Play Something Else

[Dannyalcatraz]

I cannot emphasize strongly enough the importance of playing other TTRPGs than whatever one you have been playing non-stop for years or decades.

I know, that game is like an old sweater. it is so comfy and it smells like your youth. And I am not saying throw it away.

But you absolutely WILL learn things about yourself, your group and your favorite game by trying something new. And I don't mean "try" as in a one shot. i mean play a campaign in a different game. Spend weeks or months delving into a new game and its nuances and quirks.

There is nothing wrong with liking what you like, but there is real value in trying new things and letting them inform you about your own preferences. This goes for food and film and towels and vacation spots and absolutely goes for TTRPGs as well.

How do you pick a new game, though? How do you decide what to play and how do you learn that game?

Luckily, we live ina time of abundance when it comes to both games and ways to learn them. Pick a game based on your other preferences: genres and media you like is an easy one. Or, read one of the ten thousand blog posts about "games that aren't X' and pick one that sounds cool and fun to you and your group*. Then, go to YouTube or other another content platform and look up videos of how to get started, actual play videos, reviews and so on. There is so much content out there, even for relatively obscure TTRPGs.

*But my group won't change games, you say. Okay. I get that. Play solo, then. there are a number of great solo TTRPGs, as well as a huge number of tools for playing any game solo.

Experiencing other TTRPGs is guaranteed to improve your TTRPG experience. Maybe you will find a new favorite game, but even if you don't you will come away with insights you could not possibly have acquired otherwise.

Amen!

When I started in the hobby in 1977, there weren’t a lot of choices. AD&D was first, and that was my ONLY for at least a year. Then I moved and got introduced to Traveller and The Fantasy Trip/In the Labyrinth.

Another period of experimentation stagnation followed until Champions was released. And I got Stormbringer soon after. And I didn’t buy or try another RPG until 1990. I started law school in Austin, TX and got into buying some games from a shop’s discount bin- SSI’s Universe was first; others followed.

Shortly after that, I found a game group in my new city. Because of a particular set of circumstances*, we tried dozens and dozens of systems over the next few years, including some playtests. By the time I moved away in 1994, my RPG collection had ballooned to more than 100 games.

And I can absolutely discern a difference in the way I designed & played characters or approached running a game.





* I can explain if asked.

 

[Wofano Wotanto]

I have probably played 100 different RPGs over the years. I'm old.

Similar. I've certainly owned/read that many, probably more. Actually playing or running, certainly less, but well over half that total.

Which brings up a related point - playing a given rule system briefly is almost always a very different experience than a long (years, maybe even decades) campaign, or multiple campaigns. Aside from building up familiarity with the system that accelerates play as you memorize mechanics, you also encounter quirks of character growth (and decay) you wont see in the short term, and "high power" play is rarely the same in a long campaign than in a one-shot or single arc story even if your GM starts you out with more experienced PCs. How much time you spend on a given system will almost inevitably change your perspective on it, and some games that are great one-shots overstay their welcome quickly while others take a while to really show you what they've got going on under the hood.

 

[MNblockhead]

Totally agree. As a player I'm up for almost any game. As a DM, I'm limited by time and I am at the point where I don't buy games I am not reasonably sure I'll run within a year or two.

Since my game time is limited, my local convention is my main place to try new games. I also find Roll20's find a game feature to helpful for finding one shots to try different systems. I've also used StartPlaying.games, but I find that because it is pay to play that I'm more conservative in selecting games to try.

 

[Reynard]

Since my game time is limited, my local convention is my main place to try new games.

This is an invaluable resource. I tend to run 3 or 4 slot mini convention campaigns so we can dig into the new game a bit.

 

[Celebrim]

I have probably played 100 different RPGs over the years. I'm old.

You have me well beat. I don't even know the rules to 100 different RPGs. I doubt I've glanced at the rules for that many, much less actually played them.

I have definitely tried branching out - 2D20 Star Trek, Aliens, Mouseguard, Exalted, etc., some run by me, some run by someone else - but every time I do try branching out I am usually really disappointed by the experience. My daughter has a few games under her belt that I don't - Blades in the Dark, Mork Borg, Ten Candles, the latest edition of Paranoia - but the only games she's ever talked about wanting to play more of (besides the ones I've run for her) is 5e D&D and Ten Candles.

