TSR On the Relative Merits of the TSR Editions

[Gus L]

What kind of game do you think a game with a longer character generation time is? I don't see how that metric has any effect on a game's status as an RPG.

As far as rules mastery and introducing new players goes, obviously it's personal preference but I have no problem taking my time and easing people into the process. And as for the lethality issue, I just make sure we settle on that very clearly in session zero.

Three things here - and obviously we are coming from a different perspective of what we want in an RPG.

A) I don't know that character design time has any effect on a game's "status" as an RPG, of course it's still an RPG (though defining that exactly with specificity is it's own can of worms I suppose). I do think that how long it takes to develop characters is a design choice and one that makes a different game then one with quick generation. This seems pretty non-controversial to me.

B) What kind of game might work better with hour long character generation then 5 minute character generation? I think that long character generation times favor games with i) larger amounts of fiddly rules (usually combat for tactical combat) ii) where the backstory/player plans for the future of the character matter more and need to be planned out prior to play iii) where characters are expected to last a long time - one doesn't want to spend that long char gen process every few session if one is unlucky. So I suspect games that the genre leans into these sorts of ideas. I think superhero games (Champions, MERP and such come to mind as I'm not so familiar with the current crop) are great for character building for example - generally low lethality (you get to keep your PC even when they are downed usually), lots of mechanical variation in characters, a tendency towards tactical combat with many feats/moves and such, and "story" with a lot of space for backstory and planning.

C) Yes session 0 again. I get that it's popular in some RPG spaces and communities. It and the need for it are a design choice as well. It's not something I want for my games - I want people to be able to play right away. Background of the setting, table rules (such as safety tools/topics that might be worrying, how and where the game is run, etc) and char gen should be something one can fit in an email or flyer that anyone can read and understand, or clarify in a quick back and forth/10 minutes at the start of the first session. Of course I also want to help my players and make them comfortable with the rules - but I don't want people to spend an hour or two before we even play to do that.

All of these are design choices - and if I'm poking you about session zero and your preferences I apologize if it comes across as meanspirited, for me it's more friendly snark because you give an impression that your preferences are simply how things should be done. I find when I have this attitude about games (i.e. back in 1986 when I thought all RPGs were D&D) that people presenting different RPGs, different kinds of play, and different goals for play can be quite revelatory.