D&D General A Rant: DMing is not hard.

[Cadence]

RE: Things from a few posts above...

There are bridge players and there are card players. Getting a group of the former to try spades and hearts and canasta feels non-trivial (although some might also play a few other card games). Similar for chess players vs. board gamers; MtG players vs CCG players; etc...

I'm never quite sure why D&D players vs. ttRPGers would be different.

Is it something about the nature of the class of games? The people who play them? The history of the discussion boards for them? etc... that makes it come up a lot for D&D vs. other ttRPGs?

Is there something similar going on with D&D players (only player players) and D&D players (both player and DM)? What makes a bridge between the two sides small enough to get a lot of people to jump. (How many soccer/football players play everything but goalie vs. everything? Everything in baseball except pitcher vs. everything?)

 

[AlViking]

If someone wants to play badly enough, then they can offer to DM.

This is how I started as a DM.

The reason that there is not a balance is that people would rather complain than step up to the role. It is not hard but it is a lot more work than making a character and showing up on time.

If folks cannot find a DM and they want to play, then look in a mirror.

There are some people who cannot, or perhaps should not, DM. But out of a half dozen people interested in playing? I find it hard to believe that one of them is not capable.

 

[SableWyvern]

RE: Things from a few posts above...

There are bridge players and there are card players. Getting a group of the former to try spades and hearts and canasta feels non-trivial (although some might also play a few other card games. Similar for chess players vs. board gamers; MtG players vs CCG players; etc...

I'm never quite sure why D&D players vs. ttRPGers would be different.

Is it something about the nature of the class of games? The people who play them? The history of the discussion boards for them?

It seems like a fair comparison to me; it's perfectly reasonable to stick with a game you're having fun with.

As best I can tell, the only reason "you have to try other games" is such a big thing in the hobby comes down to the fact that some people, who want to play different games but can only find D&D players, want to convince everyone that people who only want to play D&D are deficient in some way.

This is why it tends to be phrased in ways that suggest branching out is for the player's own good, while not branching out is based on stubbornness and ignorance. I've seen a sense of moral superiority play into it in some cases, as well.

 

[prabe]

RE: Things from a few posts above...

There are bridge players and there are card players. Getting a group of the former to try spades and hearts and canasta feels non-trivial (although some might also play a few other card games. Similar for chess players vs. board gamers; MtG players vs CCG players; etc...

I'm never quite sure why D&D players vs. ttRPGers would be different.

Is it something about the nature of the class of games? The people who play them? The history of the discussion boards for them?

On the one hand, I'd expect people who enjoyed one trick-taking game to enjoy several. On the other hand, bridge specifically has some complexity especially around the bidding and its use as communication--and that might be a thing people who were really into bridge might not be eager to miss out on.

One of the thoughts I have seen around is that someone who learns (for example) D&D 5e as their first TRPG might be at least a little intimidated at the idea of learning another game that complicated. No, it's not as complicated as some other TRPGs I've played, but that's not the point I'm getting at.

 

[Hussar]

In my experience DMs outnumber players by something like 5 to 1

You honestly believe that DM's outnumber players by 5:1? Or is that a typo.

 

[Scribe]

MtG players vs CCG players

40K vs TT Minatures.

People get invested.

 

[AlViking]

You honestly believe that DM's outnumber players by 5:1? Or is that a typo.

Ass-backwards. I'll fix it.

 

[GrimCo]

(How many soccer/football players play everything but goalie vs. everything?

I think that better analogy would be - how many football players also play handball/basketball/waterpolo? On the recreational level, maybe few. On amateur level - almost none. People usually pick one sport and stick with it. Why would it be any different with ttrpgs? D&D is like football, big gorilla, most players and most popular, but there are other sports/ttrpgs out there.

 

[Cadence]

40K vs TT Minatures.

People get invested.

Literaly!

 

[AlViking]

I think that better analogy would be - how many football players also play handball/basketball/waterpolo? On the recreational level, maybe few. On amateur level - almost none. People usually pick one sport and stick with it. Why would it be any different with ttrpgs? D&D is like football, big gorilla, most players and most popular, but there are other sports/ttrpgs out there.

But why does it always come off as "People who only play D&D ____" where the blank is "are afraid to try other games", "stick with the game because it's all they know", "would play other games is the only understood what those games are like". I'll never say people shouldn't play whatever game they want, personally I enjoy D&D 5e and see no particular reason to go to cost and effort to switch.