Really, how important is the system/edition?

[Herschel]

The whole "Edition Wars" thing has me thinking: How important is the system?

I loved 1E/2E. It worked well for me and I enjoyed the people I played with. Then along comes 3E after I had moved and was looking for a new group as I hadn't found "that group" . I bought the PHB and played a bit, but never really liked the system, nor really found a group I was happy just hanging around with or talking to about non-gaming things.

3.5 hit. I still didn't really like the system because I felt it was too rules heavy and plan based for my tastes. I like flexibility as a DM without having to spend huge amounts of time designing an adventure or building monsters. When I build a character, I have a general idea in mind of what I want to do. I like to build by feel rather than by rules and planning. This was a detriment in 3E.

Then came the minis, which led me to an early tournament to try and trade a few minis. I built a warband on the spot and played. And liked it.

This was where I met a number of gamers that I really liked. As people, not just gamers. I was invited to join a 3.5 group. I still didn't care for the system and after a couple of characters died I explained to a better min-maxer what I wanted to do and he helped me plan the character more which worked fairly well even though it felt counter-intuitive to the way I think of building and advancing a character (we used multiclassing a fair amount rather than single class to prestige class).

That said, I still had fun because I really liked the guys I played with even though I wasn't as big a fan of the system. I continued to play because I enjoyed playing a game with them.

Then 4E came along. It had some things I REALLY liked (less DM prep and more flexibility/less rules for out-of-combat play) and some things I REALLY disliked (healing surges, the giant/titan advancement stuff, etc.) but after trying the system I found it played very well and I liked the game even with its wonkiness.

But I keep coming back to I like playing with the people I do in the groups I do more than anything.

If the people I liked playing with were still playing 3.5, I'd still enjoy playing even with some frustrations over the system.

If the majority wanted to switch to GURPS, I'd likely roll with that one too.

If they wanted to LARP in animal costumes, I'd........call the men in the little white coats and run like heck (I do have limits)

I guess what I'm saying is that for me, gaming is a face-to-face social encounter more than "the game". I don't do WoW or online games, it's not my thing. It's the personal interaction where sarcasm, silliness, dryness, body language and all the rest are part of it.

I'm curious as to what others think regardless of which edition they prefer. I know it's a bit of a "chicken/egg" question but still am curious what others think.

 

[pawsplay]

The group is the big thing. The game just determines how much putting up with weird stuff, houseruling, design, and worldbuilding you will have to do to get it to match your ideal experience.

 

[Engilbrand]

I think that system is important for anything you play. I need to know what the mechanics are before I create a character. There are certain games that I wouldn't be interested in playing if we were going to do a certain system over another. There's no way that I will ever play a different edition of D&D than 4th.

 

[Obryn]

I think systems do matter, to an extent. A system helps codify the types of things your characters will be doing, and sets up a reward structure.

The group is at least twice as important, though.

-O

 

[ShinHakkaider]

Both factor in ALMOST equally for me.

If the I dont like the system I'm less likely to play no matter Who's playing or running.

If I don't like who's playing or running I'm not likely to play at all.

Case in point there are people that I know of that I will never play 4E with, because they came across and in some cases still come across like jerks.

There also a few people that I would play 4E with because they're not jerks and actually are kinda cool.

That being said I'm still less likely to play with them BECAUSE they are using a system that I'm not partial to.

 

[Corathon]

A gaming group that I play in started as an AD&D group, but as the years rolled on that changed. We now mostly play Savage Worlds, a game that doesn't thrill me - but I play it because my friends like it.

OTOH, there are games that I will not play - so I guess that the system does matter, its just not the be-all, end-all.

 

[Cadfan]

Whether the system matters depends on the system.

If you're playing a game that's relatively rules light, where the majority of your time at the table is spent talking instead of rolling dice, then system isn't that important.

For example, I recently played in a superhero game. I don't know the system, the books we used were some old ones from the GM's bookshelf and he did a good job of running the game as a one shot where we didn't need to know the rules. The system did a great job of staying out of the way while we got through the game mostly by ad libbing and talking. It was great, but I can't say that another system that also stayed mostly in the background wouldn't have been just as good.

On the other hand, if you spend a lot of time doing things for which there are actual rules, then whether the rules are fun is going to matter. For example, if combat in a game is supposed to challenge the player's tactical reasoning or decision making, then the combat rules are going to really matter.

 

[BryonD]

Group is far more important that system.
But I don't discuss groups here, I discuss systems.
You can be certain that if someone suggested I should play with a group I didn't like, I'd argue that more loudly than any "edition war" stuff.

But I'm gonna play with people I like. And I'm gonna prefer to play games I like with people I like, rather than games I don't like with people I like.

Its a false dichotomy to put system preference in contrast to group.

 

[rogueattorney]

You can go to a concert and see your all time favorite band. But if your seat is where you can't see the stage, if the sound system makes it impossible to hear the music, and the crowd is full of unpleasant people, you're simply not going to have a good time. On the other hand, you could have front row seats in a great venue with a perfect sound system surrounded by your friends, and if you hate the performer, you're hardly going to call it a good concert.

It works the same way with rpgs...

If I play my favorite game with a bunch of jerks, I'm not going to have a good time. Who hasn't thought, "Screw this! I have more fun designing characters and dungeons at home alone than dealing with these creeps."

If I play my least favorite game with my best friends, I'm not going to have a good time. I've been struck a number of times with the thought, "I'd rather just close the game books and shoot the with these guys over a few brews for the next couple hours - it'd be a lot less tedious."

Saying that system matters doesn't refute the fact that the gaming group also matters or vice versa.

 

[kitsune9]

Herschel,

I think edition wars happen is because X edition has come across as something "really special" for groups of people who have waaaay too much dorkrage for those who don't share the view that X edition scratches that "itch".

There are millions of reasons as to what "works" for gamers with each game or game system and if they are passionate about it, there's no way they're going to let others shoot down their edition.

It's good that you have a gaming group who you can game with and have fun, which is what I think is more important.

Happy Gaming!