D&D General Explain 5(.5)e to me

[GothmogIV]

I mean, I could take a whack at it point by point, or I can just go to...



Nope.
I mean, lots of people play videogames. You're right there.
I play videogames. I have played D&D since 1982, and T&T before that. I play and run 5e gladly.
I don't find 5e to be like playing a videogame. I don't think many fans of 5e would say, "I like it because it is like a videogame, for me".



I can't say what's getting in your way - I don't really know you, or your experience with the current game. But, specifically since you are asking, I suppose I can speculate.

I can say that I have found, "Like a videogame" from many people turns out to be an emotional reaction, rather than a well-considered, thoughtful comparison of the play experience of videogames and any RPG. I don't know if it is with you, or not.

But, there may be some element of that in play. It is known that humans often react negatively to change, even when that change is beneficial. So, perhaps, you are letting a negative reaction to the fact that stuff changed get in the way of seeing the thing for what it actually is.

Deep thoughts from Medford. Well said, Umbran.

 

[dave2008]

This is not a troll post. I am asking legitimately out of curiosity, and maybe a bit of wistfulness: why is 5e (and the newest iteration, 2024...5.5e) fun?
Background: the other day I looked on D&D Beyond and saw their new(ish) map feature. Since I play online with my friends pretty much exclusively, I was impressed to see how workable the VTT is. The map. The tokens. The turn order. The encounter builder. It's all just done for the GM and players. So freaking cool.
But: my crew and I, a bunch of grogs in our 50s, played 5e a few times and didn't find it to our liking. Characters were too powerful too quickly, the action economy is... let's say busy (readied action, action, bonus action, reaction), and the character options just an endless parade of race, subrace, class, subclass, with an inexhaustible list of mechanical stuff PCs could do just by rolling a die (vs. role playing, or having to think about what they wanted to do). It all felt like a video game to us.
But, people love it. Just love it. So my question is...why? What is it about this particular rule set and edition that makes it so fun? Is it because this is the only edition many people have played, and don't know any of the old ways? Or is it because so many people play video games, and 5e is sort of analogous?
I love Dungeons&Dragons as a concept, and I have since I was 11 years old (a very long time ago!) I feel like I am missing out on something because I am either too set in my ways, or missing some critical concept(s) in 5e. Help a brother out, friends.
And to reiterate: NOT looking to fight, or explain to anyone "why I am right." Just help me see it through the eyes of those who love it.
Because I want to love it, too.

IDK, we play 5e pretty much the same way we played 1e 40 years ago. For me, as the DM, it is a lot easier to run a 5e game than a 1e game and the art is better. I also like design of monsters better in 5e (generally).

 

[Mort]

This is not a troll post. I am asking legitimately out of curiosity, and maybe a bit of wistfulness: why is 5e (and the newest iteration, 2024...5.5e) fun?
Background: the other day I looked on D&D Beyond and saw their new(ish) map feature. Since I play online with my friends pretty much exclusively, I was impressed to see how workable the VTT is. The map. The tokens. The turn order. The encounter builder. It's all just done for the GM and players. So freaking cool.

I've found Maps on Beyond much easier than Roll20 which I had been using previously. It's a simple yet very useful VTT.

But: my crew and I, a bunch of grogs in our 50s, played 5e a few times and didn't find it to our liking. Characters were too powerful too quickly, the action economy is... let's say busy (readied action, action, bonus action, reaction), and the character options just an endless parade of race, subrace, class, subclass, with an inexhaustible list of mechanical stuff PCs could do just by rolling a die (vs. role playing, or having to think about what they wanted to do). It all felt like a video game to us.

As I said in a prior post, My group is in the same age range. And we don't get ANY of the video game feel you're describing. The default options can be a bit "heroic" but we seem to like that default and barely even houserule/alt rule. It seems to provide the fantasy feel we all enjoy.

I find the action economy no more troubling than prior editions and actually pretty intuitive - at least it works well for the group.

As for option overload, there are A LOT. I like the huge amount of options, but I also have no problem with just saying - ok PHB only - plenty of room from there.

But, people love it. Just love it. So my question is...why? What is it about this particular rule set and edition that makes it so fun? Is it because this is the only edition many people have played, and don't know any of the old ways? Or is it because so many people play video games, and 5e is sort of analogous?
I love Dungeons&Dragons as a concept, and I have since I was 11 years old (a very long time ago!) I feel like I am missing out on something because I am either too set in my ways, or missing some critical concept(s) in 5e. Help a brother out, friends.
And to reiterate: NOT looking to fight, or explain to anyone "why I am right." Just help me see it through the eyes of those who love it.
Because I want to love it, too.

It's a good vehicle for the kinds of scenarios and situations my group likes, and the system runs fluidly enough to facilitate that without getting in the way.

 

[GothmogIV]

This is all really helpful, friends. Thank you for helping me think it through.

 

[AlViking]

Other people have given some good feedback and I have some good news to add. You can try the game without spending a dime including, IIRC, Maps. The core rules are free and will give you a pretty decent idea of what it's like to play. So I'd advise you to set up a free account and check it out at Adventuring on a Budget: The Free D&D Resources on D&D Beyond.

