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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Faolyn" data-source="post: 9598234" data-attributes="member: 6915329">So here's the next question: How do you know that the "individual design" of other games aren't present in D&D (or whatever), but you're so used to D&D (or whatever other system you consider to be good) that it no longer bothers you? I already addressed the problem with trap feats/archetypes/classes, and that's a big one--but you're probably used to them. You know what to take and what to avoid. You've seen dozens of threads or videos showing you workarounds. You know how the math works in D&D.My group rotates GMs, and we just got to a stopping point in Masks (a PbtA game, if you didn't know) and last week just started up D&D again. And some of the issues I have with D&D came and smacked me in the face. Did I screw up when I multiclassed to Fighter? Should I take another level in Fighter next time they level up, or should I wait until after I get their next Rogue archetype ability? Did I screw up when I took a feat instead of upping stats? My character really need higher Int and Cha for class/archetype reasons, but Piercer is so good for damage as a duelist. My character and another PC (a monk) are both Dex-based with equal scores. Am I keeping up? Am I contributing as much as I can? Is that player stepping on my niche because their background or archetype or whatever gave them thieves' tools and they're better at them than I am? Whereas for my Masks character, my biggest question is, which move should I take at my next advancement that would best explore the idea that she's losing control over her powers and turning monstrous? I've been playing D&D since 2e, and am definitely used to it, but taking a break from the game to play and run other systems helped to really put the game in perspective.I really do think it's because you're used to D&D. But at any rate, this is 100% a player issue and 0% a system issue. If you have a player who gets angry because their build isn't as good as it could have been, or isn't as good as someone else's, then they would also get angry for any other reason, regardless of system.I think the biggest problem with WoD games is that they're clearly meant to be fiction-first games but were created during the mechanics-first era, and now they're locked in because people will be annoyed if they decide to start putting out WoD books using a system that's more like Fate or PbtA.But considering that literal decades have passed since it came out, I think they're pretty aware of what "impact" they have on tables. It's kind of silly to think they're oblivious. I think the problem is that you're trying to create a "perfect" character--whatever you're defining perfect as--in a game where your flaws and weaknesses are important.There's a huge spectrum of games, with "tactical combat-focused" on one end and "completely non-violent social drama" on the other, and thousands of points between those two. There's probably other axial dimensions as well. You, or certain people at your table, are specced for games (if you'll pardon the phrase) at one point on those axes. If you play a game on a completely different part of those axes, it's not the game's fault if you bounce off it. Maybe it's not common. Maybe I'm just really lucky with my table. But is that a good reason to dismiss the idea? If you see that Bob is having problems with something, take him aside and ask him to confide in you. If you see that the table is having problems with something, start a discussion about it. Be the change, yadda yadda.</blockquote>

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