What's your favorite play style for your D&D games?

[The Human Target]

If I can only have one thing, its heroic and high action.

 

[Kaodi]

In some ways I kind of wonder if it is really possible to be a fan of simulationist or heroic and high action without also being interested in story. Both of those imply an interest in a certain kind of storytelling...

 

[Lanefan]

One can't really play the game without at least two of those options being present at any given time; but I also can't ever see all five being present simultaneously. All, however, are necessary at some point.

Also, my favourite playstyle changes depending on the situation. Story-based is what I like out of combat, simulationist tactical play is best for in-combat. Heroic high action can rear its head during either or both of these, and fast-and-simple is fine anytime.

Lan-"count this as a spoiled ballot"-efan

 

[Charleois]

I do not see an ounce of difference between "Heroic and high action" and "Tactical Combat." I want whatever it is that encompasses both of these.

 

[Tallifer]

I guess I was one of the three so far to choose tactical combat. I like the other aspects, but when I run a Pathfinder game, I like laying out the environment, setting the encounter up, and going to town.

Count me in too. The Fourth Edition introduced me to how great a very tactical combat can be. But then when I started playing Pathfinder, I brought the same goodness with me to that game.

 

[Jon_Dahl]

Opinions are many, but sessions are few. So very few.

I'd say fast and simple, because in my age every minute of gaming is precious. There's no room for complicated rules, even if they are made for the best storytelling game or tactical combat ever invented.

I don't know about you guys, but if I wanted something fancy I'd play GURPS or WoD. I like my D&D fast and dirty. A great combat or a dialogue finished in 5 minutes beats the ones that are finished in 6 minutes.

 

[Sadras]

Story first.

***

D&D that's slow and complex? Still D&D. Archetypically D&D, maybe.

D&D about nonheroic characters and without action? Still D&D. Potentially very good D&D.

D&D without simulationism? Still D&D. A high-power game or a very tactical gamist one.

D&D without tactical combat? Still D&D. A great experience for the high-art roleplayers.

D&D without a story? Now you're just playing Chainmail.

***

Doesn't have to be a great story or an involved story or even make sense, but D&D is a narrative form. There isn't a great deal of imperative for narrativist mechanics though, as you can tell whatever story you want with no rules at all (while sophisticated rules are essential to tactical combat). It's more about the rules staying out of the way and letting you tell whatever story you want, providing guidance and inspiration when needed.

You're assuming that there was/is no story in the other play styles which of course is not the case. The poll is not listing extreme selections. Its reflecting preferred play styles. DnD always has story - the poll is merely asking if you prefer it as the main mechanic (not only mechanic) or something else.

Personally I dont like story/narrative driven, from personal experiences, from a bad dm, the storyline went one way, the DM's was railroading the story and the PCs influenced very little if not anything in the entire adventure.

I prefer fast and simple...not exclusively, its just that the majority of a session should be fast and simple, allowing the story to progress and the PCs to interact with the setting faster with less hassle, so at the end of a session everyone has felt like they have contributed something and that the story/campaign is going somewhere.

Of course the remaining options in the poll offer story - just not as focused as much as the option you selected.

Furthermore - its rpG, the G standing for game - so a little die roll here or there to spice things up is very much necessary. A die roll can easily add to the story and allows the player characters to feel that sense of risk in the adventure.

My 12 coppers for fast and simple.

 

[Mokona]

As linked in my OP, Monte Cook is running this same poll over at Wizards.com.

Do you think his poll results will line up roughly the same with these poll results? Have you voted in Monte's official poll?

 

[Mokona]

Monte's official poll results have been tallied. Let's compare.

In the single-choice poll as of 05 Feb 2012, EN World at 9:11 PM Pacific Time...

EN World on the Left - Wizards.com Results on the Right
Votes - % - Option - WotC % - WotC Votes
33 - 29.20% - Fast and simple - 16.7% - 440
26 - 23.01% - Heroic and high action - 27.9% - 734
15 - 13.27% - Simulationist - 5.7% - 149
34 - 30.09% - Story-based - 39.3% - 1033
5 - 4.42% - Tactical combat - 10.4% - 272

Total EN World Votes: 113
Total Wizards.com Votes: 2628

Story based won in both cases but the margins were different. Somewhat interesting is the tension between "Fast and simple" versus "Heroic and high action" which are struggling for 2nd place.

Other results from Monte:

Last Week's Polls

What's your favorite play style for your D&D games? Rate each of these on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being "not at all important" and 5 being "vital to the game."

Fast and simple
1 - 104 - 4.2%
2 - 327 - 13.3%
3 - 879 - 35.8%
4 - 695 - 28.3%
5 - 451 - 18.4%
Total - 2456 - 100.0%

Story-based
1 - 69 - 2.8%
2 - 113 - 4.6%
3 - 380 - 15.5%
4 - 840 - 34.4%
5 - 1042 - 42.6%
Total - 2444 - 100.0%

Tactical combat
1 - 174 - 7.1%
2 - 398 - 16.3%
3 - 775 - 31.8%
4 - 738 - 30.3%
5 - 353 - 14.5%
Total - 2438 - 100.0%

Simulationist
1 - 426 - 17.7%
2 - 637 - 26.4%
3 - 750 - 31.1%
4 - 435 - 18.0%
5 - 164 - 6.8%
Total - 2412 - 100.0%

Heroic and high action
1 - 95 - 3.9%
2 - 228 - 9.4%
3 - 496 - 20.4%
4 - 835 - 34.3%
5 - 781 - 32.1%
Total - 2435 - 100.0%