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<blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 5975325" data-attributes="member: 6696971">I would say that the rate of approachability of a game is a complex equation of ease of system + willingness and acumen of those doing the apprenticing (ie their friends, parents, etc).&nbsp; I'm not so sure a game is made less &quot;approachable&quot; to its newer user base by being up front and clear about genre expectations and the mechanical interface.For this thought experiment, Sally is our &quot;new player&quot;, Jack is our &quot;veteran player&quot; and Bob is our &quot;DM&quot;.&nbsp; The group primarily uses Theater of the Mind as combat resolution and for this campaign (as is typical for this group) and High Fantasy as their sub-genre.Sally:&nbsp; Jack, I want to play...ummm...oh, oh!&nbsp; A Fighter!&nbsp; That sounds cool.&nbsp; Is he like Gimli in Lord of the Rings?&nbsp; Oh yeah, I want to play a Dwarf too!Jack:&nbsp; You got it Sally, just like Gimli.&nbsp; And we'll be playing a game like Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit with artifacts and dragons and powerful wizards that can see into the future and spy on enemies and demons and elves and dwarves and halflings!&nbsp; Its called High Fantasy.&nbsp; You'll see that on your Fighter Abilities.Sally:&nbsp; What's a halfling?Jack:&nbsp; Its a hobbit.&nbsp; Hairy feet, small, silly, hungry, sneaky.&nbsp; All that good stuff.Sally:&nbsp; Oh...ok.&nbsp; Fighter Abilities?&nbsp; How do those work.Jack:&nbsp; &lt;Explains to hit and AC and HP and Saving Throws&gt;.&nbsp; Now lets build your character.&nbsp; You get 2 abilities at first level.&nbsp; At the top of each of your abilities you'll want to look for 2 things, ok?&nbsp; The way Bob runs combat its all in our heads.&nbsp; Its called &quot;Theater of the Mind.&quot;Sally:&nbsp; Ooooooooooooooh...I like that.&nbsp; When I was in High School I was in drama class and I played one of the witches in MacBeth.Jack:&nbsp; Great story.&nbsp; Please, tell me more.Sally:&nbsp; I also pl...Jack:&nbsp; &lt;Why did Bob have to bring his stupid girlfriend to the game and why I am I tutoring her exactly?&gt;&nbsp; Sally, that's all great but we need to get this finished.&nbsp; Focus.&nbsp; Do you see your list of 1st level Fighter Abilities?Sally:&nbsp; Yeah, it says I get 2 of them.&nbsp; Do I have to use the ones that are pre-chosen or can I choose my own?Jack:&nbsp; The ones that are pre-chosen are for Low Fantasy and Theater of the Mind as that is the game's default.&nbsp; Do you see those two at the top?Sally:&nbsp; I do.&nbsp; Because I can read!&nbsp; Yay reading!&nbsp; Oh wait, Low Fantasy...you said High Fantasy earlier...like Lord of the Rings!&nbsp; I want to be Gimli, remember!!!!!Jack:&nbsp; Yes Sally, I remember.&nbsp; Do you see the abilities that have both Theater of the Mind and High Fantasy on top?Sally:&nbsp; Pick 2 of those...because Bobs combats are in your head and we're playing Lord of the Rings which is High Fantasy?&nbsp; Jack:&nbsp; Yes...close enough.Sally:&nbsp; Oh wow...I'm like a genius or something.&nbsp; OH, OH AXE FLURRY AND BATTLE HARDENED...LIKE GIMLI...THEY BOTH HAVE HIGH FANTASY AND THEATRE OF THE MIND ON TOP!&nbsp; I'LL TAKE THOSE 2.Jack:&nbsp; I hate you Bob.And thus ends our tale.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Manbearcat, post: 5975325, member: 6696971"] I would say that the rate of approachability of a game is a complex equation of ease of system + willingness and acumen of those doing the apprenticing (ie their friends, parents, etc). I'm not so sure a game is made less "approachable" to its newer user base by being up front and clear about genre expectations and the mechanical interface. For this thought experiment, Sally is our "new player", Jack is our "veteran player" and Bob is our "DM". The group primarily uses Theater of the Mind as combat resolution and for this campaign (as is typical for this group) and High Fantasy as their sub-genre. Sally: Jack, I want to play...ummm...oh, oh! A Fighter! That sounds cool. Is he like Gimli in Lord of the Rings? Oh yeah, I want to play a Dwarf too! Jack: You got it Sally, just like Gimli. And we'll be playing a game like Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit with artifacts and dragons and powerful wizards that can see into the future and spy on enemies and demons and elves and dwarves and halflings! Its called High Fantasy. You'll see that on your Fighter Abilities. Sally: What's a halfling? Jack: Its a hobbit. Hairy feet, small, silly, hungry, sneaky. All that good stuff. Sally: Oh...ok. Fighter Abilities? How do those work. Jack: <Explains to hit and AC and HP and Saving Throws>. Now lets build your character. You get 2 abilities at first level. At the top of each of your abilities you'll want to look for 2 things, ok? The way Bob runs combat its all in our heads. Its called "Theater of the Mind." Sally: Ooooooooooooooh...I like that. When I was in High School I was in drama class and I played one of the witches in MacBeth. Jack: Great story. Please, tell me more. Sally: I also pl... Jack: <Why did Bob have to bring his stupid girlfriend to the game and why I am I tutoring her exactly?> Sally, that's all great but we need to get this finished. Focus. Do you see your list of 1st level Fighter Abilities? Sally: Yeah, it says I get 2 of them. Do I have to use the ones that are pre-chosen or can I choose my own? Jack: The ones that are pre-chosen are for Low Fantasy and Theater of the Mind as that is the game's default. Do you see those two at the top? Sally: I do. Because I can read! Yay reading! Oh wait, Low Fantasy...you said High Fantasy earlier...like Lord of the Rings! I want to be Gimli, remember!!!!! Jack: Yes Sally, I remember. Do you see the abilities that have both Theater of the Mind and High Fantasy on top? Sally: Pick 2 of those...because Bobs combats are in your head and we're playing Lord of the Rings which is High Fantasy? Jack: Yes...close enough. Sally: Oh wow...I'm like a genius or something. OH, OH AXE FLURRY AND BATTLE HARDENED...LIKE GIMLI...THEY BOTH HAVE HIGH FANTASY AND THEATRE OF THE MIND ON TOP! I'LL TAKE THOSE 2. Jack: I hate you Bob. And thus ends our tale. [/QUOTE]

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