I play the current version and I've been playing since OD&D and I still enjoy the game but then again I like pineapple on pizza now and then so there's no accounting for taste. Try it for free and see if it works for you because nobody else can make that call.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

This is not a troll post. I am asking legitimately out of curiosity, and maybe a bit of wistfulness: why is 5e (and the newest iteration, 2024...5.5e) fun?
Background: the other day I looked on D&D Beyond and saw their new(ish) map feature. Since I play online with my friends pretty much exclusively, I was impressed to see how workable the VTT is. The map. The tokens. The turn order. The encounter builder. It's all just done for the GM and players. So freaking cool.
But: my crew and I, a bunch of grogs in our 50s, played 5e a few times and didn't find it to our liking. Characters were too powerful too quickly, the action economy is... let's say busy (readied action, action, bonus action, reaction), and the character options just an endless parade of race, subrace, class, subclass, with an inexhaustible list of mechanical stuff PCs could do just by rolling a die (vs. role playing, or having to think about what they wanted to do). It all felt like a video game to us.
But, people love it. Just love it. So my question is...why? What is it about this particular rule set and edition that makes it so fun? Is it because this is the only edition many people have played, and don't know any of the old ways? Or is it because so many people play video games, and 5e is sort of analogous?
I love Dungeons&Dragons as a concept, and I have since I was 11 years old (a very long time ago!) I feel like I am missing out on something because I am either too set in my ways, or missing some critical concept(s) in 5e. Help a brother out, friends.
And to reiterate: NOT looking to fight, or explain to anyone "why I am right." Just help me see it through the eyes of those who love it.
Because I want to love it, too.

I do not think it is that it is like video games, and I should add that I have been playing since the eighties. 5e is the big damn hero game at least once you get past third level.
It is not about sneaking around eking out the last advantage to get the drop on some goblins. You can play it that way but, that is not what it is designed for and there are games that play that style better.

 

[Morrus]

I mean, I could take a whack at it point by point, or I can just go to...



Nope.
I mean, lots of people play videogames. You're right there.
I play videogames. I have played D&D since 1982, and T&T before that. I play and run 5e gladly.
I don't find 5e to be like playing a videogame. I don't think many fans of 5e would say, "I like it because it is like a videogame, for me".



I can't say what's getting in your way - I don't really know you, or your experience with the current game. But, specifically since you are asking, I suppose I can speculate.

I can say that I have found, "Like a videogame" from many people turns out to be an emotional reaction, rather than a well-considered, thoughtful comparison of the play experience of videogames and any RPG. I don't know if it is with you, or not.

But, there may be some element of that in play. It is known that humans often react negatively to change, even when that change is beneficial. So, perhaps, you are letting a negative reaction to the fact that stuff changed get in the way of seeing the thing for what it actually is.

I'll also reinforce this, albeit merely with a single anecdotal data point, that I don't play videogames (like, at all) and I find 5E to be just fine.

Certainly 'this feels like a videogame' has never entered my mind, and if it it did feel like a videogame to me, I suspect that--like videogames--I would not play it.

 

[Zardnaar]

It depends. 5E isnt complicated by modern D&D standards. It is complicated by pre 3E standards.

Mostly it depends on what youre after. Alot of people like absolutes.

I've played 2E this year, 5.5, and OSR 1E inspired with 1E adventures.

They all have pros and cons.

5E has some issues. So does 1E and 2E so its really up to you what you like, want and expect.

Easiest D&D to run is ascending AC clones of B/X or maybe cousins like Shadowdark. As a player 3E and 4E complexity can be interesting but kinda feel sorry for the DM.

My personal ultimate D&D would draw heavily on B/X, 2E and 5E. Less complex than 5E higher power level than B/X options like 2E.

 

[GothmogIV]

That's interesting. I used that analogy because--in my observation--you just press a button (or some combination of buttons) in a modern video game and you get an effect of some kind for your character. With some of the class bonus actions I've seen--rage, second wind, for example--there is no narrative component. You simply say "I am raging" and get an effect. Those kinds of powers didn't exist in older versions of the game.

I'm not dismissing those 5e features, but they are a component of the rules that I have found to be a bit unimaginative.

 

[Stormonu]

Another whose been playing since forever (Holmes Basic was my first) who really enjoys 5E. It feels like it has the right level of mechanics and story of all the different flavors of D&D I've done over the years. I'm not slavenly devoted to it though, it does have its warts - but it's easy enough to replace or change out those flaws where they appear.

I also got into computers really early in life (started programming my own Zork-likes at 12 on a TSR-80 Coco), though I don't play a large amount of video games these days (have done BG3 & Helldivers 2 recently - Minecraft and Citylines are among my favorite, when I have the time). 5E doesn't strike me as a video game, but I do like that it lends itself well to being tracked on a computer. I do prefer to play face-to-face, but dealing with Covid has made me appreciate the possibility of gaming through VTT's and Discord.