Are our tastes set?

1E and the Tom Moldvay Basic set was my baptism as player...but as a DM 2E ruled...I really loved the boxed sets of that era, (Spelljammer, Birthright, Dark Sun,etc). But it is the Carl Sargent era Greyhawk that really sits in my heart ( From the Ashes and the various supplements such as Scarlet Brotherhood and Ivid the Undying).
 

log in or register to remove this ad

Like some others here, I played 1e first but DM'd first with 2e. Unlike many people here, I have moved to each edition as they have dropped. Always current. With some specific rules exceptions, I have always enjoyed whatever is new. I'd honestly rather change than be stuck with any single version.
 

No, tastes are not set in stone.

I started with B/X in 1981, played all editions of D&D and for many years I believed 2e was my favourite. I kept playing the current editions because that is what people want to play. But I always wanted to go back to 2e. I cherish the idealized memory of the long hours spent playing with my friends. It was my longest and best campaign.

For the last two years, I've soloed through all of them. Much to my surprise I prefer D&D 3.5. It's the rule set I use to solo when I need my D&D fix.
 

I think one of the strangest things in this hobby is the willingness of so many people to commit themselves to being one type of gamer or another. Like, their preferences are always X,Y, and Z. To me that's like saying I'm a ham-and-cheese-sandwich eater, or a Star Wars film watcher. I mean, maybe those are my favourites within those categories, but I also like chocolate ice cream and Paul Thomas Anderson.
 

I think one of the strangest things in this hobby is the willingness of so many people to commit themselves to being one type of gamer or another. Like, their preferences are always X,Y, and Z. To me that's like saying I'm a ham-and-cheese-sandwich eater, or a Star Wars film watcher. I mean, maybe those are my favourites within those categories, but I also like chocolate ice cream and Paul Thomas Anderson.
This is also strange to me. It's not something that I usually find in the boardgame sphere. Sure you have dedicated chess or backgammon players. But I don't think that I have ever encountered a Monopoly or Settlers of Catan only player. Or people who only play deck-building boardgames.

I like and play different types of TTRPGs. I don't view myself as a D&D-only, OSR only, or gamist/simulationist/narrative-only (pick one) gamer. There are TTRPGs that I play when I want more of an OSR style game experience. There are TTRPGs that I play when I want more character-driven dramatic action. There are TTRPGs that I play when I want to play a cool character concept reflected in the mechanics. There are TTRPGs that I play when I don't care what happens to my character.

This is something that has expanded with time and with abandoning the idea of a single "perfect" system/game that somehow fulfills everything that I want out of tabletop gaming.
 

I think one of the strangest things in this hobby is the willingness of so many people to commit themselves to being one type of gamer or another. Like, their preferences are always X,Y, and Z. To me that's like saying I'm a ham-and-cheese-sandwich eater, or a Star Wars film watcher. I mean, maybe those are my favourites within those categories, but I also like chocolate ice cream and Paul Thomas Anderson.

For some, the social gathering is more important than the system itself. Bridge players get together for years and never play another card game. In a way I envy them.

RPGs are different from other types of games because you create stories. You can play forever, as long as the DM and the players keep it interesting for each other, the rule system becomes effortless. That in itself is very appealing.
 




Are our tastes set?
No. But our (perceived) likes might be. Keep in mind that certain things not only have a functional/aesthetic value to us, but also an emotional one. We use words like nostalgia, which is essentially a high emotional attachment to something. That attachment might be due to it being your 'first', it might be because it was in a (perceived) more fun/saver/simpler time of your life...

But how much such things influence our taste really depends on the person. For me I recognize that I have nostalgic feelings toward the old 2e stuff I grew up in (RPG wise), but absolutely recognize that it isn't the perfect game nor was it a perfect time. D&D Red Box or 2E aren't the version of D&D I would play if I could play only one version of D&D, nor would that be Red Box, 3(.5)E, certainly not 4E, maybe 5E but I also don't think it's the best, but it's better then the rest. My best version of D&D would be something between 3.5E and 5E. Maybe the new 5.5E is my perfect D&D, maybe 6E in another decade, maybe no version of D&D will be perfect...

How or if our 'tastes' change also depends on how we develop. We might value our time differently, we might value money differently, we might prioritize other things before our hobbies (like a family, work, etc.). After 35+ years of D&D and other RPGs certainly my tastes have changed, it's not the oldest stuff, it's not the newest stuff. Often I like older fluff over newer fluff of established IPs. But game mechanics I often like newer, not for everything, because sometimes people make things too simple... It also depends on what I'm in the mood for. It's not all D&D, all the time...

I liked Pathfinder for the longest time and the new PF2e Core looks interesting but effectively having an 800 page PHB (Core and Core 2) might be a little too crunchy... ;) On the other hand, I get exposed to things like Wildsea, Mothership, Spire/Heart, Blades in the Dark, Kids on Bikes, etc. And sometimes RPGs just go into a direction I don't really like anymore, Shadowrun is a good example of that. I'm not mechanically charmed by the new editions and the changes to the setting certainly don't have me exited... That just means for me I can still like an old thing, but there are also new, new things I really like. And almost feel obliged to stay 'loyal' to D&D, because to our group it's a kind of 'save space', a 'neutral ground' if you will for us all. Even when we make excusions to other games, we always come back to D&D...
 

Trending content

Remove ads

Top