist TTRPGs [+]

    You are missing my point. Your position was that encounter based duration was simulationist. My point is that there is nothing which a character can observe which defines an ‘encounter’ and so that only exists in either the context of the game (‘roll initiative’) or a scene. So such a rule is...
  6. dbm

    Contemporary Simulationist TTRPGs [+]

    And when does that happen? Could it be:
  7. dbm

    Contemporary Simulationist TTRPGs [+]

    So how long does it last then? What are the parameters? Where is that described in the rule book? If it’s a simulation you can explain it to me.
  8. dbm

    Contemporary Simulationist TTRPGs [+]

    When does a fight end? What if one combatant runs away and hides? Is it over? What if they sneak around and attack the party unexpectedly? Is that the same fight or a new one? There is no empirical measure that can define that. It would be a GM call. And so there is no game-world law which would...
  9. dbm

    Contemporary Simulationist TTRPGs [+]

    Ars Magica spell durations such as ‘sun’ (spell expires at sunrise or sunset) would be a simulationist mechanism from my perspective as it corresponds to a real thing in the game world. A spell duration based on time (even if that time is expressed in rounds which are in turn expressed in...
  10. dbm

    Contemporary Simulationist TTRPGs [+]

    A ‘game day’ is by nature a game construct, not a world construct. That makes it a ‘gamist mechanism’ rather than a ‘simulationist mechanism’ in my mind.
  11. dbm

    Survey Says TTRPGs Bring Mental Health, Romance, and Friendship

    I hear what people are saying about any hobby being potentially beneficial. I think TTRPGs have a more unusual benefit of being a cooperative game where you support your fellow players and all work together towards a common goal. I feel that would give it an edge over purely competitive hobbies...
  12. dbm

    Survey Says TTRPGs Bring Mental Health, Romance, and Friendship

    In my gaming group I have one friend of about 43 years, and two of 39 years. So I would definitely say TTRPGs help support friendships. I think this is particularly relevant for men as we seem to focus our friendships around doing things together.
  13. dbm

    Contemporary Simulationist TTRPGs [+]

    It hasn’t finished cooking yet but The Broken Empires will be a new ’sim-lite’ RPG when it arrives. This is a new system which aims to be simulations but without going to extremes of detail that would slow down play. It’s uses a d100 ‘Blackjack’ mechanic for its core resolution, with most...
  14. dbm

    Possible Paradigm: Class/Level-based vs. setting-based

    Class and level versus point-buy is a fairly well established spectrum of character system. There are definitely different degrees, though. GURPS is completely free of mechanical constraints, only what the GM decides. HERO has the concept of restrictions on points in different categories to...
  15. dbm

    So what's the deal with solo gaming?

    I’ve just started trying out solo role-playing as I currently have some spare hobby time available. I have quite a few solo board games and have been enjoying those but they are more limited than TTRPGs. Having watched some solo RPG gaming on YT I was already familiar with the concept and...
  16. dbm

    I think it is time for a break.

    I’ve just started solo role-playing. It’s a really interesting experience, like being both the GM and player at the same time, though using oracles means you aren’t totally in control of what happens as a GM might be.
  17. dbm

    I think it is time for a break.

    Changing things up definitely helps me recharge batteries. I am fortunate in having two long-term, stable groups (with a large overlap between them). In total we have about 4.5 rotating GMs so we all get to play a big chunk of the time. The groups are also open to playing a range of different...
  18. dbm

    What rpg system would you use for a 60+ session fantasy campaign?

    RM character creation is certainly its own thing. One time, a player joined our group so made something like a fifth level ranger and jumped in to play. Unfortunately they hadn't noticed you need to buy skill-levels in hit points (‘body development’) so they went down in the first round of...
  19. dbm

    Limited Run Systems

    I think it depends on what the hypothetical you is taking enjoyment from. If you want mechanical variation and novelty of mechanical challenges (and the GM isn’t interested in making new things) then there will be a point where you feel there is nothing new left to experience. Some systems are...
  20. dbm

    Invincible RPG Announced by Free League

    Those stats look right. The mechanics are presumably designed to encourage people to push…
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