Mearls On D&D's Design Premises/Goals

First of all, thanks [MENTION=1]Morrus[/MENTION] for collecting this. I generally avoid Twitter because, frankly, it's full of a$$holes.

That aside: this is an interesting way of looking at it, and underscores the difference in design philosophies between the WotC team and the Paizo team. There is a lot of room for both philosophies of design, and I don't think there is any reason for fans of one to be hostile to fans of the other, but those differences do matter. There are ways in which I like the prescriptive elements of 3.x era games (I like set skill difficulty lists, for example) but I tend to run by the seat of my pants and the effects of my beer, so a fast and loose and forgiving version like 5E really enables me running a game the way I like to.

 

[Sacrosanct]

What people are calling an "explosion" is still on obscure niche. D&D and RPGs have never been a popular hobby for the masses. That may change but anyone who says it is now or has been is living in a false reality. Options in a niche in which one main provider occupies most of the niche is not an explosion.

Any product that goes from 1000 sales to a hundreds of thousands of sales in a 3 year period would be classified as an explosion. Mentzer basic itself sold over a million copies. There certainly was an explosion between the late 70s to the early 80s.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Sacrosanct]

Never said the D&D cartoon created the boom but believe what you will.

You certainly implied it:

D&D went through a brief boom with the cartoon from the 80's

Why else mention the cartoon in that context. And you're wrong. The boom was before the cartoon. Not during. Is a 5 year period brief? I suppose that's a matter of opinion. But either way, I don't think anything you've argued so far has been true. That takes determination to keep going and doubling down like you are.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Yeah, man, D&D totally was hot because of the cartoon! Don't you know- he was around during the 80s!


...at a certain point, it's just cruelty, right? We should stop.

Indeed. Funny, especially since the only reason there was a cartoon in the first place was because of the huge boom in the years proceeding it. The network certainly wouldn't have spent the money on a cartoon that didn't already have a popular IP. That comment shows a level of ignorance both of D&D history, and of business practices lol.

 

[pemerton]

I specifically noted only one thing- that your attempting to use comparable levels between 1e and 5e in order to make whatever your point was ... was foolish.

And I stand by that.

And I stand by the fact that the easiest way to ask "What will happen if I use the AD&D turn undead chart in a 5e game?" is to compare the maths of the two tables, which provide the answer I gave: you will weaken low level clerics and strengthen mid-to-high level ones. I also stand by my claim that whether that is good or bad will be table-relative. (I don't know why you think I'm arguing against Lanefan.)

I believe that the reason [MENTION=29398]Lanefan[/MENTION] asked about this particular mechanic is because another poster, on a currently active theread that Lanefan started, said that s/he had used the AD&D turn undead chart in a 5e game that was being played using old Judge's Guild (I think) material. That same poster said that in the same game s/he used the AD&D saving throw charts for a particualr purpose (save vs death from yellow mould, I think).

 

[Fallstorm]

MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

And there you have it. I'm so sorry- you were around in the 1980s. Clearly, you know what you are talking about. All the rest of us should just know our place, and bow before our better.

I'm so sorry, and I will endeavor to learn words better so that I can fully comprehend how well you understand all those things I clearly do not.

Okay. Let's put this in perspective:

1. Someone ask me a question about 1E
2. I respond to that person
3. You jump in doing personal attacks claiming I was not around in the 80's, do not know OSR and bunch of other nonsense
4. I state (factually) I was around in the 80's and did play OSR games.
5. You again attack and claim I am lecturing whatever when I just responded to you

You make up statements or at the very least intentionally misinterpret and misrepresent statements and attack items never said. You sir are a troll. I don't feed trolls. I am done arguing with you. I will respond to Lanfan if he responds.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Fallstorm]

You certainly implied it:



Why else mention the cartoon in that context. And you're wrong. The boom was before the cartoon. Not during. Is a 5 year period brief? I suppose that's a matter of opinion. But either way, I don't think anything you've argued so far has been true. That takes determination to keep going and doubling down like you are.

I did not imply anything. I was just giving an example of part of a boom—not that it created the boom. I didn't imply it at all you took it that way because you are looking for something to attack. It is like someone saying rap really became popular and becoming more mainstream in the early 80's with people wearing Adidas tennis shoes that Run-DMC promoted" and you jumping in saying, "See don't know what you mean Adidas didn't make rap popular. Run DMC didn't create rap." Which would of course all be true. It would also be something the original speaker never said. It is the prime example of a straw man fallacy.

I have explained myself. I am done with this turn of the conversation i.e arguing with you..

 

[Sacrosanct]

Okay. Let's put this in perspective:

1. Someone ask me a question about 1E
2. I respond to that person
3. You jump in doing personal attacks claiming I was not around in the 80's, do not know OSR and bunch of other nonsense
4. I state (factually) I was around in the 80's and did play OSR games.
5. You again attack and claim I am lecturing whatever when I just responded to you

You make up statements or at the very least intentionally misinterpret and misrepresent statements and attack items never said. You sir are a troll. I don't feed trolls. I am done arguing with you. I will respond to Lanfan if he responds.

Saying you must not have played any games in the early 80s isn't a personal attack. Especially since it was true. Holy moly... No one has misinterpreted anything. We're only going by the words you actually used. You made several claims. None of which are factually true. Just own up to it man, and move on.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*