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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Guest&nbsp; 85555" data-source="post: 8552182">I am a little perplexed by the response to this. Like a lot of things, it seems it is quickly getting siloed into two camps, and both seem to have outrage in common over the other side. I think that is ashame, because there is definitely room to have a healthy discussion about viable, non-D&D systems in the hobby. Personally I loved the Cubicle 7 Doctor Who system. I thought it was one of the best genre emulation RPGs out there (and it has inspired me in my own design). So I think people reacting to the announcement that they are putting out a 5E version, especially if they are fans of the current system, is fair. Going beyond that, like dragging the designers through the mud on twitter or something, clearly isn't fair. But I do think we are in danger of having no discussion about these things when they happen because of this siloing thing into a good camp and a bad camp. My view on the ubiquity of D&D: it is a double edged sword. I think there is no question it is the main system out there. I think that it is the amin system, not just because it was first or as an accident of history but because it works. It does something very well and I find whenever I go back to it, I can always reliably run a good adventure/session/campaign. I know what to prep. All the elements of the game work really well on the preparation side and the play side. And there is something fun about the way the characters advance over the course of the game.So I like D&D, but I also like other systems (and full disclosure I publish other systems myself). I remember the d20 boom, and it had some value in a lot of ways. But I also found that extremely boring, especially coming from gaming between 1986 thought the 90s, where it always seemed like there were viable games you could get a group to try. Post d20, getting people to try anything other than pathfinder or D&D was extremely hard. But that changed a bit. You had the OSR, which was still doing D&D but bringing in some really cool and different ideas. You had stuff like Numenera and Savage Worlds gained more of an audience. And you started to see all the Powered by Apocalypse games. I realize the timeline isn't 100% perfect here. Savage worlds has been out for some time. But the point is, I feel like we were getting back to a place where yes, D&D was the unquestioned elephant in the room, but there were pockets of fandom for other games. Maybe that is just my narrow view from my neck of the woods and it was different in other places of course. So I think why people are a little uneasy about this announcements, is it may be heralding a shift. Because you are seeing a company that arguably has one of the better 'not-D&D' lines out there and it is now apparently going to make a 5E version (I am still unclear on exactly what they are designing though so open to correction on this). Being concerned about that as a development, or feeling like you don't think it is a good idea for them to do this because it may result in the supplanting of the current Vortex system with the 5E version if the latter is really successful (which I imagine it will be). Now we can say 'that is just businesses making money' and it is true, but this is also a hobby and those of us who remember periods where there was a richer landscape of alternatives I think aren't just reacting to be mean (and to be clear, I don't think they are doing anything wrong, or that the designers should be judged for making a game based on 5E-----I just find the news a little disappointing). And that dissapointement isn't even necessarily a comment on their decision to do this, as this might just be a byproduct of 5E becoming so successful they basically have to if they want to remain in the game. I just hope we aren't returning to a period like the one we had at the height of d20 personally</blockquote>

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