Pineapple Express: Someone Is Wrong on the Internet?

[prabe]

Having engaged in the past in some of those conversations, I find that for the most part, the bringers of woe reject rules-lite systems out-of-hand. They would rather criticize them based on their understanding of what they think they are than spend a day trying it, when that actual play would answer their theoretical criticisms.

I think that rules lite systems are hard for people that are used to more crunchy systems to grasp without playing them. I think it is similar to what happened when I bought the Amber Diceless Roleplaying Game, and because I was so used to using dice I couldn't grasp what it was doing with the resolution system (as easy as it was!) until I finally just sat down and ran it.

I've never enjoyed playing any putatively rules-light TRPG. I'm too used to using the rules of the games I play as part of my basis for decisions, so there's sort of a featureless void under my feet; and every rules-light game I've played has somehow managed to have specific rules that kept me from doing specific things I've wanted to do.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

I've never enjoyed playing any putatively rules-light TRPG. I'm too used to using the rules of the games I play as part of my basis for decisions, so there's sort of a featureless void under my feet; and every rules-light game I've played has somehow managed to have specific rules that kept me from doing specific things I've wanted to do.

Well, that sucks! I feel for you. That said, you did try. And that's a credit to you.

Look, there is no single "best RPG" (or best general style or approach to RPGs) that works for everyone. Different people have different preferences. Which is awesome! The world would be a lot more boring if we all had the same preferences.

But the best way to find out if you like something, and your own preferences, is to try different things. That way, you are able to articulate better why you like those things. For example, you have a preference for rules that let you make decisions, and that's a perfectly valid preference.

I think that a lot of people mistake their own preferences for a universal requirement.

 

[Umbran]

Same. At most, I’d much rather have some light system roughly in place and make rulings, or, better yet, something completely flexible like FKR or pure Arnesonian play.

So... Fate Accelerated.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I've never enjoyed playing any putatively rules-light TRPG. I'm too used to using the rules of the games I play as part of my basis for decisions, so there's sort of a featureless void under my feet; and every rules-light game I've played has somehow managed to have specific rules that kept me from doing specific things I've wanted to do.

That may also suggest that the folks running said rules lite game may be part of the issue. In general, rules lite games default to improv comedy rules, with a presumptive "yes and" in play in most situations. (You can even get yes, and dice on Etsy, although probably mostly for use as a solo play oracle die.)

 

[prabe]

That may also suggest that the folks running the rules lite game are part of the issue. In general, rules lite games default to improv comedy rules, with a presumptive "yes and" in play in most situations. (You can even get yes, and dice on Etsy, although probably mostly for use as a solo play oracle die.)

Sure, it's possible all my experiences of rules-light games were with GMs who were bad at running them. I'm pretty sure I would be.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Sure, it's possible all my experiences of rules-light games were with GMs who were bad at running them. I'm pretty sure I would be.

I was definitely not really getting the spirit of things the first few times I ran them. It took a while to realize I could just take my hands off the wheel much of the time.

 

[prabe]

I was definitely not really getting the spirit of things the first few times I ran them. It took a while to realize I could just take my hands off the wheel much of the time.

Considering how hands-off I am running D&D 5e, I don't think that would be my primary locus of incompetence.

 

[dragoner]

Having engaged in the past in some of those conversations, I find that for the most part, the bringers of woe reject rules-lite systems out-of-hand. They would rather criticize them based on their understanding of what they think they are than spend a day trying it, when that actual play would answer their theoretical criticisms.

I think that rules lite systems are hard for people that are used to more crunchy systems to grasp without playing them. I think it is similar to what happened when I bought the Amber Diceless Roleplaying Game, and because I was so used to using dice I couldn't grasp what it was doing with the resolution system (as easy as it was!) until I finally just sat down and ran it.

I think it is ok if they reject them out of hand, at least they know what they like. Don't get me wrong i think some of that stuff in 5e is pretty cool, though from a GM rules mastery standpoint, I could see it building up to where all the different little things would over burden my patience with it all. I was looking at Shadowdark, the newest big thing and it looked cool, though in the back of my head, I'm still like grab the Holmes and let's go, just use the AD&D stuff to fill in any gaps.

 

[overgeeked]

I was definitely not really getting the spirit of things the first few times I ran them. It took a while to realize I could just take my hands off the wheel much of the time.

Yeah. That happens a lot with most referees and games. The referee is used to one style and assumes it’s applicable to every game. This happens with heavier games, too. The guy running DCC RPG for my group is running it as if it were 5E and calling for stat or skill rolls for everything. Didn’t even read the book. I had to explain to him what Quest For It even was. So frustrating.

 

[Ryujin]

Having engaged in the past in some of those conversations, I find that for the most part, the bringers of woe reject rules-lite systems out-of-hand. They would rather criticize them based on their understanding of what they think they are than spend a day trying it, when that actual play would answer their theoretical criticisms.

I think that rules lite systems are hard for people that are used to more crunchy systems to grasp without playing them. I think it is similar to what happened when I bought the Amber Diceless Roleplaying Game, and because I was so used to using dice I couldn't grasp what it was doing with the resolution system (as easy as it was!) until I finally just sat down and ran it.

My group all bought the Amber rulebook and we had a session of character creation, but never ended up playing it. Pity. It was going to be run by our best roleplaying GM. It might have also made me read the novels