How Complex Do You Prefer Your TTRPG Systems In General

[Corinnguard]

If 5e is a 6, then I like to think Level Up as being a 7. It throws in some additional complexity without putting too much distance between it and 5e.

I was wondering how long it would take for the discussion to turn toward how badly I set my benchmarks. ::sigh::

Well, what makes 5e a 6 and not a 5 in your book? If 5e is being used as the standard between simplicity and complexity, you are going to need a couple of examples for each of your benchmarks. A couple because one example is not enough for anybody to gauge how much complexity we would prefer to see in a given TTRPG.

 

[Gradine]

I picked "3", and then read the first post! Thwen I changed my vote to "4".

Yeah, that was where I was at too. The trick is not to base the numbering on specific systems, because a lot of games can have a widely varying range of complexities. Something like Traveler is an 8 that you can easily play like a 5, or maybe even a 4. FATE is a 7 trying to squeeze itself in a 3.5's dress, and some people manage to make that work. AD&D is at most a 4... unless you cast spells.

3.5-4 is kind of the sweet spot for me, personally. This tends to be where a lot of PbtA games sit, which is why I really love it as a game design philosophy, even if I think it leads to a tendency to overcomplicate things on the GM side (fr'ex: I have successfully run multiple PbtA games over the years, and I still don't think I could fully explain to you what a "Front" is supposed to be)

 

[Reynard]

If 5e is a 6, then I like to think Level Up as being a 7. It throws in some additional complexity without putting too much distance between it and 5e.

I wouldn't even give LevelUp a full point boost.

Well, what makes 5e a 6 and not a 5 in your book? If 5e is being used as the standard between simplicity and complexity, you are going to need a couple of examples for each of your benchmarks. A couple because one example is not enough for anybody to gauge how much complexity we would prefer to see in a given TTRPG.

I trust your ability to extrapolate. You can do it!

 

[Reynard]

FATE is a 7 trying to squeeze itself in a 3.5's dress,

I just need to highlight this. ::chef's kiss::

 

[Fenris-77]

EXTRAPOLATE!!! EXTRAPOLATE!!!

 

[TwoSix]

EXTRAPOLATE!!! EXTRAPOLATE!!!

There are two kinds of people:
1) Those who can extrapolate from an incomplete data set.

 

[Reynard]

There are two kinds of people:
1) Those who can extrapolate from an incomplete data set.

 

[TwoSix]

I have the quote above on T-shirt. It is, by far, the shirt I own that has gotten the most confused questions, even from complete strangers.

 

[GMMichael]

. . . 6 is something like 5E D&D . . .

I'd actually put D&D 5e at 5 and D&D 6e at 6.

*I know that we often want different complexity for different kinds of games and purposes, but that is a much harder poll to write. So use your most preferred, or choose option 11.

I answered 3, not knowing the rules to Lasers and Feelings, but my favorite game could go up to 4 or 5 with some thematic rules modules. I could also bump it down to 2 if I'm feeling like an easy, social thing.

 

[Reynard]

I'd actually put D&D 5e at 5 and D&D 6e at 6.

One hopes, but we shall likely never see a real 6E...