The Food Analogy

[Reynard]

Coming off Adepticon the chef vs microwaved burrito hits fresh. Gonna come off snobbish but man, a con I feel is something you plan for, a reason fit celebration, a time to bring it. Folks nuking burritos like it’s Sunday at the FLGS shouldn’t be common but…

Oof. I'm sorry. That's the worst. Sometimes it happens that you signed up to bring dessert, but life gets in the way and you have to swing by the bakery on the way to the pot luck. But if you have to do that, bring something great.

Low effort GMs at cons are why I run at con games a lot: me and a good friend went to one years ago, had a terrible couple of games, and decided we would run games the next year just so SOMEONE has a decent time. I have been almost exclusively running at 3 regional cons in the decade or so since.

 

[payn]

Oof. I'm sorry. That's the worst. Sometimes it happens that you signed up to bring dessert, but life gets in the way and you have to swing by the bakery on the way to the pot luck. But if you have to do that, bring something great.

Low effort GMs at cons are why I run at con games a lot: me and a good friend went to one years ago, had a terrible couple of games, and decided we would run games the next year just so SOMEONE has a decent time. I have been almost exclusively running at 3 regional cons in the decade or so since.

There were superb events too I had a fabulous time. The low effort stuff probably shouldn’t bother me I just took note from the thread. “Yeah… nuked burrito sounds about right..”

On the other hand the diorama mini showcase was hell fun the creativity was off the charts.

 

[Blue]

Just for humor:

The chef serves the first course. There is a 45 minute discussion amongst the players on which spoon (yes, spoon) is the correct one to use with the salad, though one player just uses their hands. After that the players go looking for fresh citrus fruit, even though that's not the next course. After wandering through several rooms and the neighboring tattoo parlor, the chef eventually lures them back to the table with sliced strawberries that were supposed to garnish the dessert. Then quickly sends the waiter to surprise them with the soup course. Soup in front of them they consume it, though several are using teaspoons as their soup spoons were previously dirtied and taken by the waiter. The one who used his hands on the salad just slurps directly from the bowl. After the soup the chef personally informs them of the next course as the waiter brings out their plates. They are all very excited for it, love the smell. But one of the players had a long day at work and wants to call the meal a little early, so asks if the chef can push it back to next time instead. Which devolves into a debate about when the next time they can all get together to eat again.

 

[Blue]

It seems that some folks are used to MUCH MORE collaborative games than I think is typical for TTRPGs, especially traditional games like D&D. And much more collaborative cooking, for that matter.

This is I think you've found the crux of the differences. I think this level of collaboration is much more common across modern TTRPGs, but is not part of the traditions of the extended learned-from-D&D crowd. Especially us who have been around for a long time.

If you had a survey amongst under players under 30 who didn't start with a D&D-like game (or a D&D-primary GM), I posit you'd find not having at least collaboration if not mechanics for outright player authority at time would be considered unusual.

Heck, how many decades ago did FATE have mechanics to spend a Fate token for a player to add details to a scene relating to one of their aspects?

D&D is the 800 lb gorilla in the room, especially when you combine it with other games that share it's legacy like Pathfinder, most the OSR games, and the like. And that very much started with a clear division or authority in the GM's hands. But once you get outside that ecosystem it is not nearly so hard split.