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Message: <blockquote data-quote="overgeeked" data-source="post: 8194836" data-attributes="member: 86653">It's really odd. I think "system matters" is such a glaring truism that there's literally no point arguing whether it's true. Like arguing the sun is hot or the sky is blue. It's literally pointless. That said, several of the reasons you post in your list are reasons why I think system does matter. Rules lawyers wreck my fun, too. So system matters because certain systems draw rules lawyers, munchkins, min-maxers, power gamers, and other similar types of fun vampires like flies. So system matters because if I play certain systems I will have no fun because that system attracts the kind of players I'd rather avoid. Likewise, many lighter systems (especially those focused on story) draw the kinds of players that I really enjoy playing with, so again, system matters.I also hate the way complicated rules limit my choices and ability to describe things in game. If I make a descriptive flourish in rules heavy game X then the system will require I make some superfluous roll, whereas if I make the same descriptive flourish in rules light game Y the system will not require I make that superfluous roll. Therefore system matters. As an aside, I think most designers focus on the rules because that's the easier way to make more books and more money. A rule heavy system is going to require a lot of design work and therefore a lot of books, and hopefully, for the money-focused designer, more Benjamins. If they focused on rules light systems they'd have to churn out more settings or more new systems and that's harder to do. Making one complicated game system and milking the rules for a dozen or more supplements is far easier than creating a dozen different games or a dozen different settings.</blockquote>

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