How do you feel about learning new rule systems?

Anand · Jul 7, 2020

I would devour rule systems when in my 20-30s. Now, in my 40s, it is dialing back down, as I'm getting too lazy to learn (and relearn) systems. I did loved PF2, which I started from scratch and it was a lot of fun to start new with everybody else.

Ralif Redhammer · Jul 7, 2020

As I get older, I'm honestly less inclined towards learning new systems. For me, it has to be:

Rules light enough to not take up too much brain space
Not just a different version of an existing game; I've got enough D&Ds and my retroclones, I don't really want to spend the time on another fantasy heartbreaker
A compelling enough concept to make me want to play it

The thought of sitting down to learn something like Rolemaster is practically too much to bear.

Bawylie · Jul 7, 2020

The fun has to be worth the investment of time to learn the system.

The Crimson Binome · Jul 7, 2020

I'm fine with learning a new ruleset, as long as it's designed efficiently. If I can read the book once, and pretty much remember how to do anything that comes up during play, then that's ideal.

Shadowrun, for all of its complexity, basically boils down to rolling dice and counting successes. Anima... is not designed efficiently.

opacitizen · Jul 7, 2020

A new game has to emulate a genre or a specific work of art (movie, novel, etc) that I love. It also has to have a free (or very, very affordable) and very concise and easy to learn and use quickstart version that can hook me and with which I can run a few stories. If the stories click with me and with my group, chances are we're willing to pay for the full rulebook as well, unless the extended rules get bad reviews or are apparently too complicated.

Also, I have collected a ton of games over the years that I barely played, if at all, and are waiting for their turn, so a new game has to promise something the older ones don't. Not an easy task. (The last games I bought were the CP Red Jumpstart kit, Fria Ligan's Alien, and Sprawl Goons.)

Bluenose · Jul 7, 2020

If anything, I'm more inclined to try something out that's new. There are plenty of existing systems I like, but if I never try anything new then I won't find more. And I'd certainly rather try something new than a system I've already tried and disliked.

doctorbadwolf · Jul 7, 2020

Kodiak3D said:
I'm just curious to see how people feel about new systems. Are you less likely to try a new game if it's a system you aren't familiar with?

I've reached a point where I'm only going to learn a new system if it does something that cannot be done with DnD 5e or another system I already know. That may change when I'm done building a system of my, own, however, because it's a matter of mental bandwidth.

That said, even when I am done, I probably won't learn any systems that are pretty similar in what sort of game they produce, because why would I when I can just mildly edit a system I already know?

delericho · Jul 7, 2020

I'll play anything one of my friends wants to run. At this point in time I can't see myself ever learning a new rule system to run myself... though I have said that before.

ccs · Jul 7, 2020

I'll echo most of what others have said.

After 40 years of this, things are blurring together. Especially between very similar editions/systems. This applies to RPGs & Minis both.
I'll still try almost anything as a player. Heck, that's what I use GenCon for - sampling things I can't play at home/don't want want to invest in.
As the DM? I'm tired of learning different systems. Especially different systems within a specific genre - like D&D. I fully realized this last fall when I ran a short PF2 campaign for my Sunday group. The whole point was to get familiar with the mechanics. And I didn't really care. Nor did I particularly care when one of the other guys ran a true PF2 campaign. I played, I had fun. But PF2 didn't really do much for me other than constantly reminding me I could be having the same fun without having to do all this but just slightly differently.

So if I'm going to learn a whole new system it better be damned interesting & not already represented on my shelf - or be significantly better than what's on my shelf.
And it better be something the people I play with will also play.