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With the Holy Trinity out, let's take stock of 5E
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<blockquote data-quote="howandwhy99" data-source="post: 6464995" data-attributes="member: 3192"><p>People making up a game and trying out rules on the fly aren't playing a game. That's not some recent observation. That's an understanding that's been around for centuries. <em>Rules are set before play for a reason, so games can be played at all.</em></p><p></p><p>The DMG is advice to DMs to build their game prior to play, not rules for how to play with the DM as a player. I can't speak for Moldvay, but the basic games starting with Holmes were aimed at kids.</p><p></p><p>All of these games, including D&D, are predicated on the act of game play, that players are deciphering an underlying code to attain objectives in a pattern, i.e. a game. Actions in D&D are bound to the game. "I'm going to pick up some lunch on my way over, Thomas". That isn't possible in the game because the speaker is referring to the world outside it. All games are bounded. Even D&D is bound. For example, players are limited by what they can capably communicate to the DM.</p><p></p><p>To Hit, damage, and Hit Point stats are obviously all over D&D. That they are based on underlying patterns so items like hammers and pitons and portcullis mechanism (a winch or chain pulley?) can also be derived from the same is less obvious. But many wargames did exactly that. They derived results from the game's design. This was how many used to read D&D too, akin to a game rules manual as you might find in a boardgame or wargame. Of course it's a guide for DMs to set up the code behind the screen before play, but that's extrapolated. All those designs are suggestions.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="howandwhy99, post: 6464995, member: 3192"] People making up a game and trying out rules on the fly aren't playing a game. That's not some recent observation. That's an understanding that's been around for centuries. [I]Rules are set before play for a reason, so games can be played at all.[/I] The DMG is advice to DMs to build their game prior to play, not rules for how to play with the DM as a player. I can't speak for Moldvay, but the basic games starting with Holmes were aimed at kids. All of these games, including D&D, are predicated on the act of game play, that players are deciphering an underlying code to attain objectives in a pattern, i.e. a game. Actions in D&D are bound to the game. "I'm going to pick up some lunch on my way over, Thomas". That isn't possible in the game because the speaker is referring to the world outside it. All games are bounded. Even D&D is bound. For example, players are limited by what they can capably communicate to the DM. To Hit, damage, and Hit Point stats are obviously all over D&D. That they are based on underlying patterns so items like hammers and pitons and portcullis mechanism (a winch or chain pulley?) can also be derived from the same is less obvious. But many wargames did exactly that. They derived results from the game's design. This was how many used to read D&D too, akin to a game rules manual as you might find in a boardgame or wargame. Of course it's a guide for DMs to set up the code behind the screen before play, but that's extrapolated. All those designs are suggestions. [/QUOTE]
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Community
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With the Holy Trinity out, let's take stock of 5E
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