Wyrmshadows
Explorer
Hello,
Throughout the discussion between 3.5e and 4e fans there has been this issue of fun, unfun and wrongbadfun. According to the design philosophy of 4e the designers wanted to remove elements that were unfun as one of the design goals.
Allow me to ask what exactly is fun in the context of a PNP RPing game?
For me fun is:
1. A game that is simple enough to learn quickly, but nuanced enough to allow for a lot of choice and complexity where and when necessary.
2. A game that allows me to tell the stories I want to tell without the mechanics getting in the way. I don't want excessive dissonance between the game and the game world reality.
3. I want to feel as if I am, when playing, immersed in the game. When I am DM/GMing I want to easily immerse my players through an effective synergy between mechanics and narrative.
4. I want a toolbox. I want to run free as a DM/GM being able to pick and choose what I want to use and discard what I don't want. Because I either homebrew (nowadays) or buy published settings, I don't want a lot of implied setting that I have to surgically remove.
5. As a player I want my character to be heroic (if that's my mood) due to in-game circumstances, not because of my badass build.
6. A moderate amount of combat. Some sessions bring it on, in others I don't even need to roll dice.
7. As a player, I want to be interacting with individuals, not builds.
8. Players who make decisions for their character that would actually be relevant to their character and not only with an eye toward optimization. However, I don't believe that crippled characters are necessary for good RPing.
9. Rule 0
What is unfun for me:
1. Mechanics that get in the way of a good story.
2. Mechanics that cause myself and my players to scratch our heads or say "that's stupid." Its ok for me to do an extra step from time to time if it helps things make sense.
3. Gross violations of "reality" for the sake of ease of play. I want arrows to run out. I want heroes to get banged up. Conan I can deal with, John Woo/Jackie Chan films...no thanks. I can like a film and still not want my game to assume it as a reality.
4. The idea that everyone should be equally useful in all situations. Everyone will have a chance to shine at different times. Shine because of your character, not because the rules say you should. Be creative and as DM I will make you a star.
5. Balance at gunpoint (quoted from thedungeondelver). I know how to balance my own game thanks.
6. Too much magic.
7. Bland as beets blender settings where everything (races, classes, species, cultures, etc.) is tossed together without rhyme or reason.
8. Sacred Cows like alignment and the Great Wheel.
9. Erol Otis covers...I'm not a grognard.
10. Tony DiTerlizzi Art and Baxa art...any of it...anywhere!
11. The modern mantra of "All PCs are special little snowflakes who should only die at appropriate time."
12. People telling me I haven't been playing D&D right for over two decades because I find the above things "unfun."
13. People telling me I shouldn't think about fantasy too hard.
I'm sure there are other...share yours.
Wyrmshadows
Throughout the discussion between 3.5e and 4e fans there has been this issue of fun, unfun and wrongbadfun. According to the design philosophy of 4e the designers wanted to remove elements that were unfun as one of the design goals.
Allow me to ask what exactly is fun in the context of a PNP RPing game?
For me fun is:
1. A game that is simple enough to learn quickly, but nuanced enough to allow for a lot of choice and complexity where and when necessary.
2. A game that allows me to tell the stories I want to tell without the mechanics getting in the way. I don't want excessive dissonance between the game and the game world reality.
3. I want to feel as if I am, when playing, immersed in the game. When I am DM/GMing I want to easily immerse my players through an effective synergy between mechanics and narrative.
4. I want a toolbox. I want to run free as a DM/GM being able to pick and choose what I want to use and discard what I don't want. Because I either homebrew (nowadays) or buy published settings, I don't want a lot of implied setting that I have to surgically remove.
5. As a player I want my character to be heroic (if that's my mood) due to in-game circumstances, not because of my badass build.
6. A moderate amount of combat. Some sessions bring it on, in others I don't even need to roll dice.
7. As a player, I want to be interacting with individuals, not builds.
8. Players who make decisions for their character that would actually be relevant to their character and not only with an eye toward optimization. However, I don't believe that crippled characters are necessary for good RPing.
9. Rule 0
What is unfun for me:
1. Mechanics that get in the way of a good story.
2. Mechanics that cause myself and my players to scratch our heads or say "that's stupid." Its ok for me to do an extra step from time to time if it helps things make sense.
3. Gross violations of "reality" for the sake of ease of play. I want arrows to run out. I want heroes to get banged up. Conan I can deal with, John Woo/Jackie Chan films...no thanks. I can like a film and still not want my game to assume it as a reality.
4. The idea that everyone should be equally useful in all situations. Everyone will have a chance to shine at different times. Shine because of your character, not because the rules say you should. Be creative and as DM I will make you a star.
5. Balance at gunpoint (quoted from thedungeondelver). I know how to balance my own game thanks.
6. Too much magic.
7. Bland as beets blender settings where everything (races, classes, species, cultures, etc.) is tossed together without rhyme or reason.
8. Sacred Cows like alignment and the Great Wheel.
9. Erol Otis covers...I'm not a grognard.
10. Tony DiTerlizzi Art and Baxa art...any of it...anywhere!
11. The modern mantra of "All PCs are special little snowflakes who should only die at appropriate time."
12. People telling me I haven't been playing D&D right for over two decades because I find the above things "unfun."
13. People telling me I shouldn't think about fantasy too hard.
I'm sure there are other...share yours.
Wyrmshadows
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mainly because it (fun, that is) has so much less to do with system - or even setting - than with the people involved.
