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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Virel" data-source="post: 3698899" data-attributes="member: 24633">Ramble by Gamer w/30+ years of wargames, D&D, AD&D etcInteresting stuff to read & and good blog to inspire thought. I don't think we have to have a revolutionary new game concept to save the hobby. We do need a revolution in what's passing for D&D these days.I apologize in advance but this is the only way I know how to demonstrate my point. I like the folks on the board, I don't want to make you guys mad or get banned etc. I would like to share my input on this stuff.I've been DMing since 1981, played my first D&D in the late 70's, and I'm a die hard old school DM & player. If you enjoy playing and your friends do too, then it dosen't matter one bit if the whole RPG industry disappears tomorrow. My 1st ed AD&D is still going strong. There are a surprising number of the older games that are still in play or players return too. If you want the key to saving the future of these face to face games, I think the secret will be found in the older formats. I've played 3e and don't think much of it. The core idea is good. It wants to be like AD&D despite not having the A in the name. The designers tried very hard to get back to the basics. They also try to build an error proof system to protect players from bad DM's something AD&D, NEVER attempted. The result was a ton of crunchy rules. While some might like that, its not a selling point for most people. I'm ok with playing 3e, if I ignore the system inflicted bogs, it actually has some OAD&D feel to it when limited to core. I know the designers had the right vision in mind...Before that starts a flame war, it's due to the prep time, tons of rules that slow the game pace, lack of inspiring text, stale ideas, excessive political correctness. It just like the reading primers in public school. They kill the magic of reading and don't inspire, so no one wants to read.The most important book, is always the PHB, if it can't inspire players and DM's to dream, the game has two strikes against it. The 3e & 3.5e PHB's are good for inspiring bordom because of the way the are written. I hate WotC's version of the PHB, DMG, & MM because they are written in such a dumbed down manner. Guys get someone that actually knows how to write!Rules Light and quick to pick up and play. - The current version is a total failure at this. I learned to play by reading the old books back in the day. No one showed me. When I started looking at 3e, I was told dozens of times, you'll need someone to show you how to play. Talk about a self imposed barrier to the hobby!I think what players want, is the same today as it's always been. It's about Ego Gradification. It takes different forms etc but that's the core. The question becomes, how is that provided with a game. Or more specifically, how does a pencil and paper (ok table top) game beat World of Warcraft or whatever at Ego Gradication. Yes, you have to beat WoW for a player niche if you want commerical stuff to be around ten years from now.Pretty simple really, IMHO.A Players gets the Ego Gradified by having his or her character involved in a personalized, non-linear set of events designed by someone else (DM) that is related to the character so that the player can interact with and effect the direction and outcome of the said events.The game event has to say, the player and his or her character matter! You make a difference!I apologize in advance but this is the only way I know how to demonstrate my point.So you want to grow the number of players and sell books and other stuff?I've turned players away from my AD&D game because I don't have space. Some of them are 3e players that can't find a game. Often they will rant about how bad AD&D is and how it sucks for a while and how if I had a clue and wasn't some silly old fool, I'd be running 3e. <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/laugh.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":lol:" title="Laughing    :lol:" data-shortname=":lol:" /> Back when I had spaced, I'd offer them a chance to play. Most of them took it, seemed to have and wanted to play again. They'd come around in time to just maybe AD&D didn't suck so bad after all. Giving them a free old AD&D PHB, usually won my campaign a new player. Several got inspired and wanted to switch back, saying if they DM'd again they be running and older D&D variant. Three got into wanting to learning to DM - old school formats. The one that had DM'd 3e game said he wouldn't run it again, he was going old school from here on out. <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/paranoid.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":uhoh:" title="Paranoid    :uhoh:" data-shortname=":uhoh:" /> All three of them branched out into running their version of AD&D in time. I've lost contact with them but I think that's very interesting because two of them wouldn't touch even trying to DM 3e!My offensive point is the game (all formats) lives of dies based on having a good fair motivated DM.While 3e might protect from the bad DM, it's not going to make a bad DM a good one. It trades insperation for protection. Games don't grow without insperation.What needs to happen is a new rules light version of the game. WotC needs suck it up and get someone like EGG or EGG himself to write the books in an inspiring way to put the text magic back into the game. The other part, if you want this stuff to grow is start training DM's. Bad DM's have killed more games and ruined more interest than about anything else in the history of the game IMO. Training is something companies hate to do but teaching the core concepts of how to DM effectively is the key. It's not just the rules thing but how to be fair, how to look at a situation, how to think like a DM, when to be die hard BY THE BOOK and when to throw the BOOK out the window in the game of fun and surprise. Printing another stupid book like DMG II isn't want I'm talking about. Face to Face classes or DM classes over the internet. I know I'd pay for that and I'm an old school DM, whos 1st ed AD&D campaign that started in 1981 is running in 2007. Heck, I'd pay for the DM class, even if it was all 3.5 because I know I can always learn more about effective DMing.I did have a few years off but 20 years + and counting for my AD&D game. I wouldn't pay ten cents for a complete set of all the stupid poorly written books that WotC has. Fix the DM issue & the lousy non-inspiring books and face to face, paper and pencil games will grow again.</blockquote>

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