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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Rod Staffwand" data-source="post: 6843790" data-attributes="member: 6776279">Innovation is usually born of need, rather than idle experimentation. So, the question becomes: What facets of RPGs need improvement?Obviously, each game has its own priorities and design choices. Dungeon World, FATE, D&D 5E, Pathfinder and whatever else are all their own beasts and an innovation for one system wouldn't necessarily translate to others. I don't think we'll be seeing a completely revolutionary system or way of conceptualizing games (such as the story game movement) any time soon.If I had to generalize about specific problems that haven't been adequately addressed, I'd say the following (the common theme being ways to reduce complexity with elegant solutions):1. A simple combat system that is easy to learn and understand, but with built-in complexity that allows ongoing mastery and enough flexibility to cover a variety of tones, power-levels and gaming styles.2. Seamless integration with understandable and balanced "campaign-level" resources, such as domain management, faction building, divine forces, mass combat etc.3. Methods to parse and adjudicate open-ended actions and abilities such as combat stunts, gadgets/bags of tricks, magic-does-anything systems, etc. without bogging down into complex calculations or hand-waving it away.4. Methods and tools to speed GM prep and aid with improvisation. Ways to conceptualize adventure content in an easy, understandable way.5. Better terminology and communication of play styles and expectations to minimize strife and confusion between GMs and players. A lot of this has been done (here and elsewhere on the internet) but it hasn't been codified and popularized.Some of these have been solved in part, with some games, and "sorta-good-enough" options are out there, but I'd say more work needs to be done.</blockquote>

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