snarfoogle
First Post
According to an old Critical Miss article (http://criticalmiss.com/issue4/wingame1.html) you can win at RPGs. However, Eric's grandmother might not approve the language, I think. I haven't read it recently.
RPGs: Win, Lose, or Draw?
- Thread starter BiggusGeekus
- Start date
Rodrigo Istalindir
Explorer
It is the struggle that defines you, not the victory.
fanboy2000
Adventurer
Paranoia shows that winning and losing are irrelevant to RPGs. The players don't really win, even in straight games. Yet people continue to play it, even when it's out of print. Call of Cthulhu is similar, in a non-3 Stooges way.
trancejeremy
Adventurer
Salma Hayek, maybe. But not Selma, nor her sister Pattie...(or even jubjub)
Angel Tarragon
Dawn Dragon
In my opinion role playing is about role playing. But thats just me.
The Shaman
First Post
Excuse me, but I heard there would be punch and pie?
MonsterMash
First Post
I voted everybody wins, but I was really tempted by Salma - just have to do something else to make her dig me 
Actually the players and GM win by playing, but the characters or BBEG may not win - in Paranoia the characters may lose (e.g. fail at mission, be terminated; die trying or just be terminated) but if you've had fun en route then everybody wins - now where's the pie?
Actually the players and GM win by playing, but the characters or BBEG may not win - in Paranoia the characters may lose (e.g. fail at mission, be terminated; die trying or just be terminated) but if you've had fun en route then everybody wins - now where's the pie?
Last edited:
Yair
Community Supporter
I voted for Salma Hayek.
Erg, I mean, none of the options seemed right. I think you can "win" a campaign, by achieving some goal, and that that's "winning" in D&D. In this sense I think winning in D&D is important, and I share the sentiment regarding Midnight being "unwinnable" - I don't consider it possible to "win" a cannonic midnight campaign, the PC's actions can't amount to any significant victory over the Shadow. (Of course, in the Midnight campaign floating around in my head for the last few years a win is definitely possible, but it breaks the cannonic setting.)
Of course, once a campaign is over you can proceed to the next one, so there is never an ultimate win.
And in the sense of "every one has fun", everyone wins.
But that doesn't detract from the fact that for me a D&D campaign should, indeed, be "winnable" to be really fun.
A campaign where the PCs fail to beat the BBEG and so "lose" is quite like a long sports game where your team may have won some points, but ultimately lost to the other side. You can talk all you want about how "the point is to participate, not to win" or so on, but it still stings and casts a bitter shadow on all the game.
So yes, you can win and you can lose in D&D, IMO.
Erg, I mean, none of the options seemed right. I think you can "win" a campaign, by achieving some goal, and that that's "winning" in D&D. In this sense I think winning in D&D is important, and I share the sentiment regarding Midnight being "unwinnable" - I don't consider it possible to "win" a cannonic midnight campaign, the PC's actions can't amount to any significant victory over the Shadow. (Of course, in the Midnight campaign floating around in my head for the last few years a win is definitely possible, but it breaks the cannonic setting.)
Of course, once a campaign is over you can proceed to the next one, so there is never an ultimate win.
And in the sense of "every one has fun", everyone wins.
But that doesn't detract from the fact that for me a D&D campaign should, indeed, be "winnable" to be really fun.
A campaign where the PCs fail to beat the BBEG and so "lose" is quite like a long sports game where your team may have won some points, but ultimately lost to the other side. You can talk all you want about how "the point is to participate, not to win" or so on, but it still stings and casts a bitter shadow on all the game.
So yes, you can win and you can lose in D&D, IMO.
mhacdebhandia
Explorer
I voted for Salma Hayek to dig my sexy self, because there's no option which reflects the way I feel:
RPG campaigns can be won, but need not be designed to be winnable. You can win by defeating the Dark Lord and retiring, if that's the kind of game your group likes to play; you can win by beating the other players in your group in a race to achieving your personal goals, if that's the kind of game your group likes to play; and so on. Notice how neither of these are necessary to an enjoyable RPG.
RPG campaigns can be won, but need not be designed to be winnable. You can win by defeating the Dark Lord and retiring, if that's the kind of game your group likes to play; you can win by beating the other players in your group in a race to achieving your personal goals, if that's the kind of game your group likes to play; and so on. Notice how neither of these are necessary to an enjoyable RPG.
Similar Threads
