Doug McCrae
Legend
I've been playing a PC game called King's Bounty and it has some interesting mechanics - Rage and Mana. Both can be spent to cast spells. Rage is generated by fighting and declines when you're out of combat. Mana mostly only regenerates out of combat. So Mana encourages you to rest between fights (like Vancian magic) whereas Rage encourages you to press on.
It shows that, purely thru mechanical means, a system can encourage the 'press on' or '15-minute day' styles of play. D&D has mostly had a Mana type of mechanic. Any encouragement to press on, or conserve resources, does not come from the system, but from the DM/world/consequences.
4e has something like a Rage mechanic in Action Points, but they probably need to be strengthened a bit before one would see the end of the 15-minute day.
One could even imagine a D&D where there was no Mana-type mechanic, only Rage. Every fight makes you better and better, like the Incredible Hulk. It would need something to prevent such a process getting out of hand. But such a mechanic, if sufficiently strong, would certainly spell the end of the 15-minute day.
World of Warcraft also has Rage and Mana tho they are the preserve of different classes, leading to an interesting contrast of styles. Warriors have Rage and are thus incentivised to press on. Several caster classes have mana and are thus incentivised to rest.
D&D - Not videogame-y enough!
It shows that, purely thru mechanical means, a system can encourage the 'press on' or '15-minute day' styles of play. D&D has mostly had a Mana type of mechanic. Any encouragement to press on, or conserve resources, does not come from the system, but from the DM/world/consequences.
4e has something like a Rage mechanic in Action Points, but they probably need to be strengthened a bit before one would see the end of the 15-minute day.
One could even imagine a D&D where there was no Mana-type mechanic, only Rage. Every fight makes you better and better, like the Incredible Hulk. It would need something to prevent such a process getting out of hand. But such a mechanic, if sufficiently strong, would certainly spell the end of the 15-minute day.
World of Warcraft also has Rage and Mana tho they are the preserve of different classes, leading to an interesting contrast of styles. Warriors have Rage and are thus incentivised to press on. Several caster classes have mana and are thus incentivised to rest.
D&D - Not videogame-y enough!