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Message: <blockquote data-quote="hawkeyefan" data-source="post: 8634427" data-attributes="member: 6785785">I agree with all of this. I’m not saying either game is better than the other or anything like that. Just that I think of the two I mentioned, one was more suited to character driven play. Here though, I disagree. Not about the extent of playtesting, because that’s certainly true, but about the rules being “good enough to catch you”. I think that implies a design that intended to provide clear processes for people new to RPGs. I don’t really think that’s the case. 5e’s design is loose enough that both new folks can grasp it enough to get going, and folks familiar with prior editions find enough recognizable to feel like they know the game. I am not saying this is a negative thing. I actually think it’s incredibly impressive. But allowing different subsets of people to take the game and make it work for them isn’t an indication of a strong system. That strength is instead imparted on the DM. Their motto of “rulings not rules” makes this apparent. This is the drawback of that loose design. I think what you describe here is the benefit of imprecise design. I know one of the initial goals of D&D Next was modularity. And although I don't think they achieved quite the level they had wanted, there is some. Any group can make adjustments to the game to more readily suit their preferences. I’m not saying one is a better game than the other. I am enjoying my Stonetop game more than my 5e game, but that’s just my preference. Someone else that played both games might feel exactly opposite. As for 3e, I had a very memorable campaign I ran in 3e. Once that ended, I wish I had moved on to something else, or that when 4e arrived I was able to convince my players to stick with it longer instead of going to Pathfinder. Late era 3e and Pathfinder took everything I was finding frustrating with D&D and turned it up to 11. By comparison, 4e was a breath of fresh air from the GM side. I have my criticisms of it, sure, but I’d certainly place it among the more tightly designed versions of D&D. I think it’s easily the most character focused version of the game, as it relates to my comparison of 5e and Stonetop. I don’t think any other edition even comes close (though certainly some are unconcerned with such character focus).</blockquote>

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