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Message: <blockquote data-quote="overgeeked" data-source="post: 9656775" data-attributes="member: 86653">Yes, absolutely. <a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/what-can-d-d-5e-learn-from-video-games.699202/page-12#post-9237623" target="_blank">I posted about this a while ago in another thread</a> so I won't repost that all here. This also applies to the rules of the game.In about 40 years of playing these games, they fall into a distinct pattern. The more rules you have, the more the players and referee will expend energy to follow them. Unless those rules themselves directly promote creativity, the players and referee will not typically be creative as a result of heavier rules. Regardless of the genre, players and referees tend to be far more creative with fewer rules. It's anecdotal, sure, but it is absolutely my experience.Case in point. The exact same D&D group playing 4E, 5E, DCC RPG, and B/X...in that order from about 2008 until last week.In 4E, the only thing that mattered was following the rules. All of them. Didn't matter how long it took to resolve something, we stopped play to find out how it should be done. We played that way from release day in 2008 to the first 5E playtest packet dropping. Most rules questions were answered with "On page 256, paragraph 3, line 2, it says..."In 5E, once we got the gist of the rules down, we were a lot more loose with things. Sure you can improv an action, roll this. Sure you can make a new spell, here's the guidelines. Etc. Some variation there, of course. But we were a lot freer. Stuck to the rules for the most part, but ignored them when we needed to. Most rules questions were answered with "The rules say X, but..."In DCC RPG, we cut loose. It didn't matter what the rules actually said 90% of the time. What the referee said goes. Is it more fun to improv a crit or check the tables? We went with what's fun. Improv a spell result as long as it's vaguely within the bounds of the rolled result? Sure, why not. Improvised actions all over, especially from the warriors and dwarfs with their mighty deeds. Most rules questions were answered with "It's more fun this way."In B/X, we made characters and stopped looking at the books after that except to remind us what spells did. That's it. Can the thief do that? Sure, why not. Maybe make a roll to see if it's really iffy. Can the fighter do that? Sure, why not. Maybe make a roll to see if it's really iffy. Etc.TL;DR: The more blanks you leave for the players and referee to fill in, the more creative they can be at the table.</blockquote>

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