I've got several games on the shelves right now I'll probably never run just because the work to reward ratio is too poor. For example, I'd love to run a Pendragon game set in Tortall but wow is that a ton of work and I don't have the right group of players for it. I'd love to run Traveller but I don't have the group for it. I'd love to experience a good supers RPG but I don't know how to run one and have never known a supers GM, and even if I did run a supers game I'm not convinced I'd used Mutants and Masterminds to do it. Chill 2e is one of my favorite systems of all time, and some of the best experiences I've had as a player, but I can't see myself running it. I've pretty much given up on running CoC for my current players, as they will suffer through my love of investigation and exploration if there is some great heroic combat at the end of it, but CoC feels like I think all work and no payoff for them. And really, there isn't a CoC vibe I can't accomplish with 3e D&D if I want to. I have a real soft spot for post-apocalyptic RPGs because of my play with Gamma World as a kid, but the work in setting that up is almost as bad as setting up a Tortall Pendragon game. I've thought about running a Star Trek away team game based on Dogs in the Vineyard, but I feel Star Trek is just about dead as a fandom amongst my friend groups and I personally haven't enjoyed a series since TOS. And that's not even getting into ideas I have for games in systems I do play.

So while it's definitely good to know what you like rather than like what you know, gaming for me is a lot more about matching the experience to the group and if it works for the group you probably don't need to change it. Currently I'm 216 hours into a Star Wars D6 campaign and we haven't done more than six months of the lives of the bounty hunter PCs in that campaign, and I've probably got ideas for another 300-400 hours in my campaign guide. I'm not really in need of a new system.

 

[Reynard]

You have me well beat. I don't even know the rules to 100 different RPGs. I doubt I've glanced at the rules for that many, much less actually played them.

I have definitely tried branching out - 2D20 Star Trek, Aliens, Mouseguard, Exalted, etc., some run by me, some run by someone else - but every time I do try branching out I am usually really disappointed by the experience. My daughter has a few games under her belt that I don't - Blades in the Dark, Mork Borg, Ten Candles, the latest edition of Paranoia - but the only games she's ever talked about wanting to play more of (besides the ones I've run for her) is 5e D&D and Ten Candles.

I've got several games on the shelves right now I'll probably never run just because the work to reward ratio is too poor. For example, I'd love to run a Pendragon game set in Tortall but wow is that a ton of work and I don't have the right group of players for it. I'd love to run Traveller but I don't have the group for it. I'd love to experience a good supers RPG but I don't know how to run one and have never known a supers GM, and even if I did run a supers game I'm not convinced I'd used Mutants and Masterminds to do it. Chill 2e is one of my favorite systems of all time, and some of the best experiences I've had as a player, but I can't see myself running it. I've pretty much given up on running CoC for my current players, as they will suffer through my love of investigation and exploration if there is some great heroic combat at the end of it, but CoC feels like I think all work and no payoff for them. And really, there isn't a CoC vibe I can't accomplish with 3e D&D if I want to. I have a real soft spot for post-apocalyptic RPGs because of my play with Gamma World as a kid, but the work in setting that up is almost as bad as setting up a Tortall Pendragon game. I've thought about running a Star Trek away team game based on Dogs in the Vineyard, but I feel Star Trek is just about dead as a fandom amongst my friend groups and I personally haven't enjoyed a series since TOS. And that's not even getting into ideas I have for games in systems I do play.

So while it's definitely good to know what you like rather than like what you know, gaming for me is a lot more about matching the experience to the group and if it works for the group you probably don't need to change it. Currently I'm 216 hours into a Star Wars D6 campaign and we haven't done more than six months of the lives of the bounty hunter PCs in that campaign, and I've probably got ideas for another 300-400 hours in my campaign guide. I'm not really in need of a new system.

Run at cons. Try new things with players who are there to have a good time. That's how you effectively try out new games.

 

[MacDhomnuill]

I have probably played 100 different RPGs over the years. I'm old.

