What are the primary reasons your players reject other systems/settings/games?

[Jd Smith1]

I provide all game materials, so price is not a factor. So far, the majority of my group plays whatever I provide. I have lost a player or two because they did not care for the settings I choose, but not enough to impede the progress of our weekly game, and the online replacement depot plugs the gaps within hours.

But since I use less popular systems, my players are already accustomed to higher thinking.

But joking aside, I think that for a lot of gamers, leaving the familiar confines of 5e is daunting.

 

[Bill Zebub]

Well, I just had an 11 year old burst into tears at the thought of playing Dragonbane because, and I quote, "You don't level up or get hit points!"

 

[Deset Gled]

Well, I just had an 11 year old burst into tears at the thought of playing Dragonbane because, and I quote, "You don't level up or get hit points!"

I find both sides of this story to be highly relatable.

 

[grankless]

I fortunately do not have this issue. We finish a game, we play another game, or maybe another campaign in that first game. There's so many games out there and most of them are pretty easy to learn! It'd be like limiting yourself to one video game.

 

[SlyFlourish]

One missing reason is a lack of easy digital tools. My players prefer D&D 2014 or D&D 2024 because Beyond is so easy to use. It vexes me but it's true.

 

[Old Fezziwig]

I marked "Other," and the big issue there is nostalgia. One of my players and I have had a hard time getting a solo game off the ground because of the desire to play D&D as he remembers it but as an older and wiser player. And he's also short for time, too, which makes learning a new system difficult.

 

[payn]

Well, I just had an 11 year old burst into tears at the thought of playing Dragonbane because, and I quote, "You don't level up or get hit points!"

Those are some of my faves!

 

[Wolfpack48]

Well, I just had an 11 year old burst into tears at the thought of playing Dragonbane because, and I quote, "You don't level up or get hit points!"

New Heroic Ability at skill 18. One of them, Robust, gives more HP!

Also, "Current system fulfills a character power dynamic"

 

[Micah Sweet]

One missing reason is a lack of easy digital tools. My players prefer D&D 2014 or D&D 2024 because Beyond is so easy to use. It vexes me but it's true.

I had to ween my players off D&D Beyond early.

 

[MGibster]

No interest in other genre/settings is the primary reason for my group not wanting to try something new. But this was a recent development, and with a near 50% turnover rate in 2024, I'm hoping the new players will be a bit more willing to try new things.