What Does the RPG Hobby Need Now?

[CleverNickName]

I think it needs to return to its roots: we could use a larger variety of fantasy wargames. In my opinion, we have plenty of adventures and rules systems and campaign settings for tabletop RPGs, but the number of tabletop wargames is disproportionately small.

To clarify: I'm not saying none exist, I'm saying that I wish there were more.

 

[paradisebunny]

I think we should stop obsessing about the marginal difference between D&D adjacent rulesets and ask ourselves what the big stumbling stones to growth are for the hobby. I think player to GM conversion is the right thing to think about, but looking to Asian ttrpg markets I think we can learn something about being more inclusive and envision new roadmaps for growth. And a key aspect of capturing a new audience like Chinese and Japanese markets have is I think to move past medieval fantasy and systems that enable that experience as a default setting. A lot of people are frankly not interested in medieval fantasy and a greater variety of settings and scenarios that are not primarily combat focussed would go a long way for creating things that new converts could identify with. More mysteries set in interesting settings both modern, historical or fantastical would work I think.

 

[Umbran]

I think the thing I need most is time.

And not just my own time - saving me a bit of prep isn't the issue. I need time and to spare with my players to run longer sessions with fewer scheduling conflicts.

 

[TheAlkaizer]

I think we should stop obsessing about the marginal difference between D&D adjacent rulesets and ask ourselves what the big stumbling stones to growth are for the hobby. I think player to GM conversion is the right thing to think about, but looking to Asian ttrpg markets I think we can learn something about being more inclusive and envision new roadmaps for growth. And a key aspect of capturing a new audience like Chinese and Japanese markets have is I think to move past medieval fantasy and systems that enable that experience as a default setting. A lot of people are frankly not interested in medieval fantasy and a greater variety of settings and scenarios that are not primarily combat focussed would go a long way for creating things that new converts could identify with. More mysteries set in interesting settings both modern, historical or fantastical would work I think.

I don't disagree with this, but I feel like you're describing a situation like we're a bunch of executives around a table trying to capture a new market and grow the industry. Nobody is trying to grow the industry in China. Most creators are making a little creative thing that they enjoy, and most player are focused on finding four people around that wants to play the game they're already found and want to play.

 

[Reynard]

I honestly don't know the answer to this but I keep thinking as we sit in the humdrum days between releases of anything from WotC - why are there so many damn D&D fantasy adjacent games? Shouldn't this be a time for publishers to be talking about anything else? Where are all the sci-fi games? The horror games? The apocalyptic future games? I feel like a lot of variety is under the surface but it just never sees the light of day.

And I'm sure the answer is that well, D&D is the 800 LB gorilla, and that's what people want to keep talking about. Which is fine, but here we are more than 6 months later, and I still can't tell you why I should choose Tales of the Valiant over D&D 2024, or Level Up over D&D 2024, or even 13th Age and Shadow of the Weird Wizard over any of the 5e games. I'm getting a weird sort of "fantasy setting/system" blindness, and I'm just not hearing or able to differentiate what the elevator pitch is for these games.

Shadowdark has done a great job I think in standing out as different. I've really enjoyed Mothership the past few months, and it is so night and day different from D&D both in theme, setting and mechanics. So what's a prep session look like for Mothership? Or Call of Cthulhu?

I don't understand posts like this. There are tons of games that aren't anything like D&D, in mechanics, form, genre or presentation. I don't know how you would miss them if you are even slightly interested in finding one.

 

[Reynard]

But . . . expecting your average GM to rise the level of the top stars in various streamed games isn't a realistic expectation. Even with good tools and support.

That's definitely a thing that can and should go away, both as a player expectation and as an expectation GMs foist upon themselves.

 

[Reynard]

I think the thing I need most is time.

And not just my own time - saving me a bit of prep isn't the issue. I need time and to spare with my players to run longer sessions with fewer scheduling conflicts.

Yeah, if the start of every session eats a half hour in socializing (an average I see pretty commonly, outside of cons or organized play) then fewer longer sessions means more play time.

 

[paradisebunny]

I don't disagree with this, but I feel like you're describing a situation like we're a bunch of executives around a table trying to capture a new market and grow the industry. Nobody is trying to grow the industry in China. Most creators are making a little creative thing that they enjoy, and most player are focused on finding four people around that wants to play the game they're already found and want to play.

Ha, yeah I agree with you, but I was thinking how we as small creators can find our niche for fresh and interesting products. For example, I think that Electric Bastionland or Mausritter is exactly what we need more of. The Last Word on p.332 of Electric Bastionland kind of summarizes my point above:

"[...]
But more than that, this is a game meant to welcome
people that might not have braved the world of
roleplaying games before.

Maybe they aren’t drawn to wizards and dragons.
Maybe they don’t want to learn complex rules.
Maybe they don’t feel welcome.

Everyone is welcome in Bastionland, as long as we
commit to welcoming each other."

The examples of Japan (Call of Cthulhu and horror games) and China (LARP/Jubensha) were just a way to show perspectives how other modes and settings of TTRPG play can speak to a massive new audience outside of traditional fantasy ttrpgs.

 

[ShinHakkaider]

I don't understand posts like this. There are tons of games that aren't anything like D&D, in mechanics, form, genre or presentation. I don't know how you would miss them if you are even slightly interested in finding one.

I think what he might be saying is not LITERALLY "where are these other game genres?" but more along the line of "where are these games on the level of popularity of a D&D or a Pathfinder or a Shadowdark". As in people do flock toward what's popular and D&D has almost always been the most well known and popular TTRPG.

I'm sure that he'll correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Reynard]

I think what he might be saying is not LITERALLY "where are these other game genres?" but more along the line of "where are these games on the level of popularity of a D&D or a Pathfinder or a Shadowdark". As in people do flock toward what's popular and D&D has almost always been the most well known and popular TTRPG.

I'm sure that he'll correct me if I'm wrong.

If the many iterations of the Star Wars RPGs could not dethrone D&D, nothing ever will. I am not sure why that is, but the evidence is clear. It has been 50 years and there has been every possible license, genre and style.