Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Snarf Zagyg" data-source="post: 9417703" data-attributes="member: 7023840">Great question! I suppose I need to write more...IMO, with "D&D-style RPGs," you have the issue that consumers will want more. And, of course, the company wants to sell more.That leads to the creation of more crunch. I suppose if the game was designed to be perfectly balanced to begin with, then this wouldn't be an issue. But .. ha!So as more crunch gets released, there are two problems:1. Even if there is an attempt at making the new crunch balanced with the old stuff, complexity causes unforeseen <s>optimization</s> interactions and problems. Something (or some interaction) will inevitably be better than what we used to have. And with the exception-based design that is used in D&D, that is always going to happen. 2. Cynically, power creep is what consumers want, and what the producer will sell. Very few players are interested in "New crunch book, with options that are all weaker, or, at best, equal to the Champion Fighter!" But give them new toys to exploit? That will sell.That's why (IMO) it has always occurred in D&D, and always will occur. It's inevitable. Not all games are like this- AFAIK, no one complains about power creep in BiTD. But D&D? Yes. No. Because the DM is always dynamically adjusting. Since the DM controls the "world" the DM could simply "power creep" by using more powerful monsters. Which isn't in the definition (as noted above).</blockquote>