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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Psion" data-source="post: 1376952" data-attributes="member: 172">This may echo some other sentiments on the first page, but generally, I think that players have less realistic expectations for fantasy (the corollary of which is that it is easier for the GM to run things, which was mentioned on the first page.) With fantasy, if the DM does something off the wall, it's accepted, because it's almost an expected element. Contrast this with modern and SF, in which plot elements often require a bit more beleivable justification. For some players this isn't true, but others of us... well, didn't quite buy the last two James Bond flicks. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />That said, I don't think it is so easy to dispense with the role of D&D's primacy. It played a big role in popularizing fantasy. Now true, it wouldn't be anything without LotR. But then, it spawned a host of videogames and immitators that were seminal influences for many would be gamers. This root commonality created an experience that was shared between many fantasy enthusiasts.Finally, I think that it's root design has an enduring appeal and ease of use. Many games exist that suit particular tastes better, but D&D has elements that are simple to play, simple to use, and appeal to basic desires of many people who call themselves gamers. To wit:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Strong, simple core group activity model - many RPGs these days leave you wondering just who the PCs are, why they should have anything to do with each other, and what they are expected to do. With D&D, usually these elements are straightforward and well supported by the metasetting assumptions: the PCs are a group of adventurers with complementing skills, who gather to grapple with threats, gain fame & forture. I think that a lot of games miss this element of the game, and leave the GM wondering what to do or needing to conjure up their own basic premise.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Simple magic - no complicated theories about why magic works the way it does. It's simple "pick x from list A, y from list B" lets players who don't think about this everyday get into the game and experience a visceral feeling of possession and power without delving into esoterica and accounting.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Levels - many popular videogames exploit the phenomenon of "just one more quest" (planet, city conquered, whatever) to give the players momentum. D&D's level mechanic was the first to deliver this short term abstract goal oriented mechanic and continues to do so in a day and age when many self-proclaimed "better" RPGs decry such mechanics.</li> </ul></blockquote>

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