For me it's the players not the game

[Morrus]

There's a couple of threads around along the lines of 'who decides what you play?', 'my players are glad to be back to playing 5E', and 'how quickly did you bounce off a system?'.

For me, personally, it doesn't work like that. I think I'll enjoy any game (within reason) as long as I like the other players and the GM is OK.

I don't think the game itself matters all that much to me. I've played a bunch of different rule systems and settings, and generally speaking, the main factor which determined whether I enjoyed it or not wasn't the game itself, it was the people I was gaming with.

I dunno. Outside of maybe FATAL or something, I think I'd probably enjoy most TTRPGs as long as the GM is enthused about it and reasonably competent (they don't have to be a genius) and the other players aren't actively ruining it.

 

[SableWyvern]

For me, it's the players and the game.

I am the GM, and I need to be enthused in order to run a good game. But I would have zero interest in running a game for random strangers, no matter how excited I am about the game; I game with friends, and hanging out is as much part of the fun as the actual gaming.

I am in the very fortunate position where I want to be the GM, I get to the be the GM, and I can run basically anything I want, for as long as I'm enthused, and then we move onto the next thing.

 

[loverdrive]

While yes, I will broadly enjoy a bad game with good people, I find the idea of using an RPG as a hangout activity just utterly bizarre. Like, if I want to chill with friends, a mentally and emotionally taxing activity that event at the most minimum of minimums requires a non-trivial amount of organization sounds like a Not Good Plan.

 

[Distracted DM]

Outside of maybe FATAL or something, I think I'd probably enjoy most TTRPGs as long as the GM is enthused about it and reasonably competent (they don't have to be a genius) and the other players aren't actively ruining it.

It sounds like you're just happy to play TTRPGs!

Because TTRPGs are ultimately a social experience, yeah the people you're playing with are a huge factor whether it's the GM or the other players.

But to play devil's advocate, the system is the game that we're all playing together.
Board games can be more about the game than the people, because the game is what we're primarily engaged with. If the rules for a board game are convoluted, or if the game is designed poorly and not engaging, then you're not going to enjoy the time you spend playing as much even if the other people are friends that you like hanging out with. You can still have a good time, but it'll just be a good time complaining about the game and talking with friends.

Different TTRPGs and their rules set the bounds for the expected play experience. The theme, mood, goal, etc.

As a DM, the system is really important to me because it dictates how I'm going to guide the game and the group. It's why we have a game at all. I can get fatigued with systems, because they handle differently. I can get bored, or enthused, or invested and it all depends on the game.
The art, the rules, what kinds of characters the players can make and what they can do.

I'll be happier running some games over others. I'll be more engaged as a player with a PbtA game, but when running I like the tactical combat aspect of DnD-likes.

If a game is a pain in the arse to run because it doesn't have any monsters and I have to make them up, I'm gonna hate that and not have a good time, even if I'm running for friends. I'll be stressed and annoyed that I'm either not providing a fun experience and that I'm not being supported by the game.

System matters IMO.

 

[SableWyvern]

While yes, I will broadly enjoy a bad game with good people, I find the idea of using an RPG as a hangout activity just utterly bizarre. Like, if I want to chill with friends, a mentally and emotionally taxing activity that event at the most minimum of minimums requires a non-trivial amount of organization sounds like a Not Good Plan.

It's a pretty big leap to assume roleplaying needs to be mentally and emotionally taxing.

Besides which, no one is talking about just hanging out. They're hanging out and playing a tabletop roleplaying game.

 

[Sparkle_cz]

edit: somehow this post got stuck for "moderator approval" so I guess there is something wrong with it? If it's controversial somehow, I'd delete it entirely, but it doesn't seem possible? (Sorry, I'm new here)

 

[Distracted DM]

It's a pretty big leap to assume roleplaying needs to be mentally and emotionally taxing.

Besides which, no one is talking about just hanging out. They're hanging out and playing a tabletop roleplaying game.

I can't speak for others, but as the GM I have always found TTRPGs taxing. It's rewarding, it's worthwhile, but for me it's running a lot of things in your head and putting on a good show for your players.

I will sometimes pass out/take a nap after running a very engaging session.

Maybe it's a GM thing.
Maybe it's a GM as a player vs a GM as the showrunner thing.
Likely, it's a combination of the above as well as an individual thing.

 

[loverdrive]

It's a pretty big leap to assume roleplaying needs to be mentally and emotionally taxing.

I mean, paying a more-or-less unbroken attention to the game state while keeping in mind at least most of the rules for 3-4 hours is bound to be a taxing activity regardless of how you slice it, and if you don't do either, you just basically offload this tax to someone else, which is also, uhm, not ideal.

It doesn't have to be exhausting, but it's still not even remotely in the same ballpark as just chatting or playing cards with no stakes or Mario Kart.

 

[Sparkle_cz]

In my social bubble, the people who share the same life values as me and who give me joy to be friends with, are usually also very introverted. They will not open up just like that and talk about important personal stuff if I just invited them for a beer. I would never get to know them if I didn't pick them up for a game in the first place.
Playing RPGs with them opens them up. Then they are able to discuss non-RPG stuff as well. So yes, GMing is exhausting for me but it's a prerequisite for having these people as friends and that is worth it.

 

[schneeland]

For me, it's the players and the game.

Would agree here - I found that I'm notably less engaged in a game if I don't like the system.
I'm also fine playing with strangers, though, as long as it's a one-shot or few-shot. But admittedly, I'm more likely to join a game where I know at least one or two people.