Would you be satisifed with d20 as your only RPG? [Ties into RyanD's blog entry.]

[Desdichado]

I don't see myself ever going back to core D&D/D20- its just not what fits my group's style. I can't say for sure since its thankfully not the case, but if D20 were all there was, I'd likely drop gaming entirely. I still play D&D 3.5 once every month or so (mostly to see friends and game in a lighthearted way), but I'll never run it again- it by no means is my preferred game.

That's interesting--I know from reading a number of your posts over a number of years that we have very similar tastes in terms of gaming (at least in terms of flavor, tone, etc.) yet I ended up with almost the complete opposite answer. With a few minor rules tweaks I've been able to get d20 to do exactly what I want from a grittier, non-superheroic type game. Combined with the ease of picking up d20 iterations without tackling a learning curve, and the ability to port products from D&D, d20 Modern, d20 Call of Cthulhu, or any other d20 production into my game with no fuss, I doubt I'll run anything but d20 for the foreseeable future.

 

[Arnwyn]

What I really was curious about was in one of his comments Ryan said that about 80% of the player base isn't concerned with the system at all and they just want to play in a game. I never thought about that before. I've always been content with d20 being my only outlet for roleplaying, but I thought I was the exception and not the norm.

So after all my babbling, the big question is are you satisifed enough with d20 that you never need to play another RPG again? (I would have made this a poll, but I wanted more then a yes or no answer.)

Yes. For all intents and purposes, it is my only RPG.

I'm not into RPGs that much - just D&D, since my university days. D&D most closely fits the 'feel' and genres that I like (granted, I only have a little experience with much else, and then absolutely hated the 'much else'), and I'm definitely of the 'ain't broke, don't fix' mentality.

Now, with all that said, it's not entirely true. As another poster pointed out, I also believe there is a right tool for the job. For my preferences, d20 doesn't handle anything outside of the 'medieval/fantasy' genre, so I also like Fuzion for the (rare) times we play our futuristic anime-inspired campaign.

 

[woodelf]

I have to agree with the sentiment that a majority of players do not care about the system or game mechanics. They just want to sit down and play.

Oh, that's exactly my experience, too--i've had 2 players (currently, in fact) who love fiddling with eth rules, and optimizing character builds, and all that. The rest just want to play. Which is precisely why they hate D20 System--too darn much rules to "just play". They want a ruleset that retreats into the background which, with the possible exception of something like Grimm or Blue Rose, just doesn't happen with D20 System. It's too hard to competently play D20 System while not caring about the system or game mechanics--or, at best, it involves another player taking on the burden of all the mechanical bits.

 

[woodelf]

I think its reasonable to assume d20 = OGL since the mechanics are so close.

Um, no. Action! System is OGL. I believe the new RuneQuest is OGL. Four Colors al Fresco is OGL. And if by "OGL" you mean "an open-content [game] license" rather than "the WotC open-content game license", then the pool gets a lot bigger, and a lot less homogeneous. Off the top of my head, i know Dread and Shadows of Yesterday are both released under a Creative Commons license, and i know there are othres, but can't name names.

 

[woodelf]

That falls into the range of sprawling underdefined mess, though. Is the core of the Palladium system D20?

This is one of the things I really hate about d20, though. It's the concept that you can change arbitrary number of rules in arbitrary ways and still be d20. At that point, it becomes more of an advertising thing than something actually useful to players. And why should everyone hack around d20 instead of designing a system that works?

Yep, and relatedly: is it really less work to figure out exactly which of your D&D3.5E assumptions do and don't apply to Iron Heroes or Everquest D20 or Spycraft 2.0, unlearning the old and learning thenew, than it is to just learn outright Buffy:tVS RPG or Savage Worlds or Over the Edge?

 

[Desdichado]

Um, no. Action! System is OGL. I believe the new RuneQuest is OGL. Four Colors al Fresco is OGL. And if by "OGL" you mean "an open-content [game] license" rather than "the WotC open-content game license", then the pool gets a lot bigger, and a lot less homogeneous. Off the top of my head, i know Dread and Shadows of Yesterday are both released under a Creative Commons license, and i know there are othres, but can't name names.

Yes, but I think it's fair to assume that we all know that he's talking about games that are really powered by a d20 engine, but which eschew the d20 license so they can include stuff that the d20 license specifically forbids. Completely seperate systems that also happen to be open content are not really under discussion.

 

[Jawar]

No. Not ever.

Unfortunately, every other player in my group prefers D20 D&D by far.
And simply, because they do not feel the need to change.
As gamers, they are set on tracks by D20, just like most PC users are set on tracks by Windows.

We have played CoC, 2300 AD and a game of my own in the past decades.
Still, D&D has had them, and D20 along.
This is also strongly due to the fact that our main DM is very attached to official D&D and he is an excellent DM, by any standards.

So, for me, it's either play D&D or play nothing else.
And I joyfully play D&D, don't be mistaken.
But, as I see a bit clearly than others through the rules, I tend to became somewhat of a powergamer. It's my little revenge.

 

[pawsplay]

No. Not at all.

 

[Li Shenron]

...about 80% of the player base isn't concerned with the system at all and they just want to play in a game. I never thought about that before. I've always been content with d20 being my only outlet for roleplaying, but I thought I was the exception and not the norm.

So after all my babbling, the big question is are you satisifed enough with d20 that you never need to play another RPG again? (I would have made this a poll, but I wanted more then a yes or no answer.)

I quite feel like that, I don't probably care about the system too much, and this is why I don't want to try others.

Well... it's not that I would refuse to play with another ruleset but only that I'm not looking for it. I ultimately think that another system wouldn't probably make my hobby noticeably better, so while reading a new rulebook can be always interesting, switching the game to it requires some time & effort that I would rather spend on preparing a good campaign

I don't even try to change much of 3.0 with house rules: I always come up with HR ideas and variants all the time, but at the end I just want to play or run some adventures, and it's easier for me to just stick with the common rules.

edit: while I still play with D&D 3.0, I wouldn't consider 3.5 to be different system, and neither d20 really. I will certainly play some d20 Modern adventure early or late, but I would feel like it's basically the same game!

 

[PapersAndPaychecks]

I play and GM 1e, Runequest 2, Rolemaster Classic, Classic Traveller, and BRP Call of Cthulhu. I play WHFRP, Tunnels & Trolls, OD&D, Holmes, Moldvay/Cook or Mentzer if someone else GMs.

I don't touch d20 or Noun: The Gerund.