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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Gorgon Zee" data-source="post: 8167269" data-attributes="member: 75787">Not with you on this one. In fact, it's really only D&D v2-3 for which this seems the case. D&D4E was hugely complex, but that wasn't what caused a new edition to come out. 5E doesn't seem -- to me -- to be getting a lot more complexity.Outside of D&D we see long-running lines like Call of Cthulhu that are essentially unchanged over many decades. It's certainly not getting new versions because the last version was too complex (if anything, the reverse!). Fate is another interesting case, with Fate Core essentially unchanged since release, but new version (Fate Accelerated and Fate Condensed) existing as options; there's no hint of "moving on" to them, and Fate Core has not collapsed under its weight -- there are just multiple options in terms of complexity.Powered by the Apocalypse systems are an example of what I think the trend is nowadays. This is to have a simple core system with a strong differentiating principle, and then come out with variations on that for specific genres / properties / whatever. The old style (e..g GURPS, D&D) was to add rules to the core system and so allow the core system to grow to accommodate many play styles. The new style is to keep the core system minimal, and create separate projects for each genre you care about. It's a somewhat subtle difference, but huge in impact. The old style is to assume that players will incorporate new books into their play and puts the burden on people to limit content. The new style is to assume that players will play a specific version of the system, and put the burden on them to merge in other content. As a specific example, when running D&D I have to think about every supplement and decide what to use. When running a Fate system, I can start without needing to know anything but the core book and only need to consider a supplement if there becomes a perceived need:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">In my recent Deadlands Classic campaign, before starting the game, I had too read through 1 large core book, 1 campaign book and five other books (Texas rangers, locations, hucksters, Native Americans ...) for a pretty normal campaign</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">When running Night's Black Agents I started with exactly two books (the Gumshoe system modified for this genre, and the campaign book) and about 6 months later I added a Gumshoe magic supplement, and then some extra combat rules from Double Tap.</li> </ul>This seems a trend that fits with our hobby becoming less focused on hard-core "I want to spend all Saturday playing my crunchy game and all Sunday working out the optimal way to level to 12" players and more on the new players who don't want that level of commitment. Adding rules to an existing system makes it much harder to play casually. Once the trend to keeping systems fixed, and making money (which we need to do!) by selling additional material that is self-contained and/or does not need to work with any other such additional material.</blockquote>

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