We are not old, just very experienced. I could never understand the desire to stick with one rule set. We played an average of 3 different RPG rules and 2 or 3 wargame rules sets every week in high school. I ran TMNT and Mega Traveller, another friend wrangled Cyberpunk and FASA Startrek and yet another Gurps. Add in that all three of us (the forever GMs for our club) routinely brought in what ever cool new book we stubbled across and we played dozens of games a year. I would kill to have a group like that again!

 

[Distracted DM]

I end up collecting a ton of TTRPGs, but only running/playing new ones rarely- I learn games best by playing them, so it can be tough unless someone wants to run something new.
But yeah, playing in/running different systems is like a breath of fresh air after you've been running D&D etc. for year(s) straight; and if you've never played other games, it's worth giving a shot.
BUT I'd say trying something different from your standard fare is best- for instance, running tons of D&D, and then going to something fiction-first like a PBtA game. Even if you like D&D etc. more, playing in a fiction-first game like that shows you other ways to play.

 

[KaiCor]

Similar. I've certainly owned/read that many, probably more. Actually playing or running, certainly less, but well over half that total.

Which brings up a related point - playing a given rule system briefly is almost always a very different experience than a long (years, maybe even decades) campaign, or multiple campaigns. Aside from building up familiarity with the system that accelerates play as you memorize mechanics, you also encounter quirks of character growth (and decay) you wont see in the short term, and "high power" play is rarely the same in a long campaign than in a one-shot or single arc story even if your GM starts you out with more experienced PCs. How much time you spend on a given system will almost inevitably change your perspective on it, and some games that are great one-shots overstay their welcome quickly while others take a while to really show you what they've got going on under the hood.

The second type of game is often more hooking. I've been so hooked by some games that didn't seem like anything interesting at first.

 

[Theory of Games]

I cannot emphasize strongly enough the importance of playing other TTRPGs than whatever one you have been playing non-stop for years or decades.

I know, that game is like an old sweater. it is so comfy and it smells like your youth. And I am not saying throw it away.

But you absolutely WILL learn things about yourself, your group and your favorite game by trying something new. And I don't mean "try" as in a one shot. i mean play a campaign in a different game. Spend weeks or months delving into a new game and its nuances and quirks.

Eh. That's a bad assumption that playing other rpgs leads to self-knowledge. I played the Marvel Heroic RPG and what I learned was the game is trash. Same with Apocalypse World and the other storygames. I learned those games are trash compared to how well designed the D&D Rules Cyclopedia is. The idea that you need to play an entire campaign with poorly-designed games like FATE is ridiculous. If B/X D&D was your first rpg and your group still playing it fifty years later because you love it, good on you.

There is nothing wrong with liking what you like, but there is real value in trying new things and letting them inform you about your own preferences. This goes for food and film and towels and vacation spots and absolutely goes for TTRPGs as well.

"Different" does not mean "good" as you're suggesting here. You don't have to try all flavors of ice cream to appreciate your favorite flavor. If you're happy with what you have you don't need anything else. Did I mention buying more and more games cost M-O-N-E-Y? Are YOU paying for all my shiny new games?

How do you pick a new game, though? How do you decide what to play and how do you learn that game?

Luckily, we live ina time of abundance when it comes to both games and ways to learn them. Pick a game based on your other preferences: genres and media you like is an easy one. Or, read one of the ten thousand blog posts about "games that aren't X' and pick one that sounds cool and fun to you and your group*. Then, go to YouTube or other another content platform and look up videos of how to get started, actual play videos, reviews and so on. There is so much content out there, even for relatively obscure TTRPGs.

*But my group won't change games, you say. Okay. I get that. Play solo, then. there are a number of great solo TTRPGs, as well as a huge number of tools for playing any game solo.

Experiencing other TTRPGs is guaranteed to improve your TTRPG experience. Maybe you will find a new favorite game, but even if you don't you will come away with insights you could not possibly have acquired otherwise.

No, experiencing other rpgs is not guaranteed to improve your rpg experience. Especially if those other rpgs are trash but most specifically if I'm enjoying my current system. You're making some ridiculous claims here lol