Kate Welch is WotC's New D&D Designer

WotC has a brand new D&D designer, and it's Kate Welch! She plays Rosie Beestinger, the Lightfoot Halfing Monk in Acquisitions Inc's "C Team". She starts work on February 2nd. That's all I know for the moment, but more info if I hear it!

[video=youtube;fRsURJf4SjQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRsURJf4SjQ[/video]
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[Mathilda]

I reject that notion.

Are you saying that tables who engage in the Combat Pillar are engaging in powergaming? Because that isn't true.

I understand that you want D&D to cater to powergamers. I just don't understand why.

#1 - 5e is the most popular ttRPG of all time.
#2 - There are plenty of games out there to play that are more suited for powergamers.

So why should WotC alienate a big chunk of its player base and/or use up space in books that most people don't want? And why do you want them to when you could play a different game whose goals are more in line with your own?

Wow.... you really think because I say that game design should include powergaming that I am "catering"...

Let me present a simple analogy that hopefully you will understand....

The government announces that will provide a new service that everyone can benefit from except Blank... you can fill in the blank... except White people, except Asian people, except Black people... etc..

That would not be fair or right by any standard...

I understand that you dislike powergamers, however, they are still part of the community and SHOULD be included when considering changes and/or additions to the game of Dungeons and Dragons... if you still believe that powergamers should be ignored, then you also then think it is OK to ignore sections of society.

Also I find it interesting that you focus on only the power game comments that I make but ignore the comments that I include the heavy role play side as well

 

[ad_hoc]

Wow.... you really think because I say that game design should include powergaming that I am "catering"...

Let me present a simple analogy that hopefully you will understand....

The government announces that will provide a new service that everyone can benefit from except Blank... you can fill in the blank... except White people, except Asian people, except Black people... etc..

That would not be fair or right by any standard...

I understand that you dislike powergamers, however, they are still part of the community and SHOULD be included when considering changes and/or additions to the game of Dungeons and Dragons... if you still believe that powergamers should be ignored, then you also then think it is OK to ignore sections of society.

Also I find it interesting that you focus on only the power game comments that I make but ignore the comments that I include the heavy role play side as well

This is downright offensive.

Comparing the plight of marginalized peoples to the woes of powergamers in a game is beyond the pale.

 

[Jacob Lewis]

So to recap: A young woman gets coveted job working on the world's most popular role-playing game. Forum posters reignite the classic feud between roleplayers and power gamers.

D&D is doing just fine.

 

[Croesus]

This thread has gone way off the rails...

 

[darjr]

eh, ignore the fight.

Is there any other sources of her talking about the game? Interviews or parts of the game she is in? I'm curious and looking forward to this "setting material" that she is going to be working on.

 

[Sunseeker]

And this really illustrates the issue, doesn't it? If PCs don't get better, players will lose interest and quit? This is a role-playing game. Thousands of gamers play because they enjoy role playing, and enjoy the company of friends, and a million other things other than seeing if some numbers on a character sheet get better. This isn't a sports competition. You don't play D&D to keep getting better. it's a game. Looking at the video, Kate Welch seems to be one of those players who could have fun forever just partaking in a good story and having fun with friends without giving one whit on trying to max out stats or DPR.

I question this basis on the assertion that most games are built upon the idea that the better you are at playing them, the more fun you can have from them. If you're going to ignore the numerical aspect of the game, then you don't actually need to play D&D. You can play make-believe with your friends without a rulebook printed by WOTC. Beyond that, there's improvement to be made at the role-playing side of things. I mean I know I'm both a better gamer and a better role-player over the years and that has, at least IME, made it easier for me to enjoy the overall game.

 

[Sacrosanct]

I question this basis on the assertion that most games are built upon the idea that the better you are at playing them, the more fun you can have from them. If you're going to ignore the numerical aspect of the game, then you don't actually need to play D&D. You can play make-believe with your friends without a rulebook printed by WOTC. Beyond that, there's improvement to be made at the role-playing side of things. I mean I know I'm both a better gamer and a better role-player over the years and that has, at least IME, made it easier for me to enjoy the overall game.

D&D is not a competitive game, so there is no need to be better. It isn’t required at all, and how “good” you or your PC is has no bearing on how much fun you can have. So without that core aspect to drive the behavior Mathilda says people do, they won’t do it and thus that argument is flawed on a fundamental level. Sure, some people view the game that way, but that’s not how it’s designed, and thus not how most people play it.

If I’m playing basketball, I want to get better because I’m competing against something. In D&D, not so much. Doesn’t matter. So I disagree with your premis that if a game has a numerical aspect, you’re driven to be a better player. I also disagree that a persons fun is tied to how good they are at a game. Brand new players for every game out there seem to have just as much fun as experts. Or do you claim that a new player can’t have as much fun as you because they aren’t as experienced or as “good” as you? Needless to say, I strongly disagree with that.

 

[ad_hoc]

So I disagree with your premis that if a game has a numerical aspect, you’re driven to be a better player. I also disagree that a persons fun is tied to how good they are at a game. Brand new players for every game out there seem to have just as much fun as experts. Or do you claim that a new player can’t have as much fun as you because they aren’t as experienced or as “good” as you? Needless to say, I strongly disagree with that.

I go the other way, typically the better I am at a game the less fun I have.

I don't really play competitive games anymore. The fun has been drained from them for me. There are even some that were I in the game it would ruin everyone else' fun too. New games don't help as they usually have the same mechanics of previous games. I can never play Poker for fun again or M:tG for that matter. Now when I have a board game night I mostly play social games like Codenames or Werewolf.

Playing D&D for the competition has always seemed strange to me. There are a lot of highly competitive games out there; Chess, Go, Poker, M:tG, heavy board games, war games. So why play a game for competition in which most people aren't competing?

 

[MichaelSomething]

Has anyone here actually seen the C Team stream? You know, the thing were people can literally watch her play D&D for hours at a time? Wouldn't that provide as least some insight into how she handles D&D?

 

[Mathilda]

This is downright offensive.

Comparing the plight of marginalized peoples to the woes of powergamers in a game is beyond the pale.

It is only true.... I am advocating inclusiveness to ALL types of players... you are advocating only to include players you deem fit to play the game you seem to want.

At least you got the analogy.... kudos