[Theory] Why D&D is Popular

[mythusmage]

... which made sting, what a +12 shortsword or some such nonsense?

In a system that uses percentiles. which makes Sting a +2 weapon using a d20.

 

[Steel_Wind]

I believe Sting was a +15 shortsword.

Mithril weapons are standard +20 in Roleamster. And on a percentile system, +15 is equivalent to a +3. Though that's an oversimplification. RM attack charts maxed at 150, not 100.

A +15 weapon in RM was nice, but more common in that system than a +3 weapon is in D&D. In terms of overall power and game mechanics, it's a little less than a +3 sword - more like +2.75

The knee jerk Rolemaster bashing by people on this forum - who just don't understand the system at all - amazes me.

 

[the Jester]

D&D is popular because our parents didn't want us to play it.

When my parents wanted to punish me, they would take away my dnd stuff.

They really knew how to get to me.

 

[Steel_Wind]

Right, which was my point. MERP used Rolemaster, which made sting, what a +12 shortsword or some such nonsense? But the fluff and researched material was quite good. So MERP's failure was due to the game not living up to the material. Again, we're agreeing here: Tolkien wasn't a sole factor; and IMHO not even that important of one.

<threadjack>

ICE's Middle Earth line never failed. If you think that about the ICE line - you are just hopelessly misinformed.

The problem with MERP and Rolemaster's Middle Earth line is that it became so thorough - so detailed - and so abundant that ICE simply ran out of new regions and new NPC's to print material on.

It sold and sold well for 12 years. The last three years or so of it's life - things got dicey.

Ultimately, Middle Earth began to collapse under its own weight and its own success. They had simply done everything worth doing with the product line.

ICE began reprinting and re-editing previously released material in new collections with some new artwork, but there simply were not enough changes to RMSS from RM2, stat wise, to ever require someone to go buy the modules again. Existing fans did not buy product they already owned. New fans were more difficult to come by - a problem for the entire industry in the CCG 90s.

The reason ICE went bankrupt and could not come to terms wit htheir creditors or reorganize was solely due to Tolkien Enterprises. They opposed any compromise or reorganization as a bankrupt ICE was exactly what they wanted.

Once a Bankruptcy Order was made - ICE automatically lost its LotR licensing right by operation of a clause in ICE's Middle Earth license (this is a standard clause for IP license rights and was present in ICE's license).

Ultimately that is exactly what happened - 1 year before the FoTR movie was due to be released, an event which ICE believed would be a bonanza for the Middle Earth line again.

But Tolkien Enterprises didn't want that. An existing ICE license brought them no new rights fees. A dead ICE license meant the license could be sold again to WotC (which was the plan - though Decipher ultimately got the deal).

Tolkien Enterprises also refused to authorize the release of the last of ICE's Middle Earth stock from inventory. There were a dozen or so pallettes of Middle Earth material that the Trustee in Bankruptcy was forced to throw in a landfill site not because it would not sell - but because Tolkien Enterprise refused to let it be sold by the Trustee. They didn't want the stuff on shelves to confuse purchasers of anticpated new LotR material.

</threadjack>

 

[fusangite]

I don't think the purchase of ICE's Middle Earth setting material can be viewed as an indication of the viability of their system. I purchased the setting material with no intention of running MERP in it; I purchased it for leisure reading because I love Tolkien. Many of my friends did the same. That's why the ICE line ran out the moment they ran out of settings -- the text about the settings was the only thing motivating anyone to buy a MERP product. There wasn't a viable market for anything else because such a tiny portion of the people purchasing the setting materials were actually playing the game.

 

[mmadsen]

Regarding MERP, I agree with fusangite. MERP is a bad match for Tolkien-style fantasy. I know several people who play in Middle Earth, but they all loathe MERP and use other systems, like D&D.

D&D's a better system for Tolkien-style fantasy than MERP?

 

[mmadsen]

I don't know enough about American literature in order to judge whether Fritz Leiber is more than a niche author known to a very limited circle of people; I know that he's virtually unknown where I come from.

Leiber is a niche author known to a very limited circle of people: fantasy readers and writers. He coined the term swords & sorcery.

 

[mmadsen]

My hypothesis is that D&D is popular because it's fun.

Obviously, WizarDru's being a bit flip, but I think there's a kernel of real insight there: D&D knows it's a game. It's designed to be played. For fun. Oddly, many RPGs don't seem to take that as their primary design goal.

 

[fusangite]

D&D's a better system for Tolkien-style fantasy than MERP?

They're both awful but MERP is atrocious.

 

[Conaill]

Yeah, I have to chime in with the "because D&D was there first" crowd.

If it was because D&D is fun, then how come I am still playing D&D, even though there are many systems I would personally consider much more "fun"? Well, I'm playing D&D because I can reliably find a group of players to game with, no matter where I move to!

Network externalities are hugely important in roleplaying, because for every game you need to find at least 3-4 other people who are familiar with and/or willing to play within the same system. That means the difficulty in getting a game together scales inversely to the 3rd or 4th power of the number of people playing specific system. Given how much of a niche market roleplaying still is, there really isn't much room left for another major player in the field.