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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Derren" data-source="post: 6281884" data-attributes="member: 2518">Good if you like (only) stories of this certain type. Not so good if you like others, too and want to play them without having to switch to a other system. It means story complexity. Systems designed for instant gratification (Skinner box has been mentioned, so when you can stand the voice look here: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWtvrPTbQ_c" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWtvrPTbQ_c</a>) require for this gratification to be constant in small intervals. Having a complex story on the other hand can mean that the intervals can get very long in the case that the players get stuck or even run into the wrong direction. Thats why they tend to be linear with a clear enemy (and maybe with a cliché twist near the end).As for the rest of your post, watch the Skinner Box video. Instant gratification games tend to build such conditioning into their system which makes it very hard to run different games where there is no constant reward dangling in front of the players which, at least in my experience, become more and more reactive as they expect the game to tell them what to do to get the next reward.They got stuff at level up in previous editions, too but not as much as when this whole thing really started with 3E. Now they not only get spells at every levels, they also get feats and possibly other rewards during leveling.Theoretically yes. Practically though, leveling up becomes more and more important over simply playing. That is the the whole point of the thread. That players are not satisfied with playing what they have any more, but that they constantly carve the next levelup. See the Skinner Box video from above.You seem to confuse "instant gratification" with "steady leveling". Steady leveling alone is not the problem, even 5 months can be steady. The problem is instant gratification (again, see the skinner box video) which imo limits what type of games you can play with the system when it builds too much on instant gratification (which can be more than leveling).And since 3E I have seen (or imagine) D&D becoming more and more build around instant gratification.More easy and faster leveling, "special abilities, etc." at every level, wealth by level guidelines/treasure parcels, etc. All this entices the player more and more to "get to the next level", so much that playing what you have became boring as you do not get your next reward.Building D&D around instant gratification can be (and most likely is) just a reaction as the rest of the entertainment industry does this, too (see video games) which means the current youth already comes per-conditioned to the table and expects a constant flow of rewards or otherwise get bored/frustrated.</blockquote>

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