The Dungeon Master or The Rules: why would you play in a RPG campaign?

[Betote]

Roleplaying is an activity I take part with my friends. So, it's the friends the important part, not the specific system. In fact, I've been years joyfully playing an AD&D2 campaign, and I loathe that system.

The moment I think the book we're using is more important than the fact that I'm spending time with my friends will be the moment I burn my RPG collection, Dark Dungeons style

 

[Ulrick]

I'd play, and be happy to play, but I wouldn't buy the books.

So there is no poll option for me

Cheers!

Sorry. It's kinda late to restart poll now.

 

[howandwhy99]

The question is: would you play in the campaign and why? And how would you cope playing this RPG?

I may do it out of respect or to hang out with my group of friends, but it really comes down to why I dislike the system. Is it a simple distaste of a paired simulated world? Or is it really endemic to the ruleset being a failure to properly convey the roles involved?

If it were number one, I could probably look past it as I do a lot of fantasy pastiche. If it were number two, I would question the Ref and try and find out if he had changed anything. Any system can be fixed by someone who knows the reality of the roleplaying selected. However, a great deal of knowledge about how to run a specific kind of roleplaying doesn't mean a person may not be making a mistake. If I had previous experience with the system, I'd try and point out the mistake of choosing such an ill designed game. If we had differences of opinions on why it was good or bad, then I generally wouldn't play. I would play with an open mind to learn if the Ref had changed anything or if I had never actually played the game before, but after making another assessment I would leave a bad game and rejoin the our group when it did something different.

I know I get a little complicated explaining things, IME plenty of people sit out whole games or campaigns because they don't like the system and that's okay.

 

[kitsune9]

No way

Here's the situation:

Within your social group of gamers, there is an outstanding Dungeon Master. He's had years of DMing experience, can tell the best stories, run the best adventures and is overall a really nice person. He just finished his current campaign in your favorite RPG--it could be D&D (any edition), Warhammer Fantasy Role Play, GURPS, whatever. You own at least the core book(s) in your favorite RPG and love it. The DM does as well and probably owns more stuff. In the last session, after the campaign concluded (it could be TPK, happy ending, Cthulu drove everybody insane, etc.) the best Dungeon Master you know says:

"I'm starting up a new campaign. However, I will be not using this current rules system. I will be using X"

X = An RPG rules system that you really don't like. It's not the worse RPG you know, but it certainly is far from being your favorite. Because of this, you probably don't own the corebook(s).

The question is: would you play in the campaign and why? And how would you cope playing this RPG?

No way. There are certain games that I just don't have interest in playing. I won't name those, because everyone has different tastes and I don't want to get into the debate with the fanboys of the systems that I don't play. I had really DMs in my past gaming experiences but if they wanted to run [insert game title here], I wouldn't be long for the campaign.