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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Snarf Zagyg" data-source="post: 9240638" data-attributes="member: 7023840">Good article, and one that I agree with. That said, I do think that there is a slight difference in saying that the "D&D rules {are} used to support a variety of games," and "the D&D rules support a variety of games." It's a subject I've touched on several times in past essays, but I'll briefly recap the ideas here.When you read books like The Elusive Shift, one thing that stands out is how people latched on to the original OD&D rules and used them to make all sorts of different games- from historically accurate ones to super hero games. This is why OD&D was often thought of as more of a "toolkit" to make games as opposed to a finished product for gaming. Going into the late 70s and early 80s, people would still debate whether or not you even needed other game systems, or if D&D could simply handle it all. That history, and especially that DIY history, still informs the culture of D&D play. So when people talk about "D&D," they are actually talking about a bunch of different concepts-1. The current rules. In other words, the 5e written ruleset.2. What the written rules don't cover. For example, while D&D has had various levels of rules regarding social encounters, there has usually been at least some amount of space and allowance for roleplay.3. The influence of the past. The current edition of D&D is always in a conversation with the conventions and attitudes of past editions, and with people who play the current edition (or modify it) to be like past editions.4. 3PP and homebrew. The DIY nature of the game is evidence thorough commercial (and non-commercial) rules and lore.4. The community. The large community of D&D is always in a conversation about the game, and its uses.For that reason, D&D can be used in a variety of ways, and often is. I think it is often helpful to contrast D&D with other games, many of which are superior in providing a specific experience. For example, if you wanted to play a game about heists in a cinematic style, you'd be better off playing BiTD than D&D. However, D&D still allows you to engage in heists. Or politics. Or combat. Or any one of a number of different other activities, within the same campaign or even the same session.It's not as good as a game that is purpose-built for a specific purpose, but because of the factors listed above, it is reasonably good at a number of different things.</blockquote>

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