D&D Edition Questionnaire?

[Mercurius]

I'd love to see someone design this: A questionnaire that recommends an edition of Dungeons & Dragons based upon answers to multiple questions. Okay, let's design one: What would some basic questions be, and how would the answers refer to specific editions? There could be a short and long version--the latter being a ton of questions, fifty or more; the former would be the ten most key of the fifty+.

So let's see questions, with multiple choice answers and, if possible, the correlating editions as a spoiler box. Let's assume six core versions: OD&D, BECMI, 1ed, 2ed, 3.xed, and 4ed, so every question would need either six possible answers, or would have to group the editions for less answer (e.g. OD&D/BECMI, 1/2ed, 3/4ed).

Have at it...

 

[Whitemouse]

I think the first thing to tackle is how the questionnaire would be set up. Should it be based on a yes/no answer or a 1 to 5 rating?

 

[Mercurius]

I think the first thing to tackle is how the questionnaire would be set up. Should it be based on a yes/no answer or a 1 to 5 rating?

Good question. First off, I was thinking multiple choice, with six possible answers to each question, each answer relating to one of the six major D&D editions. I suppose the problem with that format is two-fold: 1) Coming up with six distinct answers, and 2) finding some way to weigh the answers so that the questionnaire takes into account how important a given question is.

As for the first, I'm thinking that it shouldn't be too hard to come up with six answers, and maybe that would help decide the questions themselves--things that each edition does differently.

As for the second, maybe each question has a "sub-question" that asks how important that question was, from 1-5. So in edition to picking one of the choices, one would also rate that question in terms of importance.

 

[Irda Ranger]

Every system of D&D is pretty good, but reflects different preferences along a continuum.

Basic Rule Framework vs. A Rule For Every Occasion
"Makes Sense" Game Physics vs. Game System Balance
etc.

I would ask the pollee to make tradeoffs and match them with the system that has made the same tradeoffs.

 

[Asmor]

I think it would be a mistake to go with a different answer for each edition. Many editions share certain commonalities (e.g. Third & Fourth both have a great emphasis on miniature usage).

Better to come up with some representative questions and play it by ear. Some questions might be yes/no, some multiple choice (possibly with multiple selections), etc. Then for each answer, you decide which edition(s) best exemplify that answer.