What Does the RPG Hobby Need Now?

[Dire Bare]

Wow. Great question. Huge and sweeping.

What's missing? Just about anything that's not directed at predominantly white, middle-class guys with lots of disposable income and heaps of free time.

Getting into the hobby? Cheaper books, less reliance on expensive on-ramping materials, lighter rules, less math, less homework, more pick-up-and-play, more solo RPGs, and a lot of other things along a similar vein.

Engage more? Mostly the same as above. Less expensive hobby overall with less math and homework, lighter rules, pick-up-and-play, solo play, etc.

Underserved? Anything that's not action-adventure power fantasy set in a fantasy world. Games exist that aren't those, but they're decidedly niche and practically invisible. The audiences that like those other kinds of games are therefore underserved. Sure there's a smattering of sci-fi horror mystery and the odd western, but compared to fantasy they're a tiny fraction of the hobby. To say nothing of every other genre. Romance, cozy, non-violence, community focused, community building, etc. Yes, I'm aware there's like two games that might handle one of those, but that more proves my point than disproves it.

We actually have a growing genre of RPGs aimed at a more diverse and inclusive player base. We could certainly use more. And, of course, they all suffer the same problem any not-D&D games does, visibility under D&D's huge shadow. And D&D itself is becoming more and more inclusive, although it has much further to go . . .

Cheaper books would require different types of books. The standard full-color 8x11 hardcover isn't going to be getting any cheaper . . .

But I've long felt that D&D should ditch the PHB, MM, DMG triple combo as the "core" of the game and release a cheaper, simpler core book that would truly be all you need to enjoy the game. Something between the "starter" rules and the current "core" rules in complexity. I'm hoping for a singular "core" book AND a pick-up-and-play starter box, followed by more all-inclusive boxed adventures . . .

I am seeing more RPG-adjacent pick-up-and-play products in Barnes & Noble . . . which is cool, but aren't quite true RPGs. Still, more of that please!

 

[Jd Smith1]

Innovation in systems.

The hobby seems saturated with endless splatbooks, and with games which feature a mildly variant setting, but the same old same old in terms of rules.

 

[Reynard]

Here is a real world practical thing:

When folks come to conventions to try out games, they run into the problem of having to sign up for games beforehand. There is no real mechanism to walk around and try things because they look interesting and hit that person's particular draws.

What is we that run convention games always held back 2 of our 5 or 6 seats for passers by" and designed games where folks can drop in easily, even if we started 20 minutes previous?

 

[paradisebunny]

I don't think there has ben any shortage of compelling RPGs with designs that make them broadly accessible and potetnially a rival.

They haven't succeeded because of inertia. Like any other industry where there is a standard with a massive lead, is does not matter how good the new guy is. It almost never out performs the standard. The time for there to be a viable D&D alternative was 1981.

I think this is a narrow view, as this is simply not true for many places outside of the anglophone world. Sweden, Germany, Japan, Brazil, China have very different TTRPG landscapes, some of these having been established only somewhat recently in the grand scheme of things. It might be that in the US D&D is synonymous with TTRPGs, in Germany for instance in the 90s it was simply not available in most shops because the market was owned by a local game (DSA). I've only encountered actual D&D when returning to the hobby in the pandemic. Prior to that I have been playing games for years without even knowing D&D existed.

 

[chuckdee]

So, that informs what the industry needs now.

Business incubators, where designers can go to get support in the areas they suck at in a way that reduces the financial risk.

Isn't that back to that co-op that I still haven't heard anything about since someone proposed it on the first page? What would that entail? I mean, in all reality, most are struggling to survive, not compete. So if everyone gets together, then a rising tide raises all boats?

 

[Dire Bare]

I think this is a narrow view, as this is simply not true for many places outside of the anglophone world. Sweden, Germany, Japan, Brazil, China have very different TTRPG landscapes, some of these having been established only somewhat recently in the grand scheme of things. It might be that in the US D&D is synonymous with TTRPGs, in Germany for instance in the 90s it was simply not available in most shops because the market was owned by a local game (DSA). I've only encountered actual D&D when returning to the hobby in the pandemic. Prior to that I have been playing games for years without even knowing D&D existed.

Well, yeah . . . the situation is different in Europe, Japan, and other places outside the US and the British Commonwealth.

ENWorld is run from the UK, the hobby at large originated in and is still centered around the US . . . so that's the bias of most of us here.

But it's a good reminder that there are some AMAZING games coming out of places that are not the US or the UK . . . Free League being a great example, but definitely not the only one. I'm increasingly impressed with games coming out of France and Italy with amazing design and production values . . .

 

[payn]

Here is a real world practical thing:

When folks come to conventions to try out games, they run into the problem of having to sign up for games beforehand. There is no real mechanism to walk around and try things because they look interesting and hit that person's particular draws

What is we that run convention games always held back 2 of our 5 or 6 seats for passers by" and designed games where folks can drop in easily, even if we started 20 minutes previous?

War/board games do this often. They have game modes where vets and beginners alike sit side by side and play in whatever games hosted by TOs. I cant imagine it working for an RPG though. Neither would I randomly sit at a table and play something I know nothing about at a convention, id be annoyed if I scheduled a session and it was stopped periodically to add in more players who need to be brought up to speed. Thats just me though and my convention habits might be an outlier.

 

[TiQuinn]

So, that informs what the industry needs now.

Business incubators, where designers can go to get support in the areas they suck at in a way that reduces the financial risk.

Imagine if someone like a Chris Perkins or Jeremy Crawford (assuming they aren't just outright retiring...period), rather than putting out another fantasy system that also has to compete for mindshare with all the other fantasy systems out there by folks like Monte Cook, Rob Heinsoo, Jonathan Tweet, Matt Colville, Matt Mercer and others, decided instead to create a company that helped small publishers with focusing their marketing efforts, navigating the art direction and all of the other things that you pointed out, and that they've experienced as part of WotC.

I think it's a great idea, and one that would be genuinely helpful to a lot of publishers.

 

[Reynard]

Imagine if someone like a Chris Perkins or Jeremy Crawford (assuming they aren't just outright retiring...period), rather than putting out another fantasy system that also has to compete for mindshare with all the other fantasy systems out there by folks like Monte Cook, Rob Heinsoo, Jonathan Tweet, Matt Colville, Matt Mercer and others, decided instead to create a company that helped small publishers with focusing their marketing efforts, navigating the art direction and all of the other things that you pointed out, and that they've experienced as part of WotC.

I think it's a great idea, and one that would be genuinely helpful to a lot of publishers.

Those two people are writers and creators primarily. What makes you think they could do the organizing, advertising, outreach and legal work necessary? More importantly, how would they afford to do so?

What I mean is: we can't expect celebrities to magically solve problems, especially when they have their own mortgages. Small companies and indie developers would need to build the coalition and organization and find a way to fund it.

 

[TheAlkaizer]

Those two people are writers and creators primarily. What makes you think they could do the organizing, advertising, outreach and legal work necessary? More importantly, how would they afford to do so?

Exactly, excellent creatives doesn't mean great entrepreneurs.