Why System Matters for Roleplaying

[DrunkonDuty]

Well, one thing that the OP brings to my mind - as players it's (usually) our preference to protect our characters.

Therefore, in a game where characters can be easily removed from play protecting them requires more player caution. A game like DnD 5e or Star Wars allow the player to be much less cautious as there's much less risk of the character being removed from play.

 

[CleverNickName]

The system does matter to an extent, but the players matter more. After all, players are the ones who choose the system in the first place. Those who play, say, GURPS instead of D&D, are choosing to do so for a reason.

 

[Yora]

The primary way in which system impacts play is the way rewards and incentives work. XP for winning fights is hugely different from XP for stealing treasure.
Sometimes players just decide to do what feels right in a given situation, but throughout the whole campaign, every decision is affected by what the system incentivizes with mechanical rewards.

 

[Li Shenron]

I think system plays a much larger role than we generally give it credit for.

I generally agree that system matters, but hell no I don't think this is not being given enough credit... on the contrary, I think how much it matters is largely overemphasized in all online discussions.

 

[Fenris-77]

In general I agree with the OP, but with the caveat that the players really need to understand the stakes implicit there, otherwise their play won't be informed by it (obviously, but also importantly). This same train of thought holds even more true when the GM themselves perhaps doesn't understand the stakes of the system.

 

[Reynard]

In general I agree with the OP, but with the caveat that the players really need to understand the stakes implicit there, otherwise their play won't be informed by it (obviously, but also importantly). This same train of thought holds even more true when the GM themselves perhaps doesn't understand the stakes of the system.

It is particularly evident when groups switch to superficially similar games that have stark differences in elements like deadliness of combat or difficulty of task resolution. A 5e GM giving OD&D a try, for example, but using lessons learned from 5E is going to have a tough go of it (and so are the players).

 

[Grendel_Khan]

The primary way in which system impacts play is the way rewards and incentives work. XP for winning fights is hugely different from XP for stealing treasure.
Sometimes players just decide to do what feels right in a given situation, but throughout the whole campaign, every decision is affected by what the system incentivizes with mechanical rewards.

I both totally agree with this, and also think you're describing a very D&D/OSR situation. I'd argue that once you set those aside, most systems aren't as explicit or granular about player rewards--you just play, and get XP along the way.

There are some exceptions, like the way progression works in a lot of PbtA (or adjacent) games, where you more you progress, the closer you might get to retiring the character. Or in something like Shadowrun for Cyberpunk money can be at least as important as XP. But overall I think what you're talking about, where PCs have a clear sense of carrots being dangled, and penalties for not chasing them, isn't universal.

 

[Yora]

I took XP as just one example. But I think pretty much any system has some kind of mechanic in which players get notification that they are getting a reward for having done certain things, and not getting any of that if they do other things.

 

[Grendel_Khan]

I took XP as just one example. But I think pretty much any system has some kind of mechanic in which players get notification that they are getting a reward for having done certain things, and not getting any of that if they do other things.

Call of Cthulhu doesn't, 2d20 doesn't, GURPS doesn't, Traveller doesn't. I'm not doubting that some systems (other than D&D and OSR stuff) do, but what you're talking about doesn't seem like the default.

 

[MichaelSomething]

Of course system matters! Look at 4E and how it discouraged many people from roleplaying!