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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mallus" data-source="post: 5159665" data-attributes="member: 3887">I'd like some concrete examples, too. I think there's something interesting to discuss here, but without examples all we have is some insightful observations by Celebrim leading to what sure as heck looks like a straw-stuffed conclusion.I mean, whiners and sore losers we have always had with us in RPG-land. I don't see any major shifts in game design meant to appease them. That sounds silly. What I do see are design changes vis a vis reward structures that seem to reflect a shrinking and aging player base which has less and less leisure time to devote to the hobby. For most of us, the days of 52 long gaming sessions a year are long gone. Ditto are old-school campaigns with multiple parties exploring a single persistent campaign setting, struggling for months to get a PC off 1st level.I see this time-pressure as leading to more rapid leveling, new abilities at each level or so, more durable starting characters, fewer single rolls that can take the player out of the action for a large part of the session, less emphasis on time-intensive play elements like mapping, more reliance on big set pieces, or any of the other trends in the current game I think Celebrim is talking about, but aren't exactly sure of, since he hasn't provided enough examples.What I don't see is the game being any easier these days. Or any less of a power-fantasy (which is always was). It is (somewhat) faster-paced. Is that what we're really talking about? Pacing? I mean, the game is about taking on a heroic persona and performing outrageous things. Is there too much of that going on nowadays and is it happening too soon? Also, re: sore losers... my feeling is, so long as D&D relies on an authority figure whose role combines referee, player action adjudicator, and adversary (ie, the DM), there will be a few sore losers. It's not like losing at chess. When you lose at D&D, it's often because the chap with authority over you at the time says, in so many words, 'you lose'. And what makes that palatable is trusting said chap w/the authority -- which isn't sometimes the formal rules system can supply.  Some people really chafe at authority figures... even the ones wearing wolf shirts, Cheeto dust, and Viking hats...</blockquote>

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