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D&D compared to Bespoke Genre TTRPGs
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<blockquote data-quote="Steampunkette" data-source="post: 8267846" data-attributes="member: 6796468"><p>I'd also like to weigh in on the "Hammer" Analogy.</p><p></p><p>The analogy assumes that every game system is a single tool which may or may not be specialized. It might be more accurate to think of different systems as different tool-belts. Some with specific power tools, others with manual versions of the same.</p><p></p><p>D&D has got a perfectly serviceable hammer, and a variety of different more specific hammers (Representing Combat) but it's got a single flat-tip screwdriver to represent travel and exploration. Sure you can use it for a phillps head screw but you'll have to be more careful to avoid stripping the head.</p><p></p><p>Another system might have a multi-tool with different screwdriver heads that are all more functional than a single screw driver, but more awkward to use because a screwdriver shape fits the hand nicely, and a rubber mallet instead of a good solid hammer. While a third system has a full on cordless power tool with multiple heads to cover each type of screw including Torx (But, honestly, when are you ever going to use a Torx screw to hang a painting?! You're not Elon Musk), no hammer to speak of, but also a series of specialized saws and cutting implements (To represent social systems). They're not needed for this particular painting hanging, but when you need a saw..? HOO BOY is that the toolbelt you grab!</p><p></p><p>And then you have GURPS. Which is an entire garage worth of different tools to be used in any situation but there's no way you're gonna load all the ones you actually need into a single toolbelt so you'll have to keep going back up and down the stairs to get the next set you need and honestly at that point you get so frustrated you start using screwdrivers to hammer in nails.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Steampunkette, post: 8267846, member: 6796468"] I'd also like to weigh in on the "Hammer" Analogy. The analogy assumes that every game system is a single tool which may or may not be specialized. It might be more accurate to think of different systems as different tool-belts. Some with specific power tools, others with manual versions of the same. D&D has got a perfectly serviceable hammer, and a variety of different more specific hammers (Representing Combat) but it's got a single flat-tip screwdriver to represent travel and exploration. Sure you can use it for a phillps head screw but you'll have to be more careful to avoid stripping the head. Another system might have a multi-tool with different screwdriver heads that are all more functional than a single screw driver, but more awkward to use because a screwdriver shape fits the hand nicely, and a rubber mallet instead of a good solid hammer. While a third system has a full on cordless power tool with multiple heads to cover each type of screw including Torx (But, honestly, when are you ever going to use a Torx screw to hang a painting?! You're not Elon Musk), no hammer to speak of, but also a series of specialized saws and cutting implements (To represent social systems). They're not needed for this particular painting hanging, but when you need a saw..? HOO BOY is that the toolbelt you grab! And then you have GURPS. Which is an entire garage worth of different tools to be used in any situation but there's no way you're gonna load all the ones you actually need into a single toolbelt so you'll have to keep going back up and down the stairs to get the next set you need and honestly at that point you get so frustrated you start using screwdrivers to hammer in nails. [/QUOTE]
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