Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="ExploderWizard" data-source="post: 6781754" data-attributes="member: 66434">Boredom can set in if there is too much repetition, and not enough risk to make things exciting. This can happen in any system, not just 5E. After all, having 12 different mechanical options at your fingertips can still be pretty boring if all of them lead to the ho-hum damage/hinder enemy, reduce HP total, rinse and repeat until the inevitable victory. Piling on more mechanical options doesn't address the underlying issues producing the boredom. D&D in its many iterations has always featured abstract combat. Static defenses, bags of hit point, etc. The design goal in doing so was in speed and ease of resolution. If we take a resolution system that was designed to be quick and dirty and fill entire game sessions with it, then we shouldn't be shocked that the repetition of a super simple process would eventually get boring. The answer then is not to rely on the mechanics to make the game interesting. The mechanics are the simplest of building blocks used to create the fun & interesting aspects of the game, which must come from the players. So mechanical aspects aside, what makes a game exciting to play? For me, uncertainty and risk create excitement no matter what the nuts and bolts of the rules are. Imagine playing a game of Texas Hold'em. In this game, there is no betting (eliminating risk), and the two cards dealt to each player are dealt face up (eliminating uncertainty). How interesting would the game be? The basic rules remain the same, and the winner is still the player with the best hand. I would be bored from the start. It is the uncertainty and the risk that make the game exciting. I look at D&D the same way. For me if the game is overly concerned with story continuity at the expense of real risk and uncertainty then its hard to muster up any real excitement. No matter intricate the mechanics are the game lacks the crucial elements that make play exciting. Step one to eliminating boredom is a group committed to wanting exciting game play. Once you have that, any rules you are using can be tweaked and adjusted to provide that.</blockquote>

Verification