Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="der_kluge" data-source="post: 3691735" data-attributes="member: 945">When you said this was long, you weren't just whistling Dixie!That said, I think your ideas are spot on.  Though, I don't believe everyone is as "worried" about demographics as perhaps you are, I think it's a good thinking exercise. I've got that thread that you referenced opened in another tab, and I'll read it next. Though I suspect that author will mention something along the same lines as I'm about to say here: It seems to me that 1st edition and 3rd edition are quite different (as you describe) in terms of power level. I suspect this has as much to do with the fact that 3rd edition seems to move more away from realism and more towards becoming a "game" for games' sake.  For example, Baldur's Gate would be pretty boring if you did nothing but interact with 0-level people all the time.  So - to be more interesting, the world is "bumped up" to speak and it becomes more fantastical as a result. PCs become less powerful in the scope, but a number of immediate challenges become available. And, if you're of the opinion that "challenges=fun", then the game becomes more fun.So, how do we make the game more fun?  We add more challenges. How do we do that?  We make PCs less powerful in the scope of the universe.I suspect a thought process much like this one was what led to where we are. Though, I certainly doubt such a thing was a conscious effort on any one individuals part, though I suspect that Ed Greenwood is partially to blame since Forgotten Realms' high-powered focus certainly has attributed a lot to the feel of the 3rd edition game.It also seems to me that 1st edition games tended to be - as you suggest, in this liminal zone where adventure occurred. For me, that was always one of the more bizarre aspects of the game. Indeed, if you refer to some of Gygax's own editorials regarding the earliest of games, they followed a pretty predictable formula - gather resources, head to the dungeon, face traps, kill monsters, find treasure, head back to town. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.  At some point, folks wanted to try to adventure within the cities themselves - but the idea probably seemed at least somewhat counter-intuitive given the nature of the original game. Thus, the power level of the game shifted in favor of "the people" in order to make the towns themselves more interesting.So, ultimately, it comes down to a matter of personal taste. I do prefer the approach you've outlined, however, as it does tend to present the game in more of a realistic manner.</blockquote>

Verification