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<blockquote data-quote="Tony Vargas" data-source="post: 6795421" data-attributes="member: 996">Changes relative to what, exactly?&nbsp; It's a game that borrows from all it's own prior editions, more so than using one of them as a starting point and making changes to it.&nbsp; I'd agree that for just any game (of any sort) off the shelf, balance and playability are vitally important goals, and nothing about them is innately incompatible (normally).&nbsp; RPGs are a little different (if anything, balance is more important for most RPGs), and D&amp;D is downright unique due to its legacy.Whether a game feels 'smooth' or 'streamlined' though depends both on the qualities of the game, and the familiarity players have with it.&nbsp; D&amp;D has been around since 1974, and didn't really change much until 2000.&nbsp; It's first 10 years or so were also the period when the most people, by far, actually played it.&nbsp; Both long-time and returning players have a certain familiarity with those versions of D&amp;D, and to the extent that 5e evokes those games, it gains a familiarity that lends it that feel of being 'simpler' (or 'streamlined' or whatever you want to call it), relative to the more complex/innovative d20 games like 3.5/PF, or the simply less familiar (if not obscure ones) that constitute prettymuch the whole (tiny) industry apart from D&amp;D and it's closest imitators.By the same token, D&amp;D has never been all that exemplary when it comes to game balance.&nbsp; Longtime DMs have necessarily become accustomed to compensating for that.&nbsp; And designers trying too hard to balance the system, mechanically, damage that familiarity its built up over decades.&nbsp; It simply doesn't need to be balanced - quite the opposite.&nbsp; It simply needs to be D&amp;D.&nbsp; You might notice that stats are 'imbalanced' - that what stat you put your highest roll or most points into isn't one of those meaningful/viable choices.&nbsp; There are dump stats, there prime requisites.&nbsp; Thing is, those stats are deeply ingrained in D&amp;D, part of what makes it so familiar it doesn't feel complicated anymore.&nbsp; You can't mess with 'em.But rulings aren't rule changes.&nbsp; And it's only DMs that make rulings.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Tony Vargas, post: 6795421, member: 996"] Changes relative to what, exactly? It's a game that borrows from all it's own prior editions, more so than using one of them as a starting point and making changes to it. I'd agree that for just any game (of any sort) off the shelf, balance and playability are vitally important goals, and nothing about them is innately incompatible (normally). RPGs are a little different (if anything, balance is more important for most RPGs), and D&D is downright unique due to its legacy. Whether a game feels 'smooth' or 'streamlined' though depends both on the qualities of the game, and the familiarity players have with it. D&D has been around since 1974, and didn't really change much until 2000. It's first 10 years or so were also the period when the most people, by far, actually played it. Both long-time and returning players have a certain familiarity with those versions of D&D, and to the extent that 5e evokes those games, it gains a familiarity that lends it that feel of being 'simpler' (or 'streamlined' or whatever you want to call it), relative to the more complex/innovative d20 games like 3.5/PF, or the simply less familiar (if not obscure ones) that constitute prettymuch the whole (tiny) industry apart from D&D and it's closest imitators. By the same token, D&D has never been all that exemplary when it comes to game balance. Longtime DMs have necessarily become accustomed to compensating for that. And designers trying too hard to balance the system, mechanically, damage that familiarity its built up over decades. It simply doesn't need to be balanced - quite the opposite. It simply needs to be D&D. You might notice that stats are 'imbalanced' - that what stat you put your highest roll or most points into isn't one of those meaningful/viable choices. There are dump stats, there prime requisites. Thing is, those stats are deeply ingrained in D&D, part of what makes it so familiar it doesn't feel complicated anymore. You can't mess with 'em. But rulings aren't rule changes. And it's only DMs that make rulings. [/QUOTE]

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