D&D General Playstyle vs Mechanics

[Micah Sweet]

5e doesn't make my top 5 even when I limit it to "games that are like D&D." And it's my second favorite edition!

Ok, here's my ranking off the top of my head:

D&D 5e itself (the official game) comes after (in no particular order) the Without Number series, ACKS, Level Up, DCC, 1e, 2e, B/X, BECMI, Cyberpunk 2020, TSR Marvel Superheroes, 7th Sea 1e, Classic Deadlands, and every AEG edition of Legend of the Five Rings. It's on par with 3e/3.5, just above Pathfinder 1e and Mutant & Masterminds, and well above Palladium and those PBtA games I've played.

So like #18 or so? Of course, D&D 5e is far more popular than any of those.

 

[soviet]

Lots of people, I would personally think the majority of the player base, stick with 5e out of a combination of ignorance and the weight of the network effects.

That doesn't mean everyone, and not you personally.

Also, importantly, it doesn't mean that 5e isn't good.

 

[Micah Sweet]

You can speculate all you want, but it sure sounds like the same old same old. Telling people we just don't know any better, that we only stick with D&D because of ignorance.

Only if you read into the actual words I typed. Try taking me literally.

 

[payn]

Is telling someone that their play style is the wrong fit for a system in order to avoid discussing the merits of why they feel a given mechanic is bad really discussing mechanics?

It's telling me they dont want to have the discussion with me. Im not gonna make them.

 

[niklinna]

Saying that D&D might be everyone's second favourite RPG is akin to making an offensive joke? Seriously?

Well I am offended! D&D is way, way below second favorite for me.

So offended.

 

[MichaelSomething]

I certainly won't invite the OP to my next Dungeon Crawl Classics TTRPG game.

 

[TwoSix]

Also, importantly, it doesn't mean that 5e isn't good.

Exactly. Being the most popular game doesn't mean it's the best game, but that fact that so many people DO like it indicates it's also certainly above being considered a "bad game".

 

[Imaro]

With the wide variety of ttrpg videos, information on the internet, media crossover ttrpg's, social media and so on I find it harder and harder to believe that there is this gigantic group of totally ignorant and uninformed players (except for when it comes to D&D but somehow not any other ttrpg in existence) that don't have/use/or whatever... the internet, youtube, twitter, twitch, bluesky, forums, etc.

 

[niklinna]

Lots of people, I would personally think the majority of the player base, stick with 5e out of a combination of ignorance and the weight of the network effects.

Sometimes I wish for ignorance. It's supposed to be bliss, after all!

 

[TwoSix]

With the wide variety of ttrpg videos, information on the internet, media crossover ttrpg's, social media and so on I find it harder and harder to believe that there is this gigantic group of totally ignorant and uninformed players (except for when it comes to D&D but somehow not any other ttrpg in existence) that don't have/use/or whatever... the internet, youtube, twitter, twitch, bluesky, forums, etc.

I play with a ton of people who like playing D&D as a social activity but have zero interest in TTRPGs as a wider hobby.

These people are not rare, have you really not met any?