D&D 5E How many players would use a service like this

[Reynard]

Just because you assert something doesn’t make it true. Especially when it’s demonstrably wrong.

See, the difference is you said that "gated" and "informed" were the same thing, which is demonstrably wrong because -- and get this, it's wild -- those are different words with different meanings. Crazy, right?

And just to be clear, I'm not white knighting Mercer. i don't care one whit about that. But using random skill checks as a part of improvisation is a tried and true method with a long history that is not related to gating content at all.

 

[Willie the Duck]

Re: Posts 125-129+131 -- Okay, seriously, neither one of you has actually made your case for why your position is correct. Just do so, and then you don't need to do this back and forth 'nuh-uh'-ing.

 

[Reynard]

Re: Posts 125-129+131 -- Okay, seriously, neither one of you has actually made your case for why your position is correct. Just do so, and then you don't need to do this back and forth 'nuh-uh'-ing.

Haven't made the case that "gated" and "informed" are different words with different meanings?

I have no idea what you are talking about.

 

[Mannahnin]

Example of gating content behind a roll: If the PCs fail to find the secret door, they can't find the big bad or the treasure horde.

Example of informing content with a roll: Requesting a roll when a player asks a question and gauging how much info to give to them by how well they roll.

Somewhat related but different things.

 

[Reynard]

Example of informing content with a roll: Requesting a roll when a player asks a question and gauging how much info to give to them by how well they roll.

Even beyond that: A player asks what the mood of the tavern is when they walk in, and since I hadn't decided I have them roll Persuasion -- NOT because the character is doing anything to please the crowd, but because the results of the roll will give me the answer.

 

[Vaalingrade]

To be fair, I'm still upset about people paying other people to drive cars for them to get from place to place. Especially that guy that drives like a really big car and makes the city pay him to just drive around all day picking up people who could very well driver themselves.

 

[overgeeked]

Example of gating content behind a roll: If the PCs fail to find the secret door, they can't find the big bad or the treasure horde.

Example of informing content with a roll: Requesting a roll when a player asks a question and gauging how much info to give to them by how well they roll.

Somewhat related but different things.

Now, for the trifecta. Explain what the difference is to the player in those cases. Answer: none. They're identical.

That's why I objected. The player doesn't know and cannot tell the difference between them. That the referee claims it's one vs the other is great and all, but it they're functionally identical to the player in that situation. Either way, the amount of info the player receives is determined by a roll.

And, importantly, when there is no reason to have information behind a roll...like say having to roll to see ships in a harbor your character is a short distance away from, on higher ground, on a cloudless and non-foggy day (yes, that's an actual example from a Critical Role episode)...it's a tedious waste of time. It's a verbal tick of the referee to stall to decide. Just take a moment and decide. Or, if you absolutely have to have a roll to help decide go ahead and roll it yourself.

 

[MichaelSomething]

Any person here can make the business model unsustainable by running games on the pay for site and just charge a token 1 dollar fee. Those payers exist because they don't know how to find groups.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Now, for the trifecta. Explain what the difference is to the player in those cases. Answer: none. They're identical.

Only if a rectangle is a square.

The problem comes when the entire session/adventure/interaction ends because you failed a roll. If the second one continued on to 'as a consequence, you missed important things you have no chance of getting to now', then they would be identical.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Any person here can make the business model unsustainable by running games on the pay for site and just charge a token 1 dollar fee. Those payers exist because they don't know how to find groups.

Or they've found enough groups where the DM is a jerk or the other players are creeps and they want a curated experience now.